North Carolina gubernatorial candidate Josh Stein (right) was joined by Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro on Sunday. Stein is continuing to crisscross the state to introduce himself to voters and spread his message. Photo by Carla Peay/The Atlanta VoiceGREENSBORO – Marlena Beard, a junior political science major at UNC Greensboro, admits she’s still learning about Attorney General Josh Stein, the Democratic candidate for governor of North Carolina. But there is one reason she supports him right off the bat.“He’s not a Republican,” Beard said.Beard was among the crowd of several hundred supporters gathered at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro campus on Sunday for a “Right Time with Stein” event, where he was joined by Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro. Stein is continuing to crisscross the state to introduce himself to voters and spread his message.“I think the Democrats are better for America right now,” Beard said. “I came here to educate myself on Mr. Stein and his policies.”By contrast, Carlton Brown, a senior political science major at UNC Greensboro, is already very familiar with Stein’s record, and has supported him since the beginning of his career at Self-Help Credit Union, where Stein worked after graduating from law school.  “My father did the same kind of work,” Brown said. “It is hard work, and it is humbling work. I think as Governor, Mr. Stein will do what it takes to help people start businesses. I believe in his message. And his opponent is a far worse choice.”Brown said the recent scandal surrounding Stein’s opponent, Republican Lt. Governor Mark Robinson, had little bearing on his decision.“I never thought Robinson was a good choice, even before the CNN story,” Brown said.The event was organized by the UNC Greensboro Black Student Union, whom also invited Attorney General Stein to speak on campus last year, and now that he is running for governor, wanted to have him speak again this year.“We wanted him to come back again and speak to us because there is a big disconnect between college students and political candidates,” said Erica Nolan, the head of the Black Student Union at UNC Greensboro. Nolan is a senior majoring in communications.“I am voting for him because I know he will secure women’s rights,” Nolan said. “He is so different from his opponent.”David Sandy, another member of the Black Student Union, echoed his support for Stein.“I know he will get things done,” Sandy said.Stein was introduced by Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, who also served as Attorney General before being elected governor in 2022. Shapiro drew parallels between Pennsylvania and North Carolina, saying that citizens have the same basic wants and needs.“Folks want the same four basic things,” Shapiro said. “They want good schools for their kids and their grandkids. They want safe communities where they know their kids can walk to and from school free of gun violence. They want economic opportunities in the communities that they love. And they want their rights, and their freedoms protected.”  Stein opened his remarks by calling for a moment of silence for those who have lost their lives in the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene and offering a prayer for the safety of all first responders who are still working around the clock to help North Carolina begin recovery efforts.“I love our home state, and I’m running for governor because I believe in its promise that if you work hard, where you come from should never limit how far you can go, that our kids and grandkids can have a better and brighter future than we had,” Stein said.Stein outlined an economic plan that called for building from the bottom up and the middle out in order to strengthen and grow the middle class and to cut taxes for the middle class. He also promised to tackle the high cost of living and raise the minimum wage – which is stuck at $7.25 in North Carolina, Georgia, and 19 other states. In Georgia, the minimum wage was last increased in 2009; in North Carolina, it was last raised in 2008. His biggest applause line came when Stein vowed to veto any restrictions to reproductive freedom.“Governing isn’t that complicated,” Stein said. “It’s about putting people first, and then fighting for them.” The post Josh Stein connects with young voters in Greensboro, NC appeared first on The Atlanta Voice.