Democrat Elaine Marshall wins reelection again as secretary of state

RALEIGH — Incumbent North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, a Democrat, has retained her seat by defeating Republican challenger Chad Brown.

Marshall edged Brown by a margin of around 2%.

With her reelection, the 78-year-old Marshall will enter her eighth term in the role. She was first elected in 1997. In every reelection bid Marshall has made, she has won with over 50% of the vote.

Prior to becoming secretary of state, Marshall was a General Assembly senator. She is an attorney and has taught at both Lenoir Community College and Johnston Tech Community College.

In 2010, Marshall made an unsuccessful bid for U.S. Senate, losing to former Republican Sen. Richard Burr.

Marshall holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland (1968) and a juris doctorate from Campbell Law School (1971). She was awarded honorary doctorate degrees from Campbell University, Lees-McRae College and Meredith College.