As the election grows closer, we’re talking to candidates for key downballot races on the WUNC Politics Podcast as part of our Down The Ballot series. You can also read more about the candidates in the weekly WUNC Politics Newsletter. Next up in the series: the race for lieutenant governor. With current Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson running for governor, Democratic state Sen. Rachel Hunt will face longtime Republican political staffer and election integrity organization founder Hal Weatherman for the o...
Sep 06, 2024•26 min
As the election grows closer, we’re talking to candidates for key downballot races in the coming weeks on the WUNC Politics Podcast as part of our Down The Ballot series. You can also read more about the candidates in the weekly WUNC Politics Newsletter. First up in the series: the race for state treasurer. Two-term State Treasurer Dale Folwell’s decision to step down will mean a fresh face in an important financial role for state employees, and both Republican Brad Briner and Democratic candida...
Aug 30, 2024•32 min
With all the news swirling this week about the presidential campaign and the possibility of Gov. Roy Cooper as a vice presidential candidate, we’re bringing you a segment from WUNC’s Due South. Host Jeff Tiberii spoke with Western Carolina University political scientist Chris Cooper and WUNC Capitol Bureau Chief Colin Campbell about where things stand and what Cooper would bring to the race. Sign up for our free, weekly WUNC Politics Newsletter here ....
Jul 24, 2024•12 min
North Carolina law makes it extremely hard to run for office if you’re not willing to register as a Republican or Democrat and go through the party primary process. This year though, an unaffiliated candidate for Congress has made it onto the ballot for the first time in memory. Shelane Etchison is an Army veteran who served in special forces units in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan, and she's running in the 9th District against incumbent Republican Congressman Richard Hudson. She speaks with WUNC's...
Jul 12, 2024•27 min
Thanks to a budget provision last year, state lawmakers can now deny the public access to their emails, documents and other records that most other branches of state government are required to release. That move toward secrecy is just one of many transparency concerns at the legislature. A few weeks ago, Democrats in the legislature filed a proposed constitutional amendment to guarantee public access to government records. One of the amendment's sponsors, Rep. Pricey Harrison, D-Guilford, joins ...
Jun 21, 2024•28 min
Members of the Tuscarora Nation of North Carolina recently visited the state legislature to push for a House bill that would grant them formal state recognition as an American Indian tribe. They've been fighting for the benefits provided to other tribes for decades, and the history of conflict stretches back centuries to the 1700s war between Tuscarora ancestors and British colonists. House Speaker Tim Moore says the recognition bill is unlikely to move forward, in part due to opposition from th...
May 31, 2024•22 min
Polls will once again open all across North Carolina on Tuesday, May 14. But with mostly down-ballot races on the ballot, will Republican primaries be decided by a tiny number of voters? Political scientist Chris Cooper of Western Carolina University shares some turnout trends and other dynamics for North Carolina’s rare runoff primaries with WUNC's Colin Campbell. And we hear from the two Republican candidates for state auditor, Jack Clark and Dave Boliek, who offer contrasting backgrounds and ...
May 10, 2024•32 min
State lawmakers are back in Raleigh to begin what’s known as the short session – several months in which they’ll make adjustments to the state budget for the upcoming year and consider a variety of other legislation that didn’t make it across the finish line in the 2023 long session. One of the biggest partisan battles is likely to be over education funding: How much of the state's projected revenue surplus will go to public schools, and how much will address high demand for private school vouch...
Apr 26, 2024•19 min
Rodney Pierce, a middle school social studies teacher from Roanoke Rapids, narrowly defeated longtime incumbent Rep. Michael Wray in last month's Democratic primary. He campaigned with what he describes as an effort to "educate" voters about Wray's record in the N.C. House of voting with Republicans. Because no Republicans filed for the seat, Pierce will represent majority Black Warren, Halifax and Northampton counties in the legislature next year. Pierce spoke with WUNC's Colin Campbell about h...
Apr 12, 2024•20 min
Wyatt Gable, a 21-year-old student at East Carolina University, unseated 10-term Republican Rep. George Cleveland of Jacksonville, who’s in his 80s and is one of the oldest members of the state House. Gable will face Democrat Carmen Spicer in November, but House District 14 leans heavily conservative and he’s likely to become the youngest member of the state legislature next year. Gable spoke with WUNC's Colin Campbell about how he won a surprise victory in the primary and how to get more young ...
