Dan Forest

Dan Forest

Republican Party

Prior offices

Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina

Successor: Mark K. Robinson

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Elections and appointments

Last election

November 3, 2020

Education

Bachelor's

University of North Carolina, Charlotte, 1993

Graduate

University of North Carolina, Charlotte

Personal

Religion

Christian

Profession

Architect

Contact

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Instagram

Campaign YouTube

Dan Forest (Republican Party) was the Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina. He assumed office on January 7, 2013. He left office on January 1, 2021.

Forest (Republican Party) ran for election for Governor of North Carolina. He lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.

Upon winning his first term as lieutenant governor in 2012, Forest became the first Republican to be elected to that post in over 20 years and the second since 1900. In this position, he also served as president of the state Senate and was a voting member of the State Board of Education, the State Board of Community Colleges, and the state Economic Development Board. He was also the chairman of the eLearning Commission. His 2012 bid for lieutenant governor marked Forest's first bid for elective office.

Biography

Forest, the son of Congresswoman Sue Myrick, was raised in Charlotte, NC. He is a former senior partner of Little Diversified Architectural Consulting.

Education

• B.A., in architecture, University of North Carolina at Charlotte (1993)
• M.A., University of North Carolina at Charlotte, College of Architecture

Political career

Lieutenant governor of North Carolina (2013-2021)

Forest was first elected Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina in 2012. He took office on January 7, 2013. He won re-election on November 8, 2016. He did not seek re-election in 2020. He left office on January 1, 2021.

Elections

2020

Gubernatorial election

See also: North Carolina gubernatorial election, 2020

North Carolina gubernatorial election, 2020 (March 3 Republican primary)

North Carolina gubernatorial election, 2020 (March 3 Democratic primary)

General election

General election for Governor of North Carolina

Incumbent Roy Cooper defeated Dan Forest, Steven DiFiore II, and Al Pisano in the general election for Governor of North Carolina on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Roy Cooper (D)	51.5	2,834,790
		Dan Forest (R)	47.0	2,586,605
		Steven DiFiore II (L)	1.1	60,449
		Al Pisano (Constitution Party)	0.4	20,934

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 5,502,778
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Governor of North Carolina

Incumbent Roy Cooper defeated Ernest Reeves in the Democratic primary for Governor of North Carolina on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Roy Cooper	87.2	1,128,829
		Ernest Reeves	12.8	165,804

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,294,633
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Governor of North Carolina

Dan Forest defeated Holly Grange in the Republican primary for Governor of North Carolina on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Dan Forest	89.0	698,077
		Holly Grange	11.0	86,714

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 784,791
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Candidate profile

Dan Forest

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: 

Lieutenant governor of North Carolina (Assumed office: 2013)

Biography:  Forest received a bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and a master's degree from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte College of Architecture. He was a senior partner of Little Diversified Architectural Consulting.

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Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

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Forest said he had a plan to reopen schools and businesses while keeping people safe amid the coronavirus pandemic, and he criticized restrictions Cooper implemented.

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Forest said he would stand with law enforcement and restore law and order.

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Forest said he advocated for policies that created jobs, drove economic growth, and spurred innovation. 

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Show sources

Sources: Dan Forest's 2020 campaign website, "About," accessed October 12, 2020; YouTube, "Dan Forest, Videos," accessed October 12, 2020; Vote Smart, "Dan Forest's Biography," accessed October 12, 2020

This information was current as of the candidate's run for Governor of North Carolina in 2020.

Lieutenant Gubernatorial election

See also: North Carolina state executive official elections, 2020

Dan Forest was not able to file for re-election due to term limits.

2016

See also: North Carolina Lieutenant Gubernatorial election, 2016

Forest ran for re-election as lieutenant governor of North Carolina in the 2016 election. He was unopposed in the Republican primary on March 15, 2016. His 2012 Democratic rival, Linda Coleman defeated her primary opponents which means that the two competed in a rematch in the November 2016 general election. Libertarian Jacki Cole also competed.

Incumbent Dan Forest defeated Linda Coleman and Jacki Cole in the North Carolina lieutenant governor election.

