NC Gov. Josh Stein lowers flags for Dottie Martin + latest approval poll results
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Greetings and welcome to the Under the Dome newsletter. I’m Capitol bureau chief Dawn Vaughan, and this edition focuses on the governor.
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North Carolina lost a former first lady this past week with the death of Dorothy “Dottie” McAulay Martin, who was married to former Gov. Jim Martin.
Gov. Josh Stein ordered all U.S. and North Carolina flags at government buildings lowered to half-staff until Monday. He and First Lady Anna Stein both shared condolences about Dottie Martin as the Department of Administration directed that flags be lowered.
Anna Stein, who holds the role Martin held from 1985-1993, said she distinctly remembers “as a teenager when the wildflower program was started by First Lady Dottie Martin to beautify our highways. I remember thinking what a lovely person our First Lady must be, and, of course, I was correct in my assumption. As a North Carolinian and as First Lady, I am so grateful for the life of Dottie Martin and for the impact she made across our state.”
Martin’s legacy includes starting the N.C. Department of Transportation’s roadside wildflower program, as well as being a trustee for Queens University of Charlotte and Barium Springs Orphanage.
Gov. Stein praised Martin for using her platform “to protect young people from sexual violence and alcohol and drug misuse and to beautify our state,” saying everyone owes thanks to her for the wildflowers on the state’s many roadways.
When former Gov. Jim Hunt died in 2025, Gov. Martin told The News & Observer in an interview that his wife had a hand in heeding some advice he received from Hunt.
Hunt’s advice to Martin when he took office was not to schedule any events on Sunday.
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When Hunt served another term after Martin, Martin said he “told him I’d improved on that good advice. I put my wife, Dottie, on the scheduling committee.”
Read more about Dottie Martin:
A new poll from Catawba College and YouGov showed Stein maintains a comfortable approval rating in the state. Among 1,000 people surveyed, North Carolinians gave Stein a 59% approval rating, with 23% disapproving of the job he’s doing as governor, a slight increase from Catawba-YouGov’s June poll.
Professor Michael Bitzer, who is director of the college’s Center for North Carolina Politics & Public Service, said “to find a chief executive at the state level with these numbers, especially in today’s polarized political environment, is something noteworthy.” Bitzer noted when the survey was released that “even Republicans give Stein a 48-43 approval/disapproval rating.”
The governor’s official residence is the Executive Mansion on Blount Street, which is occasionally open to the public for special events at the holidays. The first floor of the 19th century brick building is where many gubernatorial ceremonies and news conferences are held, as well as various political receptions and events.
The Office of State Human Resources posted a job opening this week for an executive director in charge of operations and events at the mansion. The salary range for the state job is wide, from $60,881 to $106,544.
Thanks for reading. Be sure to listen to our Under the Dome podcast or watch it on YouTube. I host new episodes on Tuesdays. On our latest episode, I was joined by higher education reporter Jane Winik Sartwell and legislative and lobbying reporter Esther Frances. Reach me at [email protected] or the entire politics team at [email protected].
This story was originally published October 4, 2026 at 5:00 AM with the headline “NC Gov. Josh Stein lowers flags for Dottie Martin + latest approval poll results.”
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