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Dan Forest
Daniel James Forest (born October 15, 1967) is an American politician who served as the 34th lieutenant governor of North Carolina from 2013 to 2021. He is the son of former congresswoman Sue Myrick. An architect by trade, he was the Republican nominee for Governor of North Carolina in the 2020 election, losing to incumbent governor Roy Cooper.
Forest was born in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina. His mother, Sue Myrick, represented a Charlotte-based congressional district from 1995 to 2013 in the U.S. House of Representatives. Forest received a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in architecture from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. An architect, Forest was a senior partner at an architectural firm in Charlotte before being elected lieutenant governor.
In 2012, in his first run for office, Forest placed first in a five-way May primary election, with 32.98% of the vote; Wake County commissioner Tony Gurley received 24.83% of the vote, Speaker Pro Tempore of the North Carolina House of Representatives Dale Folwell received 24.25% of the vote; state representative Grey Mills received 14.67% of the vote, and Arthur Jason Rich received 3.28% of the vote. Forest and Gurley advanced to the July 2012 second primary (runoff election), in which Forest secured the Republican nomination, defeating Gurley 67.87%–32.13%.
In the November 2012 general election, Forest defeated the Democratic nominee, former state representative Linda Coleman, by an extremely small margin—Forest received 2,187,728 votes (50.08%) to Coleman's 2,180,870 (49.92%). Coleman opted not to seek a recount, although the margin was small enough for her to be entitled to one. He was sworn in on January 7, 2013.
In a November 2016 rematch against Coleman, Forest was re-elected lieutenant governor, receiving 2,393,514 votes (51.81%) to Coleman's 2,093,375 votes (45.32%); Libertarian Party candidate Jacki Cole received 132,645 (2.87%). His second term began on January 1, 2017.
As lieutenant governor, Forest was the state's second-highest elected official and the president of the North Carolina Senate, as well as a member of the Council of State. Forest began a one-year term as the chairman of the Republican Lieutenant Governors Association in 2018.
Forest emphasized his fiscally conservative and socially conservative views. He was a strong supporter of North Carolina's controversial H.B. 2, state legislation that overrode an ordinance passed by the City of Charlotte that extended the protection of anti-discrimination laws to LGBT persons. Forest was also a leading supporter of proposals to adopt a state "religious freedom restoration" act, a controversial bill on religion. Forest supports the elimination of income tax and its replacement by a "consumption tax".
During his term, he renovated and refurbished the Hawkins-Hartness House, which serves as the official office of the lieutenant governor.
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Dan Forest
Daniel James Forest (born October 15, 1967) is an American politician who served as the 34th lieutenant governor of North Carolina from 2013 to 2021. He is the son of former congresswoman Sue Myrick. An architect by trade, he was the Republican nominee for Governor of North Carolina in the 2020 election, losing to incumbent governor Roy Cooper.
Forest was born in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina. His mother, Sue Myrick, represented a Charlotte-based congressional district from 1995 to 2013 in the U.S. House of Representatives. Forest received a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in architecture from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. An architect, Forest was a senior partner at an architectural firm in Charlotte before being elected lieutenant governor.
In 2012, in his first run for office, Forest placed first in a five-way May primary election, with 32.98% of the vote; Wake County commissioner Tony Gurley received 24.83% of the vote, Speaker Pro Tempore of the North Carolina House of Representatives Dale Folwell received 24.25% of the vote; state representative Grey Mills received 14.67% of the vote, and Arthur Jason Rich received 3.28% of the vote. Forest and Gurley advanced to the July 2012 second primary (runoff election), in which Forest secured the Republican nomination, defeating Gurley 67.87%–32.13%.
In the November 2012 general election, Forest defeated the Democratic nominee, former state representative Linda Coleman, by an extremely small margin—Forest received 2,187,728 votes (50.08%) to Coleman's 2,180,870 (49.92%). Coleman opted not to seek a recount, although the margin was small enough for her to be entitled to one. He was sworn in on January 7, 2013.
In a November 2016 rematch against Coleman, Forest was re-elected lieutenant governor, receiving 2,393,514 votes (51.81%) to Coleman's 2,093,375 votes (45.32%); Libertarian Party candidate Jacki Cole received 132,645 (2.87%). His second term began on January 1, 2017.
As lieutenant governor, Forest was the state's second-highest elected official and the president of the North Carolina Senate, as well as a member of the Council of State. Forest began a one-year term as the chairman of the Republican Lieutenant Governors Association in 2018.
Forest emphasized his fiscally conservative and socially conservative views. He was a strong supporter of North Carolina's controversial H.B. 2, state legislation that overrode an ordinance passed by the City of Charlotte that extended the protection of anti-discrimination laws to LGBT persons. Forest was also a leading supporter of proposals to adopt a state "religious freedom restoration" act, a controversial bill on religion. Forest supports the elimination of income tax and its replacement by a "consumption tax".
During his term, he renovated and refurbished the Hawkins-Hartness House, which serves as the official office of the lieutenant governor.
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