With little pomp, Josh Stein sworn in as North Carolina governor. Public celebrations come later

Richard Stradling, The News & Observer on Jan 1, 2025

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RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina will celebrate the arrival of its 76th governor on Jan. 11, when Josh Stein takes a ceremonial oath of office and delivers his inaugural address outside the State Capitol, followed by a block party on Fayetteville Street and an inaugural ball at Marbles Kids Museum.

But Stein officially became governor on New Year’s Day, in a small ceremony inside the Capitol building, in the old Senate chambers. With outgoing Gov. Roy Cooper looking on, the state’s first Jewish governor raised his right hand and placed his left on a historic Tanakh, or Hebrew bible, and swore to uphold the constitutions and laws of both the United States and North Carolina.

Stein, a Democrat, defeated his Republican rival, outgoing Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, by nearly 15 percentage points in November. He served as the state’s Attorney General for eight years, starting in 2017, and represented Wake County in the state Senate from 2009 to 2016.

State Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul Newby administered the oath of office, while Secretary of State Elaine Marshall presided over the ceremonial transfer of the state seal. Stein was joined by his wife Anna, who held the Tanakh, and other members of his family.

Though his public inaugural address is still 11 days away, Stein spoke briefly Wednesday about the challenges ahead and the need to find common ground across political divisions.

“The time is now to build a safer, stronger North Carolina, where our economy continues to grow and works for everyone; where our public schools are excellent and our teachers are well-paid; where our neighborhoods are safe and our personal freedoms are protected,” he said. “And, of course, we must act with urgency to help the people of Western North Carolina recover from Hurricane Helene.”

Later in the day, Stein said that he would travel to Asheville on Thursday to announce executive orders to support Helene recovery efforts. Western North Carolina is still reeling from the storm, which damaged or destroyed thousands of homes and businesses and has hobbled the region’s tourist economy.

Rabbi Judith Schindler, a professor of Jewish studies at Queens University of Charlotte, ended the 22-minute ceremony with a benediction.

“The scholars of Judaism taught long ago that a community is too heavy for one person to carry alone,” Schindler said. “So Gov. Josh Stein, we pray that all of us here today will be working partners to support you, and we pray that you will be blessed with abundant partners who work together to fulfill our collective dreams for our state’s success.”

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