North Carolina Lieutenant Governor, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Dan Forest Incumbent	51.87%	2,370,028
	Democratic	Linda Coleman	45.28%	2,068,741
	Libertarian	Jacki Cole	2.85%	130,236
Total Votes				4,569,005
Source: ABC11

2012

Forest won election for Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina in the 2012 election. He finished first in the May 8th primary election, but did not capture more than 40% of the vote. Under North Carolina state law, the top two finishers - Forest and Wake County Commissioner Tony Gurley - went head to head in a primary runoff election on June 26th to determine who would advance to the general election. Forest defeated Gurley to capture the nomination.

On November 14, 2012, unofficial results showed Linda Coleman trailing Forest by some 10,300 votes but she did not concede the race until November 19.

Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina General Election, 2012
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Linda Coleman	49.9%	2,180,870
	Republican	Dan Forest	50.1%	2,187,728
Total Votes				4,368,598
Election results via NC State Board of Elections

Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina, Republican Primary, 2012
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Dan Forest	33%	253,656
Tony Gurley	24.8%	190,980
Dale Folwell	24.3%	186,564
Grey Mills, Jr.	14.7%	112,824
Arthur Rich	3.3%	25,206
Total Votes		769,230
Election results via The North Carolina Board of Elections.

Issues

Forest, a self-described conservative Republican, focused his campaign on decreasing the state's unemployment and advocated his job creation plan that involved recruiting companies to relocate to North Carolina by creating a business climate of what he described as "low taxes, good roads and safe communities." He ran on what he called a "three-legged stool platform."

1. smaller government
2. lower taxes
3. personal responsibility

Forest discusses his 2012 campaign with North Carolina Now Senior Correspondent Kelly McCullen

On his website, Forest outlined his belief statements:

• "I believe strong families and faith are the fundamental foundations of America"
• "I believe in small government, low taxes and free enterprise"
• "I believe in the sanctity of human life"
• "I believe in school choice and competition in education"
• "I believe public education decisions are best made at the local level"
• "I believe in securing our borders against illegal immigration"
• "I believe in medical malpractice reform"
• "I believe community colleges should play a key role in job training and economic development"
• "I believe North Carolina should opt out of the national healthcare plan being forced on us from Washington"
• "I believe in ending corporate welfare and recruitment incentives and replacing it with lower taxes for all North Carolina businesses"
• "I believe small businesses create jobs, not the government, and we need to repeal excessive regulations on our job creators"
• "I believe that policies should be enacted that encourage personal responsibility, not government dependence"

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Dan Forest did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign website

Forest’s campaign website stated the following:

