Dan Forest facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dan Forest
Forest in 2019
34th Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina
In office January 7, 2013 – January 9, 2021
Governor	Pat McCrory Roy Cooper
Preceded by	Walter Dalton
Succeeded by	Mark Robinson
Personal details
Born	(1967-10-15) October 15, 1967 (age 57) Harrisonburg, Virginia, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Alice Forest
Children	4
Parent	Sue Myrick (mother)
Education	University of North Carolina, Charlotte (BArch, MArch)

Dan Forest (born October 15, 1967) is an American politician who was the 34th lieutenant governor of North Carolina from 2013 to 2021. The lieutenant governor is the second-highest elected official in the state.

Before entering politics, Forest worked as an architect. He is a member of the Republican Party. In 2020, he ran for Governor of North Carolina but lost to the governor at the time, Roy Cooper. His mother, Sue Myrick, was a member of the U.S. Congress.

Early Life and Career

Dan Forest was born in Harrisonburg, Virginia, but he grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina. He went to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where he earned two degrees in architecture.

After college, he became a successful architect. He was a senior partner at an architecture company in Charlotte before he decided to run for public office.

Serving as Lieutenant Governor

As lieutenant governor, Forest was the president of the North Carolina Senate. He was also a member of the Council of State, a group of top elected officials who help lead the state government.

Elections

Forest first ran for office in 2012. He won the Republican nomination after two rounds of primary elections. In the main election, he faced the Democratic candidate, Linda Coleman. The race was very close, but Forest won with just over 50% of the vote. He started his job on January 7, 2013.

In 2016, Forest ran for re-election and faced Linda Coleman again. This time, he won by a larger margin, earning a second term in office.

Time in Office

Forest (far left) with Governor Roy Cooper and President Donald Trump discussing recovery efforts after Hurricane Florence in 2018.

Forest is known for his conservative views. This means he often supports lower taxes, less government spending, and traditional social values.

He was a major supporter of a controversial state law known as H.B. 2. This law reversed a Charlotte city rule that had offered protections to LGBT people. Forest also supported a "religious freedom" bill, which was another topic of debate in the state.

In 2018, Forest gave a speech where he said that issues like climate change and gun control were like a "religion of the left." These comments were criticized by some Democratic politicians. In another speech in 2019, he made comments about diversity in America that also caused controversy.

COVID-19 Pandemic

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic began. Governor Roy Cooper issued orders that closed businesses like bars and restaurants to slow the spread of the virus. Forest disagreed with these orders. He felt they were made too quickly and wanted to reopen public places sooner.

He sued Governor Cooper, saying the governor did not have the power to make these rules without the agreement of the Council of State. However, a court ruled against him, and he later dropped the lawsuit.

2020 Race for Governor

In 2019, Forest announced he would run for governor against Roy Cooper. He focused his campaign on his conservative beliefs. He also supported a plan to give state money to all families to help them pay for private school, no matter their income.

Forest easily won the Republican primary election. The main race for governor took place during the COVID-19 pandemic. The two candidates had very different ideas about how to handle the virus.

Forest suggested that the dangers of the virus were not as bad as some people said. He often appeared in public without a face mask and said he would reopen all schools right away if he were elected. He also claimed that science did not support students wearing masks, calling it his "personal opinion."

On November 3, 2020, Governor Cooper won the election and was re-elected.

Electoral History

See also

In Spanish: Dan Forest para niños