Governor Josh Stein, year one.

Stein gives an enlightening interview on PBS.

As Governor Josh Stein reaches the end of his first year in office, he already has one very significant achievement. Ties are now optional. In his interview with David Crabtree on Stateline, the Governor looked relaxed in a sport coat with the top of his shirt unbuttoned and his neck unencumbered. Post-COVID style is now codified. Thank you, Governor Stein.

Stein’s informality gave him an air of confidence in an interview that touched on his governing philosophy, defined his priorities, and offered North Carolinians a political choice. The interview revealed a man who values competence and who seems to enjoy his role as the state’s chief executive. He clearly wants solid accomplishments and he wants people around him who can carry out his vision. He’s less pugilistic than his predecessor and focused on finding partners who can deliver.

Stein consistently made the interview about the people of North Carolina and never ventured into divisive social issues or petty insults. When he talked about hurricane relief, he said he wanted to make sure the government was working as hard as the people affected in western North Carolina. He focused on fixing the DMV to make the agency more efficient and reducing wait times. He noted that Medicaid expansion not only delivered health coverage to 700,000 people, but helped struggling rural hospitals stay open. He brought every topic back to improving people’s lives and helping communities, whether they’re recovering from a natural disaster or just wading through a mundane bureaucratic agency.

Unlike another chief executive, Stein consistently used “we,” not “I” when talking about his accomplishments and he shared credit for success. He praised his team for getting relief to hurricane victims faster than other states. He thanked the Republican-led legislature for providing resources to beef up DMV. He praised former Democratic Governor Roy Cooper, former Republican House Chair Tim Moore, and Republican Senate President Pro-Tem Phil Berger for expanding Medicaid.

While he clearly sees the legislative branch as necessary partners, he also took the leaders to task. He called their failure to pass a budget the biggest challenge the state faces and squarely blamed Republicans. He chastised them for failing to fully fund our schools, leaving us at 48th in the nation in teacher pay. He warned that if Republicans fail to fully fund Medicaid, they will cause a disaster, leaving North Carolinians without health care and threatening the well-being of rural hospitals.

Stein also offered a direct contrast between Democratic and Republican priorities. When Crabtree interviewed Phil Berger the day before, the Senate leader said he had long opposed Medicaid expansion because he was afraid the state would not be able to afford it. Stein contrasted that view, noting that Republicans have spent years focused on tax cuts that have left the state underfunded. Democrats have been fighting to get health care to people who need it and raising teacher pay to attract and retain good teachers. Stein says that cutting funding for Medicaid and public schools is a choice and a reflection of Republicans prioritizing tax cuts over vital services.

Stein’s interview offered Democrats, both here and nationally, a way forward. He clearly defined priorities that affect a broad section of the population, from DMV wait times to disaster relief. He brought every topic back to improving people’s lives. His language was inclusive, not divisive, a sharp contrast to the words coming from too many political figures. He made overtures to his Republican counterparts in the legislature while chastising them for their failures and offering a clear contrast between his priorities and theirs. Finally, he came across as confident and serious, a leader looking for results instead of a politician trying to score points.

Many people thought Stein’s administration would be a continuation of the Cooper administration. The two men had followed similar paths—years in the legislature followed by tenures as the state’s attorney general. Both are moderate Democrats.

But Stein is cutting his own path and comes into the office in a significantly different political environment. He’s also the first governor to have served in the minority party in the legislature since Jim Holshouser. He knows his party’s limitations in the General Assembly and brings relationships he built with legislative colleagues who are still serving. Those experiences should help setting expectations and understanding pressure points.

Cooper was elected when Democrats in North Carolina were at their nadir. Republicans controlled both the legislative and executive branches and were pushing through draconian legislation. Cooper stepped into the role of leader of the party when Democrats desperately needed somebody to push back hard against the GOP horde and to give the party faithful hope. He developed a reputation as a fighter, willing to both throw a punch and take one. He managed to anger Republicans and excite Democrats without alienating the middle, no small feat. He was the right person for the job at the time and served his role well.

Stein steps up at a time when GOP destruction is largely complete. They’ve remade much of state government, including public schools and Medicaid administration, and now they have to manage the mess they’ve made. Republicans are good at tearing things down but not so good at making them work. They can’t even pass a state budget and they’re leaving the people of North Carolina at risk.

If Cooper was the fighter whose job was to stand up to the Republican crazies and bullies, Stein is the adult in the room who needs to make government work for the people of the state. He’ll credit Republicans when they do something right, but he’ll criticize them when they’re failing North Carolina. He’s laying out a clear choice between cutting taxes that will benefit corporations and the rich or fully funding Medicaid and public schools. Instead of just punching Republicans for making bad decisions, he’s inviting them to join him in making good ones. If they refuse he’s going to make them pay a political price.

Stein has had a good first year. He ends it popular and with some successes under his belt. He’s surrounded himself with competent people and prepared for the years to come. He understands the role he wants to play as governor and he’s articulating a vision for the state that is inclusive and unifying. It’s a good recipe for governing—and winning.