No one seems to like them: The parties endure them; the voting public suffers them; the cynical resent them; and candidates would wish them over yesterday if assured victory. Yet, they are necessary as an absolutely critical part of the whole electoral process. We’re talking, of course, about primaries. On March 5, 2024, North Carolina...
Former US Sen. Lauch Faircloth of North Carolina died Thursday at home in Clinton, North Carolina. A former Democrat-turned-Republican, Faircloth was a prominent figure in Tar Heel politics for more than half a century. “Senator Lauch Faircloth was a dedicated public servant and statesman who was the embodiment of Sampson County values,” said Sen. Thom...
Roy Cooper earned the votes of 8% of those who voted for Trump and Tillis. Dan Forest received only 2% of the votes of Biden and Cunningham supporters.
This story was updated at 3pm on December 31, 2021. As we close the books on 2021, the year leaves stories for the future: an awakening from the pandemic, renewed attention to public school classrooms, and indications that the 2022 elections could bring a Republican wave. While we look toward the future, we acknowledge some...
Former cabinet secretary Elizabeth Dole had an unusual start to her campaign for U.S. Senate. At the urging of the George W. Bush administration, Dole was running to replace five-term U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms, who was retiring at the end of his term in 2002. It was a beautiful Tuesday morning for the “Dole for...
Learning about why others disagree with you is hardly an impediment to achieving political victories. Nor is learning how to disagree without being an obnoxious jackass.
A government body can’t block the media from reporting on one of its public meetings because its leader doesn’t like the coverage he thinks it will get. Nor can it list an item on its public agenda, remove the item until the audience leaves the room, and then discuss it once the public has vacated...
Gov. Roy Cooper soon must deal with the first piece of legislation passed by the 2017 General Assembly. The way he handles House Bill 39 could signal how combative the governor will be the rest of the session. H.B. 39 would reduce the number of seats on the UNC Board of Governors from 32 to...
A unique candidate might be rewriting the equation of presidential electoral math.
Since North Carolina politics became truly competitive, Democrats have tended to outperform their presidential nominees while Republicans have tended to underperform theirs.
This week's primary results yield interesting insights about the rest of the 2016 campaign.