Mar 29, 2024•13 min
The results are in for the 2024 North Carolina primary -- and while some of the top-tier races ended up where everyone expected, there were some big surprises further down the ballot, as well as some races that won't get resolved until a runoff election in May. WUNC's Capitol Bureau Chief Colin Campbell sorts through the results in a late-night conversation with host Will Michaels, then joins other panelists on "Due South" with host Jeff Tiberii to discuss the takeaways and look ahead toward the...
Mar 06, 2024•51 min
Voters in this year's primary will have a few new things to get used to. After years of legal wrangling, photo IDs are required to vote, but there's a process in place for voters who show up without one. And voters looking to use mail-in absentee ballots need to be aware of earlier deadlines. WUNC's voting and election integrity reporter, Rusty Jacobs, joins Capitol Bureau Chief Colin Campbell to explain what voters need to know as they participate in a big election year.
Mar 01, 2024•27 min
Voters in this year's Republican primary will decide whether they want Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson or one of his opponents as their nominee for governor. And elsewhere on the ballot, races for lieutenant governor, Council of State and open congressional seats have drawn a large number of Republican candidates. Candidates spending their personal fortunes on TV ads could have an impact on who wins. To sort through all the races to watch on the GOP side, WUNC spoke with N.C. Rep. Erin Paré, R-Wake, and ...
Feb 16, 2024•44 min
As North Carolina’s March 5 primary looms, there’s not much competition at the presidential level on the Democratic side. President Joe Biden will be the only name on the ballot here, but there are plenty of races worth watching further down the Democratic Party ballot for governor, Council of State and legislative seats. Will low turnout lead to some surprise results? Will votes in support of Republican legislation cost several incumbent Democrats their seats in the state House and Senate? To s...
Feb 02, 2024•41 min
This episode is the sixth installment in our Main Street NC series from the WUNC Politics Podcast. One of the state’s only cryptocurrency mining operations is located a few miles outside Murphy at North Carolina’s far-western tip – and it’s driving the neighbors crazy. Even at a house a mile away, the sound can make it seem like you're next to a busy freeway. It comes from massive computer servers that are running the complex computations needed to power cryptocurrency. The out-of-state companie...
Jan 19, 2024•34 min
This episode is the fifth installment in our Main Street NC series from the WUNC Politics Podcast. Dozens of small towns across North Carolina are struggling to replace aging, often failing water and sewer infrastructure. The upgrades are needed to attract industry and residents back to places where textile and manufacturing plants have closed down. The tiny town of Star in Montgomery County, near Asheboro, is leading the way in addressing the problem -- securing more than $35 million in state a...
Jan 05, 2024•23 min
This episode is the fourth installment in our Main Street NC series from the WUNC Politics Podcast. The Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina is based in the small town of Pembroke, and this corner of Robeson County has one of the highest concentrations of American Indians in the state. The Lumbee Tribe is also a considerable political force across Robeson – and it’s had to fight hard throughout its history to gain that political power. In recent years, many Lumbees have helped shift Robeson County pol...
Dec 15, 2023•24 min
This episode is the third installment in our new Main Street NC series from the WUNC Politics Podcast. When Hurricane Matthew hit North Carolina in 2016, every business on Main Street in the small Columbus County town of Fair Bluff was underwater. A few had reopened by 2018 when Hurricane Florence brought a repeat of the same flood damage. Mayor Billy Hammond and other town leaders ultimately came up with a dramatic plan to address the issue: Build a whole new downtown-style commercial district ...
Dec 01, 2023•23 min
This is the second installment in our new Main Street NC series from the WUNC Politics Podcast. In the coming months, we’ll be visiting communities across the state to hear from local leaders about the positives going on in their towns, and the challenges they face, from population loss to flooding to aging utility infrastructure. East of Raleigh, the once sleepy suburb of Wendell ranked as the fastest-growing town in North Carolina between 2020 and 2021, with a population that increased by 16% ...
Nov 17, 2023•21 min
This is the first installment in our new Main Street NC series from the WUNC Politics Podcast. In the coming months, we’ll be visiting communities across the state to hear from local leaders about the positives going on in their towns, and the challenges they face, from population loss to flooding to aging utility infrastructure. Our first stop is the Bertie County towns of Aulander and Lewiston Woodville. Lewiston Woodville Mayor Chris Cordon and recently retired Aulander Mayor Larry Drew discu...
