Republicans want to lead NC schools after Johnson opts to run for lieutenant governor
Mark Johnson’s decision not to seek a second term as state superintendent is opening up the field for other Republicans who want to be in charge of overseeing North Carolina’s public schools.
Johnson, who was elected as superintendent in 2016, announced last month that he will run for the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor in 2020. Other Republicans are stepping forward to succeed Johnson, with Union County state Rep. Craig Horn becoming the first GOP candidate to file this week.
Horn, 75, has been a key lawmaker on education issues, chairing several education committees, since being elected to the General Assembly in 2010. While Horn is not a teacher, the retired food broker said he knows how the legislative process and budgets work.
“I honestly believe I can get people to work together, talk to teach other and perhaps get some of the contentiousness out of the relationship between DPI (Department of Public Instruction), the schools and the legislature,” Horn said in an interview Wednesday.
Horn said he wouldn’t have run against Johnson. He wouldn’t have wanted to create a rift in the Republican Party by opposing an incumbent, Horn said.
Catherine Truitt, former education advisor to Republican Gov. Pat McCrory and the chancellor of Western Governors University North Carolina, says she will file next week. Truitt has also said she wouldn’t have run if Johnson was seeking re-election.
Chris Malone, a former Republican state representative from Wake Forest and former Wake County school board member, announced last month he’s considering running for superintendent.
On the Democratic side, four candidates have already filed: Chapel Hill-Carrboro school board member James Barrett; Constance Lav Johnson, an education consultant; Michael Maher, an assistant dean at N.C. State University; and Jen Mangrum, a UNC Greensboro professor.
A fifth candidate, Wake County school board chairman Keith Sutton, says he also plans to run for superintendent.
The filing period ends Dec. 20. The primary election is March 3.
After Johnson was elected, the Republican-led General Assembly shifted control of DPI from the State Board of Education to the superintendent. The Democratic candidates have been vocal critics of Johnson’s policies.
This story was originally published December 12, 2019 at 2:14 PM with the headline "Republicans want to lead NC schools after Johnson opts to run for lieutenant governor."
