Maurice 鈥淢o鈥� Green,  a retired leader of a progressive foundation who was recruited by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper to run for state superintendent, defeated Michele Morrow 51% to 49%.

鈥淭he work does not end here. It’s now upon us to put forth and implement our bold vision, direction, and plan for [North Carolina] public schools,鈥� Green said in a statement. 鈥淥ur children and the future of our state depend on it.鈥�

The race boiled down to both candidates accusing each other of extremism. Morrow, a former nurse who focused her campaign on school safety, portrayed Green as a left-wing radical who isn鈥檛 tough on student discipline. Green, meanwhile, reminded voters of Morrow鈥檚 derogatory statements about public schools and her calls for violence against Democrats on social media, including a that she wanted to see former President Barack Obama before a firing squad  鈥�  comments that she said were blown out of proportion. In the final weeks of the campaign, Obama at a campaign rally in Charlotte, noting that someone 鈥渟aying just crazy stuff鈥� shouldn鈥檛 be in charge of decisions about textbooks and funding for schools.

In a statement, Morrow, who unexpectedly ousted incumbent Superintendent Catherine Truitt in the Republican primary, blamed 鈥渟mear messaging鈥� for her defeat and said the fact that the race was so close was evidence that a lot of voters agreed with her message. 

鈥淲e nearly overcame incredible odds,鈥� she said. 鈥淏etween Mo Green鈥檚 campaign funding and the support of his special interest groups, we were outspent nearly 300  to one.鈥�

Morrow ran as an outsider, frequently criticizing public schools as 鈥渋ndoctrination centers鈥� pushing liberal ideas about race and gender.  She considered her years teaching science and Spanish to homeschooled students, including her own, as adequate qualifications for the position.

Green, a lawyer, held a top spot in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and then led the 68,000-student Guilford district from 2008 to 2015. He plans to advocate for more funding for public schools. While he supports public school choice, he has been critical of the state鈥檚 voucher program. With lawmakers poised to approve a that would fully fund private school vouchers and eliminate a waiting list of more than 50,000 students, Green said during with Morrow, that resources are 鈥渂eing drained away from our public schools.鈥�

While he used Morrow鈥檚 past social media posts to his advantage, his background in public schools appeared to make the difference for education advocates.

鈥淗er lack of experience in the public education sphere was glaring,鈥� said Marcus Brandon, who leads CarolinaCAN, part of a network of policy and advocacy groups. 鈥淢o Green, being a former superintendent, made the case [that] he knew public education, and that literally is the job.鈥