Nov 10, 2023•21 min
The state legislature wrapped up votes this week on new Congressional and state House and Senate district maps. The maps make it likely that Republicans will add three or four seats in Congress, while solidifying potential veto-proof majorities in the legislature. But with lawsuits looming over the maps, the fight isn't over. Senate Minority Whip Jay Chaudhuri, D-Wake, joins WUNC Capitol Bureau Chief Colin Campbell to discuss his concerns about racial and partisan gerrymandering in the districts...
Oct 27, 2023•34 min
Most of the focus at the state legislature this week was on the vetoed bills that change the rules for elections and take appointment powers away from the governor. But two other veto overrides got less attention – in part because the “regulatory reform” and “clean energy” bills are so complicated. Grady O’Brien of the North Carolina Conservation Network joins WUNC’s Colin Campbell to dig into the details — from a shift toward more nuclear power to efforts to pave the way for a new natural gas p...
Oct 13, 2023•31 min
A high-drama week at the North Carolina legislature brought quick action on an overdue state budget, following a decision by Republican leaders to drop a proposal to add four new casinos in rural counties. Rep. Lindsey Prather, D-Buncombe, shares her thoughts on the budget — and its non-monetary policy provisions — with WUNC’s Colin Campbell. She also provides a look behind the scenes at how the budget process works for legislators from the minority party. Then Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page...
Sep 22, 2023•34 min
State House lawmakers advanced a 39-page rewrite of North Carolina’s alcohol laws this week. The bill includes major changes to how liquor is sold at restaurants, bars and ABC stores. To sort through the details, Lynn Minges of the N.C. Restaurant & Lodging Association joins WUNC’s Colin Campbell. She discusses the economic value of happy hour and cocktails to-go for restaurants and bars, as well as some of the quirky aspects of the state’s alcohol regulations that make it harder for hospita...
Sep 08, 2023•31 min
A hectic one-day session at the legislature resulted in six veto overrides and an effort to weaken the governor’s appointment powers — but no state budget deal. To sort through the action, Senate Majority Whip Jim Perry, R-Lenoir, chats with WUNC’s Colin Campbell. Perry also discusses loan legislation he sponsored that got vetoed, as well as his proposals to change the office of state fire marshal and keep lobbyists off the UNC Board of Governors. And he weighs in on the state’s east-west barbec...
Aug 18, 2023•30 min
With the passage of a state budget delayed until September, Democrats in the legislature are increasingly impatient with Republican leaders’ slow progress in wrapping up this year’s long session. House Democratic Leader Robert Reives, D-Chatham, talks with WUNC Capitol Bureau Chief Colin Campbell about the impacts on state employees and Medicaid expansion. Plus, he discusses his bipartisan work on economic development, controversy over voter ID implementation, rural broadband policy, and how the...
Aug 11, 2023•33 min
Before Phil Berger was considered the most powerful politician in the state, Democratic Sen. Marc Basnight of Manteo held the same position from 1993 to 2010. Basnight, who died in 2020, was a big advocate for the Outer Banks, and he used his role to help build the tourism juggernaut we have today in that corner of the state. Author Clark Twiddy’s new book, “Outer Banks Visionaries: Building North Carolina’s Oceanfront,” looks at that legacy. He joins WUNC Capitol Bureau Chief Colin Campbell to ...
Jul 28, 2023•34 min
North Carolina’s state budget is now three weeks overdue, and it’s likely August could be the earliest that a spending plan and state employee raises might be finalized. House Majority Leader John Bell, R-Wayne, joins WUNC Capitol Bureau Chief Colin Campbell to explain the delays. Bell also discusses the status of recently vetoed bills, proposed casino legislation, the slow recovery from hurricanes Matthew and Florence — and whether he’ll run for House speaker as Tim Moore wraps up his tenure in...
Jul 21, 2023•28 min
As the legislature starts to wind down, sweeping proposed changes to North Carolina elections are still on the table – and could have a big effect on the 2024 elections. Republicans want to shift appointment powers for the State Board of Elections, create an earlier deadline for mail-in ballots and make new regulations for early voting — all while elections officials are seeking more funding. WUNC political reporter Rusty Jacobs joins Capitol Bureau Chief Colin Campbell to discuss where things s...
Jul 14, 2023•34 min
Primaries for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general are already attracting plenty of candidates — and potential candidates. To help us sort through who’s running and how the campaigns will play out, as well as how much they’ll cost, WUNC Capitol Bureau Chief Colin Campbell is joined by longtime political consultant Brad Crone and Anna Beavon Gravely of NCFREE, a nonpartisan research organization. They discuss the impact of Supreme Court Justice Mike Morgan’s potential candidacy for ...
Jul 07, 2023•33 min
