State Auditor Race: Beth Wood (D, inc.) vs. Chuck Stuber (R)
And now we come to our last Council of State race to analyze. It’s the race for State Auditor, featuring a matchup between incumbent Beth Wood and Republican challenger Chuck Stuber.
Beth Wood was first elected in 2008, defeating Les Merritt in what was a blue wave election. Four years later, she easily prevailed in a race against Wake County Board of Education member Debra Goldman. She’s received good marks from both parties and has a decent relationship with the Republican-led state legislature.
Chuck Stuber, the Republican, is a former FBI special agent who also serves as State Board of Elections chief investigator. He says he feels “uniquely qualified” for the job and wants to bring justice to those who perpetuate “fraud, abuse, and corruption.” He recently made news for calling for an investigation into NC New Schools, which championed early-college high schools before filing for bankruptcy in May despite tens of millions of dollars in federal and private grants.
Despite Stuber’s impressive credentials, NC voters are likely to elect Wood again this year. Why? It’s a now-familiar pattern: she’s an incumbent, and she’s a woman. Moreover, most voters don’t have any issues with the job Wood is doing in office. It will be difficult for Stuber’s campaign to catch fire. But he’s still a credible candidate running a credible campaign. This race gets a ranking of Likely Democratic for now.
Race Rating: Likely Democratic
2012 Result
53.7% Wood
46.3% Goldman
Voter Registration
40.2% Democratic
30.5% Republican
28.9% Unaffiliated
70.3% White
22.3% Black
7.4% Other
Results in Other Elections
2014 Senate
48.8% Tillis
47.3% Hagan
2012 President
50.4% Romney
48.4% Obama
2012 Governor
54.6% McCrory
43.2% Dalton
2010 Senate
54.8% Burr
43.1% Marshall
John Wynne is the “conservative voice” at PoliticsNC, where he also provides polling analysis and commentary on legislative campaigns. When not writing about politics, he enjoys gardening and listening to opera. Contact: johncwynne@gmail.com.
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