RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) -- Democrat Mo Green will become the next superintendent of public instruction in North Carolina.

Green defeated Republican opponent Michele Morrow in the state election on Tuesday, according to the final race call from the Associated Press. Green is set to succeed Republican Catherine Truitt, who lost to Morrow in the primary.

"Educators, alongside parents and voters, rejected extremism and prioritized a vision for public schools that supports all students, parents, teachers, and public school personnel," said Tamika Walker Kelly, North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE) President. "With [Mo Green's] extensive experience and passion for public education, we are confident that we have a strong partner to help strengthen and improve education for the millions of children in our public schools, along with their parents, teachers, and school staff."

Green is a former superintendent of Guilford County Schools in Greensboro, the third-largest school district in N.C., for more than seven years.

Green also served as the executive director of the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, an N.C. foundation that supports many causes, including public education, from 2016 to 2023. He has been an advocate for student safety, increasing teacher salaries and implementing more literacy skills in elementary schools.

"As it turns out I actually worked with the current superintendent [Catherine Truitt] on implementing early literacy efforts in North Carolina," Green said in an interview with CBS 17. "There was an implementation team that was working with five other states as to how best to implement early literacy skills. And so we need to continue that work, I think we'll need to expand it to our middle schools as well where their reading rate is struggling there as well."

Morrow is a former nurse and homeschool educator. Though she comes with less experience than her opponent, she told CBS 17 in a previous interview that she has been a longtime advocate for education.

"It's time for us to ensure that every student and every teacher is protected inside the classroom as well as out and that's one of the reasons why I've put as the top priority that we're going to make our schools the safest buildings in the state," Morrow said during a debate in October.

Morrow told CBS 17 that school systems should also focus on catching early on if younger students have potential learning differences, like dyslexia, to better help their learning proficiencies down the line.

Morrow, who identifies herself as a Christian conservative, has been at the center of controversy and criticism, including making comments that the "+" in LGBTQ+ includes pedophilia and previously calling for the execution of former President Barack Obama.

The N.C. Superintendent of Public Instruction is the secretary and chief administrative officer of the State Board of Education. They are responsible for implementing the state's public school laws for pre-K through 12th grade schools.