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Independent. Informative. Intelligent.

Profiles

Get to know Rep. Monika Johnson-Hostler

Rep. Monika Johnson-Hostler is in her first term in the state House but is no stranger to public service. The Fayetteville State and N.C. Central grad was a longtime Wake County school board member before seeking the Democratic nomination for the District 33 House seat in 2024. She took 60%...

By Ray Gronberg

April 15, 2026

Get to know Rep. Karl Gillespie

As we’ve all heard, North Carolina runs from Manteo to Murphy, and since the start of 2021, Rep. Karl Gillespie, R-Macon, has been the voice in the state House for the Murphy portion of that. Gillespie’s district, House 120, covers the state’s four westernmost counties. Since Hurricane Helene ravaged the...

By Ray Gronberg

April 9, 2026

Get to know Rep. Beth Helfrich

Under ordinary circumstances, it’s rare for a state House seat to flip from one party’s control to the other’s, but first-term Rep. Beth Helfrich managed the feat in 2024 when she won northern Mecklenburg County’s District 98 seat. The Democrat, former schoolteacher and Davidson resident defeated former Huntersville Mayor Melinda...

By Ray Gronberg

April 1, 2026

Get to know Rep. Celeste Cairns

Celeste Cairns is a GOP state representative for Carteret County and part of Craven, first elected in 2022. She won re-election in 2024 with 70% of the vote. She is deputy majority whip. The University of Georgia graduate is a former employee of Deloitte who also worked for Willis Corroon...

By Ray Gronberg

March 25, 2026

Get to know Rep. Ed Goodwin

The Lumbee’s ultimately successful fight for federal recognition has gotten a lot of attention over the years, but Chowan County Rep. Ed Goodwin has taken up the cause of another tribe — the Tuscarora. In each of the last three legislative sessions, the Republican has introduced a bill to extend...

By Ray Gronberg

March 9, 2026

Get to know Rep. Kelly Hastings

Kelly Hastings lives in the Gaston County town of Cherryville, although about 30% of his Republican-leaning district includes Cleveland County. He will be 65 at the end of his eighth term and in the spring of 2025 said he did not plan on running again, citing his length of service,...

By Ray Gronberg

March 2, 2026

Get to know Rep. Eric Ager

We’re pulling a Colin Campbell-era feature off the Tribune shelf and resurrecting the regular “get-to-know” series of capsule profiles of legislators, agency heads and lobbyists. Rep. Eric Ager has represented southeast Buncombe County since 2023. His district includes such towns as Montreat, Black Mountain, Fairview and Arden. He’s been one...

By Ray Gronberg

February 23, 2026

Easley Jr. joins Golden LEAF board

Among former Gov. Roy Cooper’s last moves was to appoint Michael Easley Jr., the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, to the Golden LEAF Foundation board. Two of Cooper’s five appointments to the 15-member board were up on Nov. 30. Darryl Moss, former mayor of Creedmoor, is leaving the board...

By Ray Gronberg

January 15, 2025

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