Runner-up in lieutenant governor's primary in 2020 now running for governor in 2024

Former North Carolina legislator Andy Wells announced Thursday he will seek the GOP nomination for governor next year, saying he'll focus on buttressing state government's financial and administrative outlook against debt and inflation pressures if elected.

Wells, a real estate developer and manager from Hickory who now sits on the state Board of Transportation, was the distant runner-up to Mark Robinson in a crowded 2020 Republican primary for lieutenant governor — a job Robinson eventually won.

Now he'd face Robinson again in the Republican gubernatorial race, along with State Treasurer Dale Folwell and former U.S. Rep. Mark Walker. Attorney General Josh Stein is the only big-name Democrat currently in the race. Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper can't run next year due to term limits.

Wells served in the House for two years before joining the Senate in 2015. While in the Legislature he worked on retirement and unemployment benefit system problems and regulatory reform. Wells said his business know-how and emphasis on preparing for upcoming economic crises outside the state's control makes him qualified to be governor.

"I am predominantly a small-business person that spends a lot of time dealing with financial issues. And I'm seeing some serious cracks in our system. And I don't see that North Carolina's prepared to deal with them," Wells, 68, told The Associated Press in an interview. Wells' gubernatorial bid was first reported by Axios.

Wells points largely to outside forces, including $32.6 trillion in federal debt, large amounts of personal debt and "politically created inflation." But he also said the state government — despite its current flush coffers — is facing challenges with some unfunded retiree liabilities, as well as inefficiencies ranging from wasted office space to the use of outdated communication forms like mail.

"We're bringing in a lot of people into in North Carolina. We are well positioned for the future, but we've got to be in a position to deal with the future," Wells said. Making government more efficient — not derailing recent actions by the Republican-controlled General Assembly to reduce corporate and individual income tax rates — is one way to put the state on stronger footing, he added.

Wells received less than 15% of the vote in the 2020 lieutenant governor's primary, which featured nine candidates. He was a top fundraiser in the race by lending his campaign $500,000. Wells said Thursday he's got capacity to lend to his gubernatorial campaign as well.

Robinson has become a favorite of many in the state's Republican base and a strong fundraiser. But some GOP members are worried that Robinson's series of strident public comments might hurt him in a 2024 general election campaign.

Wells said he believes he can come out on top in next March's gubernatorial primary because "I think the world is considerably different than it was" in 2020, mentioning the coronavirus pandemic, more national debt and higher interest rates.

Given an opportunity to critique Robinson's time as lieutenant governor and qualifications to be governor, Wells said little, pointing only to Robinson's routine absences in recent months to preside over the Senate — one of the lieutenant governor's duties.

Wells' campaign website also list other platform issues, including support for get-tough policies on unlawful immigration and crime and that "schools should educate not indoctrinate students."