Updated as of 10:56 p.m. on March 5 to include comment from those at the event, as well as additional photos.
With 39 out of 39 precincts reported according to the North Carolina State Board of Elections, gubernatorial candidate North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein is the lead Democratic nominee with roughly 64% of the vote.
The Associated Press called the Democratic Gubernatorial race in favor of Stein at around 8 p.m. with just under 2% of votes casted.
The Republican governor race was also called in favor of Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson. The two will face off in the general election in November.
In his victory speech, Stein reiterated the differences between his campaign and Robinson’s. Stein also touted some of the accomplishments made under Gov. Roy Cooper’s time in office, including expanding Medicaid.
“Today, we took an important first step, but we must be clear about the stakes of this election,” Stein said. “We're at a crossroads and the choice before us is two competing visions for North Carolina. Mark Robinson’s vision is bleak and divisive, consumed by spite and hate. He spends time pitting people against each other.”
NC Democrats hosted a watch party at the Maywood Hall & Garden in Raleigh to welcome the Democratic gubernatorial nominee to the general elections ballot. Primary elections closed at 7:30 p.m. on March 5.
North Carolina Attorney General and Democratic gubernatorial nominee Josh Stein speaks inside the Maywood Hall & Garden in Raleigh on March 5 after winning the Democratic primary.
Following Stein were a number of other Democratic candidates, including North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Michael R. Morgan, Gary Foxx, Marcus W. Williams and Chrelle Booker running in the primary.
“Enjoy the feeling that you got,” State House Democratic Leader Robert Reives said. “But when we finish tonight … we have to be one team, we can only win this thing if we stay together. So I'm going to tell you now, if you are a winner tonight, get ready to work hard. If you are not successful tonight, get ready to work hard.”
The watch party kicked off at 7 p.m., where current North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper spoke — along with North Carolina Democrat chair Anderson Clayton, State House Democratic Leader Robert Reives and State Senate Democratic Leader Dan Blue.
In response to Robinson’s primary win, North Carolina Democratic Chair Anderson Clayton said he believes voters need to take Robinson seriously.
“I listened to a lot of folks earlier who kind of downplay the power of someone like Mark Robinson in North Carolina. I think that the one thing that Democrats have got to know is that he's been out in rural North Carolina. …He's been running for governor for the last four years in my personal opinion,” Clayton said. “I think that we've got to be able to show up in places that haven't seen us in a long time.”