Editorial: Council of State

On Nov. 4, North Carolina voters will head to the polls for the general election. The Daily Reflector will recommend candidates in races prior to that vote, and today focuses on three races for positions on the Council of State.

For eastern North Carolina, the positions of state auditor, commissioner of agriculture and commissioner of labor are of vital importance, just as they hold tremendous weight across the state.

Citizens expect government to operate with efficiency and oversight. They want a confident hand on the tiller, tending to North Carolina's agriculture needs. And workplace safety and worker protections must be evenly enforced by a determined public servant.

These three races are among those at stake in this election, and represent three of the nine seats of the Council of State, a body whose members lead key state agencies and help advise the governor.

For state auditor, incumbent Republican Leslie Merritt seeks a second term in office when he takes on Democrat Beth Wood.

Merritt is a certified public accountant who is the first CPA and the first Republican to hold this post. He built a generally strong record in his first term, one that includes the audit of the state's mental health services, but some have argued he uses his post for partisan purposes.

Wood is also a CPA, with more than a decade of experience in the state Auditor's Office. She argues that Merritt's tenure has illuminated shortcomings in his leadership and that she would manage the office in a more even-handed fashion.

She is right that the auditor's office must be managed without partisan intent, but there is ample evidence Merritt has done so. His flaws are few and his record is sound. Voters should return him to office.

For agriculture commissioner, Republican incumbent Steve Troxler faces Democratic challenger Ronnie Ansley.

Troxler won his first term in 2004, becoming the first Republican to hold this position. Since then, he has ably managed the Department of Agriculture with the background of a farmer and the skill of a experienced leader. Those who make their living from the North Carolina soil will find few problems with Troxler's time in office.

Ansley, a former candidate for lieutenant governor, U.S. House and state Supreme Court, seeks to limit Troxler to one term. He shares many of the key areas of emphasis for North Carolina's future with his opponent, with the need for biofuels and agricultural diversity ranking as key concerns. But while his experience as a lawyer might be useful in Raleigh, North Carolina farmers would be better served by having a fellow farmer in this role.

Troxler has done well in his first term and should be awarded a second.

In the labor commissioner race, incumbent Republican Cherie Berry seeks another term as Mary Fant Donnan, a Democrat, hopes to oust her from office.

Donnan emerged from a crowded field of candidates and a statewide run-off election to run as the Democratic Party's nominee for this seat. She is a program manager for the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation who offers a progressive platform for improving working conditions and raising the minimum wage.

However, Berry — the former state representative seeking her third term as the commissioner of labor — has been an effective and competent professional in her post. Donnan may be worthy of examination by voters, but Berry is the reliable choice.