“	Defending the Second Amendment Dan Forest believes the Second Amendment secures all the rights enshrined in our Constitution. He stands with the North Carolina counties that are affirming our right to keep and bear arms. When he is Governor, this right will never be in jeopardy in our state. Dan Forest is proudly endorsed by: NRA Gun Owners of America Grassroots North Carolina Defending Life Dan Forest believes we have a human dignity problem in America. He believes in the dignity of all life — the newborn, the unborn, the elderly, the orphaned, and the disabled. He is proud to be pro-life, affirming that all people are created in the image of God and all people deserve the same protection. Dan Forest is proudly endorsed by: National Right to Life Susan B. Anthony List FRC Action NC Values Coalition Combating Illegal Immigration There is a distinct difference between immigration and illegal immigration. We need a system in place that makes it easier for legal immigrants, and businesses in need of workers, to navigate a guest worker program. A nation that can’t protect its borders isn’t much of a nation at all. In North Carolina, a handful of Democrat sheriffs are allowing dangerous, criminal, unlawful illegal aliens to be released back into our communities — putting our families in danger. As Governor, Dan Forest will uphold the law and work with our law enforcement to keep you and your family safe. Raising Teacher Pay Dan Forest has championed higher teacher pay since elected. The Republican General Assembly has done a great job providing raises over the past six years and will continue to do so. No other state in the country has addressed teacher pay six years in a row. Average teacher pay in NC is now $58,000 and the average compensation is $78,000. Another pay raise was in the budget that the Governor wouldn’t sign. Improving Healthcare As Governor, Dan Forest will focus on providing better healthcare access for patients by incentivizing doctors to practice in our rural communities. He’ll work with the General Assembly and the State Treasurer to ensure more price transparency so citizens know how much prescription drugs and vital health services cost. And he’ll fight to get those left in the coverage gap created by the Affordable Care Act on affordable private insurance. Ending Human Trafficking Dan Forest is a leader in our state’s fight against human trafficking. As Lt. Governor, he championed legislation that protects vulnerable women and children and gives harsher penalties to those guilty of engaging in human trafficking. This legislation: Quadrupled jail time for convicted traffickers. Provided training to health care workers to identify victims. Expanded the jurisdiction of the SBI in trafficking cases. Required the posting of human trafficking awareness signs in public places to display the national hotline. In 2019, the Lt. Governor’s work to combat human trafficking was formally recognized by the North Carolina Human Trafficking Commission and the Safe House Project. As Governor, Dan will continue to build on these achievements to ensure our women and children are kept safe. Protecting Free Speech Dan Forest believes that the First Amendment protections of speech, press, religion, assembly, and petition are key to making America great. He championed a law that extends this commitment to college campuses in our state, ensuring that all students are free to speak their minds without fear of violence or retribution. Improving Coastal Fishing When Dan Forest is Governor, he will work together with every stakeholder in coastal fishing and will build a consensus that has been lacking over the last decades. That is what a leader does. We will work together to solve the issues that have torn apart commercial, recreational, and charter fishers. We will have a thriving and profitable commercial fishing industry. We will have the best recreational fishing environment on the east coast. Our charter fishermen will have record profits. We will start by totally revamping the Marine Fisheries Commission and ensuring that there is equal geographic representation on the Commission and equal interest representation — including commercial, recreational, and charter fishing interests. Consensus will become not only a goal but a reality when the new Marine Fisheries Commission begins its work. North Carolina has some of the best coastal fishery resources in the country, and by building consensus — where everyone has a seat at the table — we will make coastal fishing in North Carolina great again. Protect the Elderly in Nursing Homes North Carolina’s nursing home residents make up less than 1% of our state’s population, but more than 50% of the deaths from COVID-19. This simply didn’t have to happen. While other states took extraordinary steps to help this vulnerable population, Gov. Cooper did nothing to protect them. As Governor, Dan Forest will put the health and safety of our most vulnerable first. Instead of rushing to close bars, gyms, and restaurants, he put our efforts where they will matter most.	”
—Dan Forest’s campaign website (2020)

Campaign advertisements

"Dan Forest in Asheville" - Forest campaign ad, released October 5, 2020

"It's time to move North Carolina forward" - Forest campaign ad, released October 1, 2020

"Law & Order for North Carolina" - Forest campaign ad, released September 17, 2020

"School Choice for North Carolina" - Forest campaign ad, released September 14, 2020

"Missed Memories (captions)" - Forest campaign ad, released September 2, 2020

"Children with Special Needs need to be in School" - Forest campaign ad, released September 2, 2020

"Open Our Schools" - Forest campaign ad, released September 2, 2020

"The Simple Truth Radio Ad" - Forest campaign ad, released August 11, 2020

"Dan Forest for Governor" - Forest campaign ad, released July 23, 2020

"A Governor for the People" - Forest campaign ad, released April 20, 2020

"Faith" - Forest campaign ad, released April 20, 2020

"Alice Forest" - Forest campaign ad, released February 5, 2020

"My dad is running for Governor" - Forest campaign ad, released January 28, 2020

"Sheriffs endorse Dan Forest for Governor" - Forest campaign ad, released January 15, 2020

"Statewide Radio Ad - Rule of Law" - Forest campaign ad, released September 18, 2019

"You Have My Word" - Forest campaign ad, released September 9, 2019

"I Believe" - Forest campaign ad, released August 18, 2019

"I Am" - Forest campaign ad, released August 15, 2019

"Optimist" - Forest campaign ad, released August 15, 2019

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Dan Forest campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2012	NC Lieutenant Governor	Won	$980,291	N/A**
Grand total			$980,291	N/A**
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

See also

2020 Elections

What's on the ballot? U.S. President U.S. Congress U.S. Congress special elections State executives State legislatures State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards Election analysis hub

Government

Who represents me? U.S. Congress State executives State legislators State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards

Newsletters

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• North Carolina lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2012
• Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina
• Lieutenant Governor

External links

Suggest a link

• Search Google News for this topic
• Dan Forest's Campaign Facebook page
• Dan Forest on YouTube
• Biography from Project Vote Smart
• Dan Forest on LinkedIn

Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Walter H. Dalton (D)	Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina 2013 - 2021	Succeeded by Mark Robinson (R)