North Carolina Council of State election, 2004

Elections to choose members of the North Carolina Council of State (who head various executive branch departments) were held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004.

In all but two races (Superintendent of Public Instruction and Labor Commissioner), incumbent Democrats sought re-election.

The U.S. Presidential election, U.S. House election, U.S. Senate election, North Carolina gubernatorial election, North Carolina General Assembly election, and North Carolina judicial elections were all held on the same day. "Note that the Governor and Lt. Governor are also members of the Council of State, but their elections are covered in the article on the 2004 gubernatorial election."

On a national level, Republican George W. Bush captured the state's electoral votes while incumbent Democratic governor Mike Easley easily won a second term.

=Secretary of State=

North Carolina's high-profile incumbent Attorney General, Roy Cooper, easily carried his race against Republican challenger Joe Knott.

=State Treasurer=

"Source: [http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/local/12459365.htm Charlotte Observer] "

With the resignation of Mike Ward, the Superintendent of Public Instruction race was the only 2004 Council of State contest in which there was no incumbent; consequently both major parties saw contested primaries. On the Republican side, former Wake County board of education member Bill Fletcher easily bested retired professor Jeanne Smoot. The Democratic primary between state Department of Instruction official June Atkinson, North Carolina Board of Education member J. B. Buxton and state agricultural education coordinator Marshall Stewart led to a second primary. Stewart polled narrowly ahead of Atkinson in the first primary, but failed to capture the 40% support needed to take the nomination. In a statewide runoff primary, Atkinson captured the Democratic nomination.

The race, along with the race for Agriculture Commissioner (see below) was caught up for nearly a month in a statewide recount because of the narrow margin. Fletcher argued that provisional ballots, required under the Help America Vote Act of 2002 for federal races, were improperly counted in state races under North Carolina law. However, on 30 November 2004, the State Board of Elections certified Atkinson the winner. Fletcher appealed the recision to the North Carolina Supreme Court. Atkinson, in turn, petitioned the North Carolina General Assembly to resolve the disputed election. On August 24, 2005, the General Assembly met in a joint session to vote on the disputed election, as the state constitution called for. Atkinson won this vote and was sworn-in that afternoon.

The election of the Superintendent of Public Instruction was the last American election from 2004 to be decided. [http://www.kpho.com/Global/story.asp?S=3758936]

=State Agriculture Commissioner=

Five-term incumbent Jim Long easily fended off a challenge from Republican C. Robert Brawley to win the greatest number of votes for any candidate in the 2004 Council of State elections.