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Dan Forest (born October 15, 1967) is an American politician who served as the 34th
lieutenant governor of North Carolina The lieutenant governor of North Carolina is the second-highest elected official in the U.S. state of North Carolina and is the only elected official to have powers in both the legislative and executive branches of state government. A member o ...
from 2013 to 2021. He is the son of former congresswoman
Sue Myrick Sue Myrick (née Wilkins; born August 1, 1941) is an American businesswoman and the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 1995 to 2013. She is a member of the Republican Party. She was the first Republican woman to represent North Caroli ...
. An architect by trade, he was the
Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
nominee for
Governor of North Carolina The governor of North Carolina is the head of government of the U.S. state of North Carolina. The governor directs the executive branch of the government and is the commander in chief of the military forces of the state. The current governor, ...
in the 2020 election, losing to incumbent governor
Roy Cooper Roy Asberry Cooper III (born June 13, 1957) is an American attorney and politician, serving as the 75th governor of North Carolina since 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 49th attorney general of North Carolina from 200 ...
.


Early life and education

Forest was born in
Harrisonburg, Virginia Harrisonburg is an independent city in the Shenandoah Valley region of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. It is also the county seat of the surrounding Rockingham County, although the two are separate jurisdictions. At the 2 ...
, and grew up in
Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most popu ...
. His mother,
Sue Myrick Sue Myrick (née Wilkins; born August 1, 1941) is an American businesswoman and the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 1995 to 2013. She is a member of the Republican Party. She was the first Republican woman to represent North Caroli ...
, was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives,Adam Bell
Republican Forest widens lead in rematch with Coleman in N.C. Lt. Gov. race
''News & Observer'' (November 8, 2016).
who represented a Charlotte-based congressional district from 1995 to 2013. Forest received a
bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to si ...
and a
master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.
in architecture from the
University of North Carolina at Charlotte The University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte or simply Charlotte) is a public research university in Charlotte, North Carolina. UNC Charlotte offers 24 doctoral, 66 master's, and 79 bachelor's degree programs through nine coll ...
.John Newsom
GTCC picks commencement speaker: Lt. Gov. Dan Forest
''Greensboro News & Record'' (April 9, 2018).
An architect, Forest was a senior partner at an architectural firm in Charlotte before being elected lieutenant governor.


Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina (2013–2021)


Elections

In 2012, in his first run for office, Forest placed first in a five-way May
primary election Primary elections, or direct primary are a voting process by which voters can indicate their preference for their party's candidate, or a candidate in general, in an upcoming general election, local election, or by-election. Depending on the ...
, with 32.98% of the vote; Wake County commissioner
Tony Gurley Tony Gurley (born April 3, 1956) is an American businessman and political figure from North Carolina, currently serving as chief operating officer for the Office of State Budget and Management. He served on the Wake County Board of Commissioners ...
received 24.83% of the vote, Speaker Pro Tempore of the North Carolina House of Representatives
Dale Folwell Dale Robbins Folwell (born December 17, 1958) is an American politician who has been the North Carolina State Treasurer since 2017. A Republican from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Folwell spent four terms in North Carolina House of Representati ...
received 24.25% of the vote; state representative Grey Mills received 14.67% of the vote, and Arthur Jason Rich received 3.28% of the vote. Forest and Gurley advanced to the July 2012 second primary (
runoff election The two-round system (TRS), also known as runoff voting, second ballot, or ballotage, is a voting method used to elect a single candidate, where voters cast a single vote for their preferred candidate. It generally ensures a majoritarian resu ...
), in which Forest secured the Republican nomination, defeating Gurley 67.87%–32.13%. In the November 2012 general election, Forest defeated the Democratic nominee, former state representative Linda Coleman, by an extremely small margin—Forest received 2,187,728 votes (50.08%) to Coleman's 2,180,870 (49.92%). Coleman opted not to seek a recount, although the margin was small enough for her to be entitled to one. He was sworn in on January 7, 2013. In a November 2016 rematch against Coleman, Forest was re-elected lieutenant governor, receiving 2,393,514 votes (51.81%) to Coleman's 2,093,375 votes (45.32%); Libertarian Party candidate Jacki Cole received 132,645 (2.87%). His second term began on January 1, 2017.


