2020 North Carolina Governor Voters Guide

Roy Cooper (D) vs Dan Forest (R)

Governor | Election | Nov 10, 2020

The Candidates

Roy Cooper

Roy Cooper

Democrat

Incumbent
Dan Forest

Dan Forest

Republican

The Issues

Affordable Care Act

Support Affordable Care Act (ACA), known as Obamacare? Support expansion of Medicaid to more low-income citizens?

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Campaign Finance

Campaigns must disclose large funders?

Dan Forest (R)

No position found, but in 2017 a super-PAC backing him as lieutenant governor received  a $1 million donation from a single donor.

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Climate Change

Consider human-caused climate change a serious threat?

Dan Forest (R)

No. Climate change is “the religion of the left,” along with Black Lives Matter, Me Too and gun control.

Address as a top priority by taxing or limiting output of greenhouse gases?

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Courts

Support Brett Kavanaugh nomination?

Roy Cooper (D)

No position found.

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Financial Regulation

Tighten or loosen oversight of banks and credit card companies?

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Gun Laws

Enact more restrictive legislation on guns, such as more background checks, or “red flag” laws.

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Immigration

Support tighter immigration restrictions?

Roy Cooper (D)

No. Vetoed bill requiring sheriffs to cooperate with ICE. Would hurt ability of local law enforcement “to protect their counties.”

Dan Forest (R)

Yes. Local sheriffs should be cooperating with federal agencies like ICE “to keep violent, illegal criminals from being arbitrarily released back into our communities.”

Create path to citizenship for DACA residents brought to U.S. as children?

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Legal Abortion

Keep legal or ban?

Roy Cooper (D)

Legal. Vetoed bill imposing prison time on doctors who don’t revive a fetus that survives an abortion. It would “criminalize” them for “a practice that simply does not exist.”

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LGBTQ Rights

Support LGBTQ rights, including same-sex marriage and protection from discrimination on sexual orientation?

Support HB2, bill requiring transgender people to use bathroom corresponding to the sex on their birth certificate?

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Minimum Wage

Raise state hourly minimum wage above current $7.25?

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Planned Parenthood

Can Planned Parenthood receive public funds for non-abortion-related care?

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Roy Cooper

democratic Party

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Dan Forest

republican Party

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Roy Cooper

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Dan Forest

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See guides.vote for online guides with links & sources https://roycooper.com/ https://danforest.com/
Affordable Care Act

Support Affordable Care Act (ACA), known as Obamacare? Support expansion of Medicaid to more low-income citizens?

Yes. Repealing the ACA “may be even worse than previous proposals.” Supports Medicaid expansion: “Should be one of the easiest decisions a policymaker can make.”No. Opposes the expansion of Medicaid. “The government’s just not best suited for these kinds of delivery mechanisms. … They need to be in private hands.”
Campaign Finance

Campaigns must disclose large funders?

Yes. Vetoed a bill that made it harder to prosecute campaign finance violations.No position found, but in 2017 a super-PAC backing him as lieutenant governor received  a $1 million donation from a single donor.
Climate Change

Consider human-caused climate change a serious threat?

Yes. Climate change “makes storms larger and more powerful and intensifies heavy rainfalls and droughts. North Carolinians, unfortunately, know this the hard way.”No. Climate change is “the religion of the left,” along with Black Lives Matter, Me Too and gun control.
Courts

Support Brett Kavanaugh nomination?

No position found.Yes. Kavanaugh knows “the Constitution is not a living, breathing document.”
COVID-19

Tighten or loosen restrictions to control pandemic?

Tighten. Has been cautious in lifting restrictions. Implemented program to provide financial help to those told to isolate. Local school districts choose mix of online and in-person, with restrictions, or all online.Loosen. Fewer restrictions. Initially sued Cooper over restrictions.  Allow “counties with no virus at all” … “to still flourish.” Opposes restrictions like required mask wearing and staggered schedules for schools.
Education

Use public funding for private and/or for-profit schools?

No. Opposes “vouchers because of the lack of accountability. … Instead, we need to invest in our public schools.”Yes. Increase public funding for charter schools. Expand vouchers to pay for private schools, “giving more choices to parents.
Environment

Tighten or loosen environmental regulations?

Tighten. “We’ve ordered Duke Energy to dig up remaining coal ash ponds in North Carolina.” Forced TVA to clean up emissions.Loosen. Asked Trump EPA to eliminate Obama clean water rules“There is a place for good regulatory policy … but I also believe in innovation over regulation.”
Financial Regulation

Tighten or loosen oversight of banks and credit card companies?

Tighten. Pushed to pass first U.S. anti-predatory lending law and financial fraud protections.Loosen. “Having fewer regulations fosters a spirit of innovation in our state.”
Gun Laws

Enact more restrictive legislation on guns, such as more background checks, or “red flag” laws.

Yes. Signed executive directive strengthening background checks. Pushed for legislation on gun safety and red flag protection orders, prohibiting ownership by individuals who are a danger to themselves or others.No. Supports Second Amendment sanctuaries exempt from gun laws. “Yet to see a ‘red flag’ bill that adequately protects the constitutional rights of law-abiding Americans.”
Immigration

Support tighter immigration restrictions?

No. Vetoed bill requiring sheriffs to cooperate with ICE. Would hurt ability of local law enforcement “to protect their counties.”

Yes. Local sheriffs should be cooperating with federal agencies like ICE “to keep violent, illegal criminals from being arbitrarily released back into our communities.”

Legal Abortion

Keep legal or ban?

Legal. Vetoed bill imposing prison time on doctors who don’t revive a fetus that survives an abortion. It would “criminalize” them for “a practice that simply does not exist.”Ban. Is running as a “pro-life leader.” “I firmly believe that the day is going to come in America where we’re going to look back on abortion … just like slavery.”
LGBTQ Rights

Support LGBTQ rights, including same-sex marriage and protection from discrimination on sexual orientation?

Yes. Supports marriage equality. Opposed bill invalidating same-sex marriage. Signed order prohibiting discrimination for “sexual orientation, gender identity or expression.”No. Accepts same-sex marriage as “law of the land.” But a child raised by “a mother and a father” has “greater potential in life.” Nothing found on discrimination protection.
Minimum Wage

Raise state hourly minimum wage above current $7.25?

Yes. Will “work with the General Assembly to see how high we can get it. $15 is an admirable goal.”No recent position found. In 2012 called minimum wage laws “an unfair intrusion into the labor market” that “hurt the employment opportunities for unskilled labor.”
Planned Parenthood

Can Planned Parenthood receive public funds for non-abortion-related care?

Yes. Signed letter with other governors opposing administration efforts “to gut women’s access to family planning services.”No. “Planned Parenthood was created … to destroy the entire black race.” Has said the state should not fund the organization.
Police and Community

Restrict police use of force and increase public oversight?

Yes. Created task force on racial equity in criminal justice and a new center to track statistics and “improve training related to the use of force.”No. “I will always DEFEND the police.” “Our police officers need to be able to do their jobs.”
Taxes

Support increase in state taxes?

Preserve tax base. “When business has a choice between further cuts in corporate taxes or investments in our teachers, I hope you will say investments in our teachers.”No. Signed the “Tax Protection Pledge” pledging to oppose and veto any and all efforts to pass a net tax hike.
Voting Rules

Support stricter ID requirements and other rules on voting?

No. Voter ID “is a solution for no problem.” Vetoed bill that would set “barriers to voting that will trap honest voters.”Yes. “The only reason to oppose photo voter ID is if you intend to commit fraud at the ballot box.”

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