The Winston-Salem Journal is encouraged by the prospects for the expanded public financing program for North Carolina elections, which covers candidates for the Appellate and Supreme Courts and now candidates for three of the Council of State positions (the Governor's cabinet). Six of the eleven candidates for these three positions this year intend to run with public financing.

North Carolina has been making steady progress with it's Voter-Owned Elections public financing program. This extension to cover state auditor, superintendent of public instruction, and insurance commissioner races is important because of the potential conflicts of interest public financing will help avert, and because it's the next step towards covering more statewide positions and legislative races:

In the end, if all works as envisioned, the public will benefit greatly from the legislature’s decision to underwrite candidates for the three obscure offices.


As Eddie Davis, a Democratic candidate for superintendent of public instruction, said to The Charlotte Observer, “It allows for regular, ordinary citizens to be involved in a campaign without having to raise millions and millions of dollars.”