North Carolina Governor Today
Josh Stein is North Carolina’s 76th governor (governor.nc.gov). The term is four years, beginning on January 1 after the election, and no one may be elected to more than two terms in a row (N.C. Const. art. III, sec. 2). His term began in 2025. The constitution sets governor elections in 1972 and every four years after, which puts them in presidential years, so there is no governor’s race on the November 3, 2026 ballot.
Key facts
- A veto override takes three-fifths of members present and voting in each chamber (art. II, sec. 22).
- The governor has no line-item veto and no veto over redistricting bills (art. II, sec. 22).
- Lawmakers overrode 8 of Josh Stein‘s 14 vetoes in 2025 (WUNC).
- The State Auditor, not the governor, now appoints the State Board of Elections (bill history).
Governor Powers and Limits
The governor proposes the budget, signs or vetoes bills and runs the executive branch, but the constitution leaves the Legislature with the final word on most things. The veto has large gaps.
What the North Carolina governor can and cannot do
Source: N.C. Constitution, articles II and III; S.L. 2024-57
Redistricting is the biggest gap. A bill revising House, Senate or congressional districts that contains nothing else is not subject to veto (art. II, sec. 22). That is why the Legislature could redraw the congressional map in October 2025 without the governor’s signature.
Vetoes and Overrides
An override needs three-fifths of the members present and voting in each chamber. With every member present, that is 72 of 120 in the House and 30 of 50 in the Senate.
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| House Republicans | 71 |
| House override threshold | 72 |
| Senate Republicans | 30 |
| Senate override threshold | 30 |
Seat counts from NCSL as compiled in our state data (May 2026). Threshold is three-fifths of the full chamber; with absences, fewer votes are needed.
Senate Republicans hold exactly enough seats to override on their own; House Republicans are 1 seat short. That makes each House override depend on attendance and on whether any Democrats vote with the majority.
- 14
- vetoes by Josh Stein in 2025
- 8
- overridden by August 6, 2025
- 4
- more overridden on June 24, 2026
Lawmakers overrode 8 of the 14 bills Josh Stein vetoed in 2025, including laws on Duke Energy’s carbon goals, charter school oversight, guns in private schools and cooperation with ICE (WUNC). On June 24, 2026, the House completed overrides of four more, bills on diversity programs and immigration enforcement, each by a 71-47 vote (North State Journal). Some vetoes, including the permitless carry bill covered on our North Carolina gun laws page, are still waiting on a House vote.
Elections Board Transfer
A 2024 law took the power to appoint the State Board of Elections from the governor and gave it to the State Auditor. It was part of Session Law 2024-57, which the governor vetoed on November 26, 2024. The Senate overrode 30-19 and the House 72-46 on December 11, 2024 (bill history).
- Law enacted over veto
- Trial court rules for the governor
- Supreme Court declines to block the law
- Court of Appeals upholds the law
The fight over who appoints the elections board: Dec. 11, 2024: Law enacted over veto (S.L. 2024-57). Before April 2025: Trial court rules for the governor (A three-judge panel found the transfer unconstitutional). May 23, 2025: Supreme Court declines to block the law (5-2). Sept. 2026: Court of Appeals upholds the law (2-1).
The courts have so far let the law stand. A three-judge trial panel ruled for the governor, but the Court of Appeals paused that ruling in April 2025, and the state Supreme Court declined to step in on May 23, 2025 (State Court Report). In September 2026, the Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 that lawmakers had the power to move the appointments. Judge April Wood wrote for the majority: “We cannot hold that the reassignment of duties from the governor to the auditor results in a plain and clear violation” (North State Journal). The governor can still ask the Supreme Court to hear the case. Republican appointees now hold majorities on the state board and all 100 county boards, according to the same report.
Where Things Stand
North Carolina governor's powers, cases and overrides
As of September 30, 2026
- Elections board moved to the State Auditor (S.L. 2024-57) In litigation, Upheld on appeal, September 2026
The Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 that lawmakers could move the appointments. The Supreme Court had declined to block the law on May 23, 2025. Stein may still ask the Supreme Court to hear the case. (source)
- Veto overrides in 2025 Final ruling, 8 of 14 vetoes overridden
By August 6, 2025, the Legislature had overridden 8 of Stein's 14 vetoes that year, according to WUNC. (source)
- Four overrides on DEI and immigration bills Law, June 24, 2026
The House completed overrides of four vetoed bills on June 24, 2026, each 71-47, according to the North State Journal. (source)
Source: ncleg.gov; State Court Report; North State Journal; WUNC
North Carolina Governor Questions
Who is the governor of North Carolina?
Josh Stein, the state’s 76th governor. His four-year term began in January 2025 and runs into 2029.
Is there a governor race in North Carolina in 2026?
No. North Carolina elects its governor in presidential years, so the next race is in 2028. On November 3, 2026, the state votes for a U.S. senator, members of Congress and the Legislature.
Can the North Carolina governor veto bills?
Yes, most of them. The Legislature can override a veto with three-fifths of the members present and voting in each chamber. The governor cannot veto constitutional amendments, bills that only make appointments, redistricting bills or certain local bills, and has no line-item veto.
How many terms can a North Carolina governor serve?
No more than two terms in a row. The state constitution sets a four-year term and bars anyone elected governor from being elected to more than two consecutive terms.
Who appoints the North Carolina State Board of Elections?
The State Auditor, under a law enacted over the governor’s veto in December 2024. The Court of Appeals upheld the change in September 2026. Governor Josh Stein can still ask the state Supreme Court to hear the case.
What You Can Do
- Vote in legislative races on November 3. Overrides turn on a handful of House seats. Check your registration in our voter registration guide.
- See what else is on the national ballot, including North Carolina’s U.S. Senate race, in our 2026 midterm elections guide.
- Tell your state legislators how you want them to vote on pending overrides. Our letter-writing guide shows how.
- Compare another state. Our who runs Texas page covers a governor with a line-item veto.