Tenure in office

As lieutenant governor, Forest was the state's second-highest elected official and the president of the
North Carolina Senate The North Carolina Senate is the upper chamber of the North Carolina General Assembly, which along with the North Carolina House of Representatives—the lower chamber—comprises the state legislature of North Carolina. The term of office for e ...
, as well as a member of the
Council of State A Council of State is a governmental body in a country, or a subdivision of a country, with a function that varies by jurisdiction. It may be the formal name for the cabinet or it may refer to a non-executive advisory body associated with a head o ...
. Forest began a one-year term as the chairman of the Republican Lieutenant Governors Association in 2018. Forest emphasized his fiscally conservative and
socially conservative Social conservatism is a political philosophy and variety of conservatism which places emphasis on traditional power structures over social pluralism. Social conservatives organize in favor of duty, traditional values and social institution ...
views. He was a strong supporter of North Carolina's controversial H.B. 2, state legislation that overrode an ordinance passed by the
City of Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most popu ...
that extended the protection of anti-discrimination laws to LGBT persons. Forest was also a leading supporter of proposals to adopt a state "religious freedom restoration" act, a controversial bill on religion. Forest supports the elimination of
income tax An income tax is a tax imposed on individuals or entities (taxpayers) in respect of the income or profits earned by them (commonly called taxable income). Income tax generally is computed as the product of a tax rate times the taxable income. Ta ...
and its replacement by a "
consumption tax A consumption tax is a tax levied on consumption spending on goods and services. The tax base of such a tax is the money spent on consumption. Consumption taxes are usually indirect, such as a sales tax or a value-added tax. However, a consumpti ...
". As lieutenant governor, Forest appeared with Trump at a rally in 2016, at which he voiced support for Trump. In a 2018 speech to the
conservative think tank A think tank, or policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Most think tanks are non-governmental or ...
Civitas In Ancient Rome, the Latin term (; plural ), according to Cicero in the time of the late Roman Republic, was the social body of the , or citizens, united by law (). It is the law that binds them together, giving them responsibilities () on th ...
, Forest asserted that political issues such as
climate change In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to ...
and
gun control Gun control, or firearms regulation, is the set of laws or policies that regulate the manufacture, sale, transfer, possession, modification, or use of firearms by civilians. Most countries have a restrictive firearm guiding policy, with onl ...
"really is the religion of the left" and that "the left...don't have a hope in God. They have no hope in a higher power." Forest's remarks were criticized by Democrats; state senators Paul Lowe Jr. and Mike Woodard said that the comments "only serve to insult, belittle and divide people of faith, no matter their political beliefs." In a June 2019 speech to a church, Forest stated that no nation "has survived the diversity and multiculturalism that America faces today"; the remark prompted criticism. In mid-March 2020, Forest opposed Governor
Roy Cooper Roy Asberry Cooper III (born June 13, 1957) is an American attorney and politician, serving as the 75th governor of North Carolina since 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 49th attorney general of North Carolina from 200 ...
's closure of bars and restriction of restaurants to take-out and delivery only on the grounds it didn't give bars and restaurants enough time to prepare, and in mid-April, Forest called for the immediate reopening of public places with non-binding guidance from state government. In June 2020, Forest announced that he was suing Governor Cooper over his coronavirus executive orders, alleging that the governor could not issue the directives without the concurrence of the
Council of State A Council of State is a governmental body in a country, or a subdivision of a country, with a function that varies by jurisdiction. It may be the formal name for the cabinet or it may refer to a non-executive advisory body associated with a head o ...
. The lawsuit was later withdrawn after a loss in Superior Court.


