CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Democratic gubernatorial candidate Josh Stein is warning Republicans against rehashing old "culture wars."
"It's not the way we should lead. We've actually been down this path before here in North Carolina, and we paid in immense economic costs," Stein, North Carolina Attorney General, said on WCNC's Flashpoint.
Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, who is also running for governor, suggested at a campaign event in Cary this month that transgender women should be arrested if they use women's restrooms. At an event in Greenville, Robinson they should "find a corner outside somewhere to go" to the bathroom.
In 2016, the state faced enormous economic fallout after the passage of HB 2, which regulated the public restrooms transgender people could use. A boycott cost the state billions of dollars when companies, events and investments were pulled out of the state.
The law was later repealed.
"We lost billions and billions and billions of dollars of economic activity, because folks wanted to fight these culture wars and tell people where they had to go to the bathroom. And we don't need to do that," Stein said.
Stein and Robinson, who are the frontrunners in their respective primaries, would face-off in a general election in November.
Stein said culture wars threaten the state's 'CNBC's Best in Business' status.
"Everybody is a child of God and everybody has something to bring to the table. And we don't have the luxury to waste people's talents. We've got to marshal and corral everybody's potential so that we can continue to grow this economy so that it works for everyone," Stein said.
North Carolina's primary is set for March 5.
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Flashpoint is a weekly in-depth look at politics in Charlotte, North Carolina, South Carolina, and beyond with host Ben Thompson. Listen to the podcast weekly.
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