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Elections

AI video targets Barnes-Gailliard race

An AI-generated video that’s making the rounds on social media depicts a state Senate candidate and prominent Rocky Mount pastor, James Gailliard, as a literal tool of Satan. By contrast, it portrays the Republican incumbent in the District 11 Senate race, Lisa Barnes, in beatific terms as someone blessed and...

By Ray Gronberg

June 23, 2026

The (bleep) word

Senate Democratic Leader Sydney Batch, D-Wake, posted a two-minute Instagram video this week that included about a dozen bleeped profanities directed at the state’s Republican leadership. Batch made the video with Rep. Vernetta Alston, D-Durham. Alston doesn’t use profanity in the video, which was first reported by Raleigh journalist A.P....

By Ray Gronberg

June 19, 2026

Granville-Vance House candidate steps aside

Democrats in Granville and Vance counties need to find themselves a new candidate for the House District 32 seat. The previous nominee, Oxford City Commissioner Curtis McRae, is withdrawing from the race “due to personal health matters requiring his full attention,” the House Democratic Caucus says. McRae  — who’s also...

By Ray Gronberg

June 8, 2026

Wake Forest commissioner tabbed for Senate seat

Democratic Party leaders in Wake and Granville counties have named lawyer and Wake Forest Town Commissioner Haseeb Fatmi as the replacement for former state Sen. Terence Everitt. The decision comes about two weeks after Everitt announced his unexpected, post-primary resignation from the District 18 seat. The district covers northern Wake...

By Ray Gronberg

May 18, 2026

Cohn’s hat in the ring for Everitt Senate seat

State Rep. Bryan Cohn, D-Granville, says he’s signaled to the Democratic leadership in the House and Senate that he’s willing to step in as a replacement for former Sen. Terence Everitt. “We’ve got the donors, the infrastructure [and] the network,” Cohn says. Everitt, D-Wake, announced Tuesday evening, on Facebook, that...

By Ray Gronberg

May 1, 2026

Majeed goes unaffiliated

Another Mecklenburg County legislator who lost in March’s Democratic Party primaries has turned in his membership card. District 99 Rep. Nasif Majeed announced via social media that he’s changing his affiliation from Democratic to unaffiliated. Majeed — an 80-year-old who piloted B-52s during the Vietnam War — said his move...

By Ray Gronberg

April 28, 2026

Legislators to probe COVID-related prison releases

Just in time for this fall’s Cooper-Whatley U.S. Senate race, General Assembly leaders announced Monday they’re forming a panel to investigate COVID-related early prison releases. Sen. Buck Newton, R-Wilson, and House Majority Leader Brenden Jones, R-Columbus, will co-chair the probe, House Speaker Destin Hall and Senate leader Phil Berger say....

By Ray Gronberg

April 22, 2026

Ferguson set to replace Clampitt in House

Republican leaders in Jackson, Swain and Transylvania counties have picked Anna Ferguson to fill out the balance of the late Rep. Mike Clampitt’s term in office. Ferguson will also replace Clampitt on the November general election ballot, the Smoky Mountain News reported. She will face Democratic nominee Mark Burrows. The...

By Ray Gronberg

April 15, 2026

Luddy warns senators to oppose casinos

One of the key backers of Rockingham County Sheriff’s successful bid to unseat Senate leader Phil Berger has a message for the rest of the Senate: No more casinos. “Voter have already made it clear to leadership: They do no want casino gambling in North Carolina,” say Bob Luddy, who...

By Ray Gronberg

April 9, 2026

Drive safe while campaigning?

A traffic-safety group wants everyone running for a General Assembly seat this fall to pledge to practice safe-driving habits as they campaign. That means wearing a speed belt, obeying speed limits and traffic laws and above all putting down their phones while they’re behind the wheel, says Tiffany Wright, chair...

By Ray Gronberg

April 7, 2026

Garson set to replace Meyer in Senate

Democratic leaders from Orange, Person and Caswell counties have picked Jonah Garson to replace former District 23 state Sen. Graig Meyer, D-Orange. Garson, up to now the first vice chair of the N.C. Democratic Party, beat out state Rep. Allen Buansi, D-Orange, for the appointment in weekend voting by a local-party...

By Ray Gronberg

April 7, 2026

How Page won: focus on home turf

Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page’s GOP-primary win over Senate leader Phil Berger has been the talk of the state’s political class since his 23-vote margin of victory was solidified in a post-balloting canvass. Everyone wonders how he did it. One of Page’s advisers, pollster/strategist Patrick Sebastian, has been happy to...

By Ray Gronberg

April 1, 2026

Dems pushing opposition to Duke rate increase

The N.C. Utilities Commission is holding hearings this week and on into April to hear from the public about Duke Energy’s request for a set of rate increases. Advocacy groups opposed to the increases have been working to boost attendance. The Washington-based Climate Power Education Fund sent mailers touting the...

By Ray Gronberg

March 31, 2026

Berger concedes to Page

Senate leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, on Tuesday conceded that he lost his District 26 party primary to challenger Sam Page. “While this was a close race, the voters have spoken, and I congratulate Sheriff Page on his victor,” Berger said in a statement issued by his campaign just before 4...

By Ray Gronberg

March 24, 2026

Berger asks for recount, also files protest

As was widely expected, Senate leader Phil Berger has asked for a recount of the results in his District 26 GOP primary that show Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page beating him for the party nomination by 23 votes. The request came with a twist, namely that Berger wants the Rockingham...

By Ray Gronberg

March 18, 2026

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