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Elections

Immigration battle changing political calculus, some Dems say

Federal immigration crackdowns are politicizing and energizing Americans in ways that haven’t happened in decades, a group of Black politicians and political activists say. But both political parties are behind the curve in dealing with the ramifications, said former state Rep. Chaz Beasley and other participants in a Thursday media...

By Ray Gronberg

January 26, 2026

Buckhout claims $2M+ war chest

First District Congressional candidate Laurie Buckhout says she’s raised more than $2 million so far in her second bid for the U.S. House seat currently held by Rep. Don Davis. The Republican also says she intends to launch “a six-figure television and digital advertising campaign in the district,” which covers...

By Ray Gronberg

January 21, 2026

Weekend poll shows Page leading District 26 race

A new poll that was in the field over the weekend shows Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page with a 39% to 34% advantage over Senate leader Phil Berger in the District 26 Republican primary. That’s effectively showing the race as a toss-up, as the spread is well within the poll’s...

By Ray Gronberg

January 21, 2026

Berger up 4 in race with Page, poll says

A new poll is claiming that Senate leader Phil Berger has about a four percentage point lead in his District 26 GOP primary battle against Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page. That effectively makes the race “a total tossup,” in a battle where “both sides are running horrible campaigns,” said Rick...

By Ray Gronberg

January 9, 2026

Former state GOP official helping Cunningham

The legal team that drafted Rep. Carla Cunningham’s petition to remove Mecklenburg County’s sheriff from office includes a former N.C. Republican Party operative. Philip Thomas, one of the two lawyers who worked on the petition, was the state GOP’s chief counsel from the spring of 2020 to the start of...

By Ray Gronberg

January 6, 2026

Cunningham seeks ouster of Mecklenburg sheriff

Rep. Carla Cunningham has joined forces with a quartet of former Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office deputies to petition for a court-ordered removal of county Sheriff Garry McFadden. The petition accused McFadden of a variety of misconduct, including telling Cunningham the people of Mecklenburg County would “come after” her if she...

By Ray Gronberg

January 6, 2026

McFadden in the crosshairs

The petition seeking Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden’s removal from office contends that the two-term incumbent arbitrarily played favorites among deputies and jail inmates. Former Mecklenburg Sheriff’s Maj. Bryan Adams alleged McFadden promoted unqualified deputies because they were part of what he called “Team Sheriff.” In practice, that meant “going...

By Ray Gronberg

January 6, 2026

Berger staffer leaves for lobbying firm

Another of Senate leader Phil Berger’s top aides is moving over to the private sector. The Raleigh Group, the lobbying firm led by John Hardin, says Madison Alligood has joined the firm as general counsel.  Alligood has been a policy adviser to Berger since the spring of 2022, and since...

By Ray Gronberg

January 5, 2026

The U.S. Senate field is set

Continuing our filing wrap-up, it’s time to start looking at the Congressional races involved in the upcoming March primary. The headliner here is the U.S. Senate race, particularly on the Republican side. There, Trump-endorsed candidate Michael Whatley is facing six other contestants. One of these is Michele Morrow, the party’s...

By Ray Gronberg

December 23, 2025

Senate battles in Durham and elsewhere

Over in the Senate, the just-concluded filing period set up 11 Republican and six Democratic primaries. Obviously, the most high-profile of these remains the District 26 battle between Republicans Phil Berger and Sam Page. A Page win would shatter the Senate GOP caucus leadership team that Berger’s headed since 2005....

By Ray Gronberg

December 22, 2025

Cohn forgoes re-election bid, sets up battle for Granville-Vance House seat

Filing is complete, and with it, so is the primary picture on both sides of the aisle. For the House, there are 29 GOP primaries coming up in March and 16 Democratic primaries. Three districts are seeing contested primaries in both parties, notably District 32, where incumbent Rep. Bryan Cohn,...

By Ray Gronberg

December 22, 2025

Cooper backs stock-trading ban for Congress

Former Gov. Roy Cooper says he’d support legislation that would ban members of Congress and “top executive branch officials” from owning or trading individual stocks. He pledged that he “won’t own or trade any individual stocks” as a candidate for the U.S. Senate or if he’s elected to the office....

By Ray Gronberg

December 17, 2025

Pollster: Page up 10 points on Berger

A Massachusetts-based pollster says its latest check on the Phil Berger-Sam Page GOP primary in Rockingham and Guilford counties shows Page holding a 9.6-point lead on the longtime Senate leader. That’s down from the 18-point advantage the same firm, Opinion Diagnostics, reported for Page back in the spring. But the...

By Ray Gronberg

December 17, 2025

Winslow: Done after three terms

State Rep. Matthew Winslow, R-Franklin, isn’t going to run for re-election to the District 7 seat representing Franklin and southern Vance counties. Winslow, a custom-home builder and East Carolina grad, said he’s passing up a potential fourth term so he can “focus on my family and my future endeavors as...

By Ray Gronberg

December 16, 2025

Berger picked up Trump’s endorsement; Page unfazed

State Senate Phil Berger on Wednesday picked up an endorsement he very possibly needed if he’s to come back for a 14th term: President Donald Trump’s. Trump took to Truth Social at 7:40 p.m. to endorse Berger’s District 26 re-election bid, which first has to overcome a GOP primary challenge...

By Ray Gronberg

December 12, 2025

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