in Raleigh, North Carolina — A recent opponent has utilized his own personal wealth to fight monetarily with Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, who was the leading fundraiser in the GOP primary for North Carolina governor into 2024.
As per the campaign finance filings that were due at the State Board of Elections last week, Robinson's campaign reported raising about $3.4 million for the second half of 2023.
According to his campaign report, Salisbury trial lawyer Bill Graham, who declared his intention to run for the Republican nomination in October, loaned his campaign $2.8 million out of the $2.9 million it had received up to December 31.
In October, Graham announced his intention to devote "at least $5 million of his own resources" to the campaign, including personal loans to fund statewide television ads.
Graham, who sought the governorship in 2008 but was unsuccessful, told The Associated Press in January that he planned to spend that much on the primary on March 5.
Among the Democratic contenders for governor, former state Supreme Court Associate Justice Mike Morgan—who declared his candidacy in September—was one of five main opponents to Attorney General Josh Stein, and his campaign had a substantial financial edge. Democratic Governor Roy Cooper has backed Stein for governor because he is unable to compete for reelection this year due to term limits.
According to the data that were revealed a few weeks ago by the Josh Stein for North Carolina group, which would report to the State Board of Elections, Stein's campaign had about $11.5 million in cash as of January 2023 and raised $5.7 million in the last six months of 2023. He has raised $16.9 million since the beginning of 2021.
According to Morgan's campaign report, the organization had $32,100 on hand as of January 2023 and had raised $119,300 in the second half of the year.
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