North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein says he's raised a record campaign war chest in his quest to succeed Governor Roy Cooper in 2024.
Stein, the only high-profile Democrat in the gubernatorial race, says his campaign has amassed five-point-98-million dollars since January, a monetary milestone no other candidate has ever reached this early in the election cycle.
Stein's campaign aids announced the stash of cash Monday, more than two weeks before the first elections commission fundraising report is due. The timing is calculated to discourage any other contenders.
Roy Cooper is on the sidelines, statutorily if not politically. The North Carolina constitution forbids a third term as governor.