A second Democrat considers entering NC governor’s race. Here’s who may run in 2024

North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Michael Morgan, who is retiring from the court when his term expires next year, is considering a 2024 bid for governor, he told NC Insider.

In a phone interview Wednesday, Morgan said many inside North Carolina’s Democratic circles are calling on him to run in next year’s primary election. Attorney General Josh Stein is the only Democrat so far who has announced a gubernatorial campaign.

“I’ve been asked, quite frankly, to look at the race for governor,” Morgan said. “And while I highly respect the declared candidate for the Democratic nomination for governor, I feel inclined to respect the calls that I’m getting.”

Morgan, a North Carolina native who spent most of his childhood in New Bern, has served for more than three decades in the state’s judicial branch. He was an administrative law judge, a Wake County District Court judge and a Superior Court judge before joining the state Supreme Court in 2016. The 67-year-old announced in May that he would not seek reelection to the court.

But Morgan told Insider, The News & Observer’s state government news service, he’s been looking for a new avenue of public service. His candidacy in the governor’s race would strengthen the Democratic Party’s chances in a state dominated by Republican politics, Morgan said.

“I believe it would enhance the chances of the Democrats,” he said of his potential campaign. “I believe that should I enter the race I would be a strong voice that would be in a position to not only be the best qualified for the position, but I would be in the best position to defeat the current leading Republican candidate. I would be able to concentrate on matters and articulate matters in a way that would be more convincing and more persuasive, to have the Democrats enjoy victory and to maintain the governor position.”

Before deciding whether he’ll formally announce a campaign, Morgan plans to evaluate “the support I would receive if I did run for governor,” he said. “And, of course, whether I’d be able to raise the requisite funds in the requisite time to be a formidable candidate.”

Several Republicans have announced their candidacies for the 2024 gubernatorial race. They include State Treasurer Dale Folwell, former U.S. Rep. Mark Walker and Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, who is widely considered the party’s leading contender. With a stacked field of competitors across the aisle, Morgan said, North Carolina’s Democratic voters need more than one option heading into the primaries.

“There are some disturbing voices that want to lead our state in a direction that’s backward, downward and wayward,” Morgan said. “... If I would decide to run, it would strengthen our party going forward to the 2024 race and it would strengthen our ability to keep the governorship in a responsible leader’s hands.”