Welcome to the governor’s edition of our Under the Dome political newsletter. I’m Dawn Vaughan, the Capitol Bureau Chief for The News & Observer.
New North Carolina Democratic Gov. Josh Stein was sworn in at the historic Capitol building on January 1, and his formal, public inauguration takes place on Saturday. He’s already issued five executive orders and assembled his staff.
The newest members of Stein’s government have crucial legislative and research positions. They are:
▪ Legislative Director John Lucey: has federal government experience, including serving as senior advisor to the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs for Implementation and deputy associate administrator for the Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs at the Environmental Protection Agency.
Lucey also served at the state level, notably as legislative liaison for the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality. He also worked on former Gov. Roy Cooper’s campaign for governor.
• Amber Harris, Deputy Legislative Director: Harris worked with the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners for a decade, including as its policy and advocacy director. She has also worked at the General Assembly as a legislative assistant for three past senators and Sen. Joyce Waddell.
▪ Sunila Chilukuri, the deputy legislative director: Chilukuri previously worked for Cheri Beasley’s Senate campaign and is currently the legislative liaison at the North Carolina Department of Justice.
▪ Juan Molina enters Stein’s administration as research director: having previously served as deputy research director on his campaign team.
Before the holidays, Stein unveiled his leadership team, which included the chief of staff. They are:
▪ Seth Dearmin, chief of staff: Stein retains his chief of staff from the N.C. Department of Justice, when he was attorney general. Dearmin had been head of staff at the DOJ since 2017 and previously ran Stein’s 2016 attorney general campaign.
▪ Jasmine McGhee, Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor: Stein selected another top lieutenant from his tenure at the DOJ. McGhee served as senior deputy attorney general in the agency’s Consumer Protection Division.
▪ Laura Brewer, Deputy Chief of Staff and External Advisor: Brewer formerly served as the attorney general’s deputy chief of staff, overseeing policy and communications.
▪ Christie McNeill, Deputy Chief of Staff and COO: McNeill oversaw Stein’s transition team and previously worked for McKinsey & Company, where she was a partner in the financial services unit.
▪ Sarah Boyce, general counsel: She formerly worked as deputy attorney general and general counsel at the Department of Justice.
The rest of Stein’s leadership team includes Chief Deputy General Counsel Tiffany Lucas, Deputy General Counsel South Moore, N.C. Recovery Advisor Jonathan Krebs, Intergovernmental and Outreach Director David Webb, Communications Director Kate Frauenfelder, Office of Constituent Engagement Director Tracy Lovett, Boards and Commissions Director Jacqueta Rascoe, and Operations Director Louise Warenda.
On Friday, my News & Observer colleague Anna Roman, who covers Raleigh and Wake County government, revealed that Wake County Commissioners Chair Matt Calabria is leaving his position to work in the Stein administration. As of Friday afternoon, Calabria had not stated what role will be.
How to watch Stein’s inauguration
The inauguration takes place this Saturday at 10 a.m. on Capitol grounds. The Capitol is located on Union Square in downtown Raleigh, flanked by Edenton, Salisbury, Morgan, and Wilmington streets. There are street parking spots and parking facilities nearby. Expect some road closures following the ceremony, as there will be a block party on Fayetteville Street at 11 a.m. The gathering will feature musical performances, food trucks, and vendors.
You may get tickets at ncinauguration.org/events.
The topic of Stein’s inauguration address will be “North Carolina Strong,” as the western section of the state recovers from Helene storm damage.
If you want to see the inauguration without going downtown, PBS North Carolina will broadcast it live.
The Junior League of Raleigh will host the Inaugural Ball on Saturday night.
The weekend will conclude with an open house at the Executive Mansion, 200 N. Blount St., from noon to 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 12.
Stay informed about #ncpol
Stay up to speed by listening to our Under the Dome podcast. On our new episode, which will air on Monday, I’ll be joined by Korie Dean and Kyle Ingram to discuss what to anticipate this week at the legislative and inauguration.
You can sign up for the Under the Dome newsletter at newsobserver.com/newsletters. Do you want your friends to receive our emails, too? Send them this newsletter so that they can sign up. If you have any questions about Gov. Josh Stein, please email me at [email protected].