Treasurer-elect Brad Briner believes the outcome in his race, and in the Council of State races generally, comes down to giving voters a reasonable alternative.
“Voters, I think, looked for reasonable Republicans, and they found a number of them,” he said. “For my campaign, we were always aimed at a less-partisan message as possible. Given the environment, I think that resonated.”
In the unofficial results, Briner finished with about 52.5% of the vote, about five percentage points ahead of outgoing state Rep. Wesley Harris, the Democratic nominee.
The post is among the most powerful in state government because the treasurer has sole fiduciary responsibility for the state public employee retirement funds, which total more than $120 billion. The treasurer also oversees the State Health Plan, which provides insurance coverage for 750,000 employees and dependents, and chairs the Local Government Commission.
Harris said the election’s overall results show that Democrats have to find a way to a “true geographic coalition” that would enable them to regain control of the legislature.
In the Council of State, they won races like Gov.-elect Josh Stein’s where they “were significantly able to outspend their opponents,” he noted.
“At the end of the day, a campaign’s nothing if you can’t get your message out,” Harris said. “There was a lot of stuff going on, and North Carolina is a very expensive state [for campaigning.]
Third-quarter finance reports showed Harris raising $1.3 million, while Briner had $1.9 million, including significant personal loans.
Briner is a former investment advisor at Willett Advisors, the personal investment fund of billionaire and ex-New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. He has lived in Chapel Hill for many years, commuting for his Bloomberg job until leaving the post early this year. He is a trustee at UNC Chapel Hill.
Harris, who has a Ph.D. in economics, has been a consultant and part-time university instructor. “I don’t have a ton of personal wealth and so wasn’t able to lend myself any money,” he says.
Briner said he has already swapped texts with departing Treasurer Dale Folwell about the transition. “We’re on it,” he says. “He’s, as ever, gracious and willing to be helpful.”
Folwell made an unsuccessful bid for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, losing to Lieutentant Governor Mark Robinson.
