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Michele Morrow surprised nearly everyone in North Carolina last March when she pulled off a primary win over the Republican incumbent Superintendent of Public Instruction, Catherine Truitt. 

But she could not defeat Democrat Mo Green, who had 51 percent of the vote to Morrow’s 49 as of early Wednesday morning.

“We met the moment, together as champions of public education,” Green said in a statement Wednesday morning. “The work does not end here. It’s now upon us to put forth and implement our bold vision, direction, and plan for N.C. public schools. Our children and the future of our state depend on it.”

Morrow, a homeschool mom who has described public schools as “socialist indoctrination centers,” drew national attention over past social media posts calling for the execution of “traitors” like Gov. Roy Cooper, President Joe Biden, and former President Barack Obama. Her political star rose during pandemic-era protests, and she broadcast live from Washington, D.C. on January 6, 2021 as supporters of former President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol Building. 

Michele Morrow wears a name tag with the title of the office she’s running for at an event in Whispering Pines. (Julia Wall for The Assembly)

Green came into the race with seven years of experience leading Guilford County public schools, the third-largest system in the state. He campaigned on the need to retain experienced teachers, help public schools better meet students’ needs, and ensure that character is taught along with core subjects like math, English, and history.

“I do believe that the very soul of public education is on the ballot,” Green told The Assembly ahead of the race. “This is a moment for those like myself to actually rise to the occasion and be sure that we lift up public education.”

Read our profile of Morrow here, and our deep-dive on Green here.

Kate Sheppard is The Assembly’s managing editor. She was previously a senior enterprise and national editor at HuffPost and has covered environment, health, and labor for Mother Jones, Grist, and The American Prospect. Email her at kate@theassemblync.com.