Far-right challenger defeats NC schools superintendent Truitt in GOP primary

Michele Morrow defeated incumbent Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt with 98.8% of precincts reporting. Morrow had 52.1% of the vote, compared to 47.9% for Truitt.

The winner will likely face Democrat Maurice “Mo” Green, a former superintendent of Guilford County Schools, in November. Green had 66% of the votes, compared to 24.8% for C.R. Katie Eddings and 9.2% for Kenon Crumble

Morrow's victory Tuesday is a staggering defeat for Truitt, who has guided the state through post-pandemic learning recovery and worked to change reading instruction in schools to be more research-based and has pushed for better preparing students for the workforce, college or military.

Morrow is a homeschool mom who believes schools have become too political. Morrow has been backed by rural politicians and has stayed competitive despite a massive disparity in fundraising and Truitt’s establishment support.

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Truitt’s campaign has raised more than $150,000 since 2023, several times the roughly $8,000 Morrow’s campaign has raised. Truitt also counted the endorsement of prominent Republican leaders across North Carolina, including state Senate and House leaders.

The General Assembly dictates education funding and most education policy, and lawmakers have been active on K-12 issues. Truitt has considered herself aligned with lawmakers on most education issues, supporting the bill known as the Parents’ Bill of Rights and supporting research-based changes to reading instruction.

Morrow has accused Truitt of not being conservative enough. She criticized Truitt for asking lawmakers to delay the Parents’ Bill of Rights’ implementation, which Truitt did and lawmakers approved after school systems said they needed more time to craft compliant policies. She also criticized Truitt for audits that found improper documentation of federal pandemic relief dollars.

Morrow has five children, the youngest of whom is enrolled in a North Carolina homeschool co-op. Her children have not attended North Carolina public schools but some attended public school when the family lived in Texas and Colorado.

The Cary resident, who lost a 2022 campaign for a Wake County school board seat, has called schools “socialism centers” and “indoctrination centers,” and urged people not to send their children to them. In 2022, she apologized for anti-Islamic social media posts, including calling Islam “evil.” Morrow attended the Jan. 6, 2021, rally at the U.S. Capitol with her oldest children and said she was there to teach her children a lesson about citizens’ role in a democracy. She did not go inside the Capitol. She’s pushed numerous conspiracy theories on Covid-19 vaccines and the 2020 presidential election and called for “taking out” enemies.

Green — who was also a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools deputy superintendent and chief operating officer — has spent most of his life in North Carolina, where his children attended public schools.

He believes it’s essential to revere public school employees, tailor services to students’ needs, engage parents and community members in schools, ensure a safe learning environment and remind people of the good things that are happening in schools. He wants to make character development a part of students’ education.

Green wants to urge the General Assembly to provide more funding for schools, but he said he has experience aligning existing resources with top priorities.