2020 North Carolina gubernatorial election

In January 2019, Forest announced the formation of an exploratory committee to run for governor to challenge incumbent Democratic governor Roy Cooper in 2020. At the outset, Representative
Mark Meadows Mark Randall Meadows (born July 28, 1959) is an American politician who served as the 29th White House chief of staff from 2020 to 2021. A member of the Republican Party, he also served as the U.S. representative for North Carolina's 11th c ...
, Chair of the
House Freedom Caucus A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air cond ...
, indicated his support for Forest. In August 2019, Forest formally launched his campaign.Zachery Eane
Attacking socialism and identity politics, Dan Forest kicks off campaign for governor
''News & Observer'' (August 17, 2019).
In announcing his run, Forest denounced "socialism" and highlighted his strongly anti-abortion views. During his campaign, Forest also called for an expanded state-funded
school voucher A school voucher, also called an education voucher in a voucher system, is a certificate of government funding for students at schools chosen by themselves or their parents. Funding is usually for a particular year, term, or semester. In some cou ...
program for which all North Carolinians, irrespective of income, would be eligible, making this proposal a centerpiece of his campaign. In the Republican primary election in March 2020, Forest won the party's nomination, defeating state Representative
Holly Grange Holly Grange is an American politician from the state of North Carolina. A Republican, she is a former member of the North Carolina House of Representatives for District 20. Career Born to a military family, Grange completed high school in Faye ...
of New Hanover by a broad margin.Roy Cooper and Dan Forest will face off for North Carolina governor in November
''News & Observer'' (March 4, 2020).
Although the race for governor in North Carolina occurred in an important
swing state In American politics, the term swing state (also known as battleground state or purple state) refers to any state that could reasonably be won by either the Democratic or Republican candidate in a statewide election, most often referring to pres ...
, attention to the campaign was largely overshadowed by the 2020 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.Russell Berman
How the Pandemic Silenced the Nation’s Biggest Governor's Race
''The Atlantic'' (May 22, 2020).
In late March 2020, Cooper issued a stay-at-home directive and ordered the temporary closure of nonessential businesses to control the spread of the virus, beginning a phased, multi-step reopening in early May 2020 tied to benchmarks. By contrast, Forest suggested that the dangers of the virus to most Americans had been exaggerated and echoed "Liberate" protesters. Forest incorrectly claimed that influenza had killed more North Carolinians in 2020 than the coronavirus. In September 2020, Forest said that, if elected, he would immediately reopen all K-12 public schools for in-person learning. When asked whether K-12 students returning to school should wear masks, Forest said, "I don't think so, I don't think there's any science that backs that up. That's my personal opinion." In April 2020, the Forest campaign said it had given nearly $200,000 from the gubernatorial campaign fund for COVID-19 economic assistance in North Carolina. Forest also asserted that COVID-19-related restrictions were being used by "the left" to hurt the church. During the pandemic, Forest met in close contact with others without wearing a face mask, in contravention of
social distancing In public health, social distancing, also called physical distancing, (NB. Regula Venske is president of the PEN Centre Germany.) is a set of non-pharmaceutical interventions or measures intended to prevent the spread of a contagious dis ...
guidelines; he dismissed criticism as "ludicrous" and "stupid leftist talk." On November 3, 2020, Cooper defeated Forest by 4.51% in the general election Following his loss, Forest had been mentioned as a potential candidate for the 2022 North Carolina Senate race to fill the seat currently held by Senator Richard Burr who will not be running for re-election, but ultimately decided not to run.


Electoral history


References


External links


Official government website (Office of the Lieutenant Governor)Official campaign website capture
, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Forest, Dan 1960s births 21st-century American politicians Architects from North Carolina Articles containing video clips Candidates in the 2020 United States elections Lieutenant Governors of North Carolina Living people North Carolina Republicans People from Harrisonburg, Virginia Politicians from Charlotte, North Carolina University of North Carolina at Charlotte alumni