Wesley Harris Wins Democratic Nomination For State Treasurer
Charlotte, NC — Yesterday, North Carolina Democrats voted to nominate Wesley Harris as their candidate for State Treasurer. Harris, who currently represents District 105 in South Charlotte in the North Carolina House, has centered his campaign around leveraging the Treasurer’s office to foster investment in our communities to create opportunity for every North Carolinian.
“North Carolina Democrats rallied behind my campaign because they’ve seen that my campaign is rallying behind state employees and educators,” Harris said. “They’ve seen that my campaign is rallying behind our rural communities. They’ve seen that we’ve accumulated one of the most diverse coalitions of supporters of any statewide Democrat in a very long time, and they’re ready for us to change what the model looks like for Democrats in North Carolina.”
Harris’ campaign is poised to enter the general election from a position of strength. During the primary, his campaign raised $440,000 from more than 2,000 grassroots contributions representing 77 of North Carolina’s 100 counties. Additionally, he received the public endorsement of 170 current and former elected officials, including nine members of Congress, and major advocacy organizations.
Harris is the first Democrat for this office to receive the endorsements of the North Carolina Association of Educators Great Public Schools Fund and the North Carolina State Employees Association Employees PAC since 2008. As the professional organizations representing the two major constituencies of the Treasurer’s office, their support showcases that state employees and educators trust Harris to manage their pensions and healthcare.
“We’re going to fight for our neighbors. We’re going to fight for our communities. We’re going to fight for our state employees, for our teachers, and for working families from Murphy to Manteo. We’re going to fight to win back our rural areas, and we’re going to show this whole state what it looks like when Democrats start showing up again,” said Harris.
About Wesley Harris
Wesley Harris grew up in rural Alexander and Iredell Counties, the son of a lifelong public school teacher and local banker. A product of NC public schools, Harris graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill with a degree in Economics before receiving a PhD in Economics from Clemson.
Prior to being elected to the state legislature, Wesley served as an international tax economic consultant, and also taught at Clemson, the University of South Carolina, and UNC Charlotte. In 2018, he ran for NC House District 105 in South Charlotte, flipping it from Republican hands and becoming the first Democrat to represent the seat since it was created in 2003.
Since entering the General Assembly, as the only PhD Economist in the Legislature, Harris has been the leading messenger and policy expert for House Democrats on issues of economics and finance.
Last year, Harris announced he would run for State Treasurer in order to invest in our communities by supporting a robust health plan and pension plan for our state employees, assisting municipalities to make smart infrastructure investments via the Local Government Commission, and ensuring that every corner of North Carolina has the support and opportunities needed to succeed.
EN 
ES