Newly elected Gov. Josh Stein’s campaign fundraising exceeded his challenger, former Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson’s, by more than four times, according to campaign finance reports. Stein’s fundraising efforts totaled more than $83.7 million, whereas Robinson’s total fundraising was less than a quarter of that, at $20 million. 

Of Stein’s total receipts, $39.7 million came from party contributions. In comparison, almost doubling Robinson’s entire fundraising amount. Stein also received $43.3 million in individual contributions, broken down as follows: $ 30.2 million from in-state sources, $11.4 million from out-of-state, and $1.7 million in undisclosed contributions. Robinson’s receipts included $14.8 million from in-state fundraising, $2.2 million from out-of-state sources, and $1.5 million in undisclosed contributions.

On the expenditure side, when excluding in-kind expenses, Stein’s campaign spent over $78.3 million, including $13.2 million in contributions to other committees. In contrast, Robinson’s campaign spent $19.4 million, with just $4,600 allocated to other committees.

These figures were reported in the fourthquarter campaign finance filings, released in January 2025. Fourth-quarter reports mirror the significant gap that was reflected in the third-quarter.

The financial advantage tracked with polling trends in October, showing Stein at 43.4% and Robinson at 28.9%. Final election results from the NC State Board of Elections (NCSBE) confirmed Stein’s victory with a 14% margin, securing 54.9% of the vote, to Robinson’s 40.08%.

Screenshot from NCSBE elections dashboard.

“Stein had nearly $64 million fundraising disparity between him and Robinson, of which a lot of credit to this can be attributed to the fundraising capabilities of the Democratic Leadership Committee,” Jim Stirling, a research fellow for the John Locke Foundation, told the Carolina Journal.  “This party committee, run by Nexus Strategies’ executive Scott Falmlen, accounts for $35.5 million of Stein’s fundraising.  This was likely what allowed Stein to contribute over $13 million to the state Democratic party.”

With more than $8.7 million in independent expenditures (IEs) in the past election cycle, again Stein captured far more than Robinson. Of the total $8.7 million, $8.3 million (95%) supported Stein, whereas only $411,322 (5%) supported Robinson.