News

Charlotte Juneteenth event features Ben Carson, Mark Robinson, Ted Budd

The Mecklenburg Black Republican Club (MBRC) in collaboration with the NCGOP Black Conservative Voices Coalition held their inaugural “Juneteenth Freedom Celebration” at Freedom House Church in Charlotte June 20.     The star-studded event lineup featured renowned neurosurgeon and former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Dr. Ben Carson, N.C. Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, famed...

Zach Rounceville
News

Budd leads Beasley by 5% in new poll of U.S. Senate race in N.C.

Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Ted Budd has a comfortable lead over Democratic opponent Cheri Beasley in North Carolina, according to the results of a new Civitas poll.

Budd, who represents the state’s 13th congressional district, garnered 45% support among likely voters. That compares to 40% support for Beasley, a former chief justice of the N.C. Supreme Court. Green Party candidate Matthew Hoh secured about 1% and Libertarian candidate Shannon Bray 3%. Eleven percent remained undecided. Budd, who represents the state’s 13th congressional district, garnered 45% support among likely voters. That compares to 40% support for Beasley, a former chief justice of the N.C. Supreme Court. Green Party candidate Matthew Hoh secured about 1% and Libertarian candidate Shannon Bray 3%. Eleven percent remained undecided.

David N. Bass
News

U.S. Supreme Court issues 8-1 ruling allowing legislative leaders to defend voter ID

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled, 8-1, that N.C. legislative leaders will be able to intervene in a federal lawsuit challenging that state’s voter ID law. The decision reverses a ruling from the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and means Berger and Moore will be able to take part when the voter ID law heads to trial before U.S. District Judge Loretta Biggs.

CJ Staff
News

Proposal for Medicaid expansion study in first House committee Thursday

North Carolina House leaders have called a Health Committee meeting for first thing Thursday morning, June 23, 2022, to vote on a bill that would direct the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to develop a Medicaid Modernization Plan by December 15, 2022, complete with legislative recommendations.

CJ Staff
News

Senator presses controller nominee to fight Leandro court order

A state senator tried without success Wednesday to get Gov. Roy Cooper’s nominee for state controller to answer “yes” or “no” on three questions. Each stemmed from the same query: Would he go along with a court order to transfer money out of the state treasury in the Leandro school-funding legal dispute?

CJ Staff

Opinion

Elections

News

Trump nominates Bishop to be deputy director for budget at OMB

"Dan has been a tireless fighter for our MAGA Movement in the House of Representatives on the Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees," Trump said in a press release issued Tuesday night. "Dan will implement my cost-cutting and deregulatory agenda across all Agencies, and root out the Weaponized Deep State."

Theresa Opeka
News

Democrats want federal court to address GOP challenge of 60,000 NC ballots

The North Carolina Democratic Party filed a lawsuit Friday to ensure challenges of 60,000 ballots in the state's latest election are addressed in federal court. Republicans filed the challenges with the State Board of Elections. The challenges could affect the outcome of the state Supreme Court race between Democrat Allison Riggs and Jefferson Griffin, along with a handful of state legislative contests.

CJ Staff
News

Griffin asks Appeals Court to order decision on election protests by Tuesday

Republican North Carolina Supreme Court candidate Jefferson Griffin is turning to North Carolina’s second-highest court for an order that would force state election officials to make a final decision about Griffin’s election protests Tuesday. The State Board of Elections had planned to hear oral arguments about the protests the following day, according to a document Griffin filed Friday with the state Court of Appeals.

CJ Staff

Videos

Video

Locke’s Mitch Kokai assesses NC health care funding challenge

Mitch Kokai, John Locke Foundation senior political analyst, discusses North Carolina’s health care funding challenges linked to the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Kokai offered these comments during the Jan. 16, 2026, edition of PBS North Carolina’s “State Lines.”

Mitch Kokai
Video

Locke’s Donald Bryson discusses tariffs’ impact in North Carolina

John Locke Foundation CEO Donald Bryson discusses the impact of tariffs in North Carolina. A new Locke report from North Carolina State University Professor Jeffrey Dorfman estimates a $695 million negative impact on the state’s farming industry, with 8,000 lost jobs. Bryson offered these comments during the Jan. 13, 2026, edition of Spectrum News 1’s...

Donald Bryson
Video

Carolina Journal’s Jeff Moore analyzes NC legislators’ tax and budget impasse

Jeff Moore, John Locke Foundation vice president of communications, discusses factors leading to a tax and budget impasse among North Carolina’s legislative leaders. Moore offered these comments during the Jan. 9, 2026, edition of PBS North Carolina’s “State Lines.”

Jeff Moore
Video

The Debrief: Revolutionary Roads – Protest in Petticoats

In this special episode of The Debrief, John Locke Foundation CEO Donald Bryson sits down with Carolina Journal editor Donna King to explore a bold chapter in North Carolina’s revolutionary history: the Edenton Tea Party. They discuss the significance of this early act of political protest and its impact on the American Revolution. For more...

Donald Bryson, Donna King

Culture

Civil Society

Opinion

For healthy civil society, politics needs to stay in its lane

Political and cultural causes are important. They motivate us to make the world around us better and hone our sense of justice. Also, the excitement of fighting the good fight can be, for lack of a better word, fun. But everything has its time and place. And even if we think a particular political issue...

David Larson
Opinion

Flashback: North Carolina’s Easter Monday tradition forged on the baseball diamond

On Good Friday state offices will be closed in North Carolina for Holy Week, along with 10 other states. However, that has not always been the case in North Carolina. The Monday after Easter — rather than Good Friday — was a legal holiday in North Carolina for 52 years, and for many years before...

Dallas Woodhouse