Do Politics Better Podcast

Dr. Andy Jackson is Director of the Civitas Center for Public Integrity at the John Locke Foundation.   Andy focuses on government compliance with the law and best practices, particularly regarding election policy and law. He researches and writes on public and election integrity, conducts election analysis, and presents election-related data. The Do Politics Better podcast is sponsored by New Fra...

Dr. Robert Taber is a History professor at Fayetteville State University and the Chair of the UNC System Faculty Taskforce on Civil Discourse, which just released a report addressing challenges of fostering respectful political dialogue on college campuses . How can universities encourage students and faculty to engage across ideological differences, disagree constructively, and make room for diff...

Before he became one half of The Differentiators, political operative Ray Martin was a journalist with a knack for covering the people and institutions that shape our local communities in NC. Ray got his start as a high school sports stringer for his hometown newspaper in Oklahoma. After college, he won a fellowship that gave him the opportunity to work in a newsroom, choosing The News & Obser...

Election Day is less than four weeks away, and the balance of power in the North Carolina General Assembly is on the ballot. Skye and Brian talk with Alex Baltzegar of NCFREE, whose new 2026 General Election Report takes a district-by-district look at the legislative races most likely to determine control of the General Assembly. Which races are truly up for grabs? Can Democrats break the Republic...

John Drescher has spent a career telling the stories of North Carolina and American politics through journalism, with stops along the way at The Daily Tar Heel, The News & Observer, The Charlotte Observer, The Washington Post and more. As he prepares to retire from The Assembly on October 2, John looks back on a remarkable career in newspapers, the changes he’s witnessed, and what he believes...

Steven Webb is Director of Legislative Affairs at the NC Home Builders Association, and Kimberly Reynolds is a Partner at Maven Strategies , a Democratic political consulting firm. Both have been around North Carolina politics for decades, and while they certainly have their political disagreements and agreements, they’re also very close friends. With Skye David on vacation, Brian brings Steven an...

Neal Inman, Chief of Staff to House Speaker Destin Hall, rejoins Do Politics Better for an inside look at the session, including a look back at the major issues that shaped the General Assembly and gives an insider’s perspective on the negotiations that ultimately produced a budget agreement with the Senate.  ( Click to listen to Neal's first interview with DPB in 2022 .) Inman also discusses the...

Dr. Tim Reeder is finishing up his second term representing Pitt County in the NC House , and a lot has changed since his first podcast appearance right after he took office in 2023 .  Not only does he co-chair the House Health Committee, but he's authored major legislation that is now law.   But the emergency medicine doctor wants more of his bills implemented and we talk about those ideas.  We a...

NC Labor Commissioner Luke Farley looks back on a remarkable two years in statewide politics, from his victorious primary upset to his decisive win in the general election and his transition from candidate to North Carolina’s Labor Commissioner. The first term Republican talks about what it took to pull off the primary upset, how he turned that momentum into a big victory in November, and what he...

In this special edition of the podcast, former Gov. Pat McCrory and Andrew Dunn, author of The Change Agent , sit for an expansive conversation about the state's 74th governor, his political career, including his time as governor, and the controversies that defined his tenure. And in this conversation, Pat McCrory is an open book.  (By the way, use this link to order your copy of the The Change Ag...

Pat Newton is Chair of the North Carolina Forward Party and he talks about the upstart party’s strategy for the 2026 election cycle and its very different approach to breaking into North Carolina politics. Newton explains the thinking behind that strategy, what the Forward Party hopes to accomplish by working within the existing two-party system, and why the party believes it can have an impact wi...

So much has changed for Rep. Terry Brown since our visit with him in 2021 on the podcast .  The Charlotte Democrat is a father and he's a House Whip.   We get an inside scoop on all that.   Rep. Brown also has a message for many lobbyists (including us), who he thinks are getting it wrong when it comes to engaging House Democrats. In this wide-ranging conversation, Rep. Brown talks about what lobb...

As the General Assembly heads into its extended break until November, one of the state's leading political scientists joins us to put the short session into a broader perspective.   Dr. Chris Cooper of Western Carolina University , a listener favorite, returns to argue that Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger's final biennium as the chamber's leader cast a long shadow over this year's short sessi...

Since his last appearance on the podcast , Sen. Michael Lee has become one of the most influential lawmakers in the General Assembly, serving as both Senate Majority Leader and Senior Appropriations Chair.   Now, the New Hanover County Republican is seeking to become the Senate's next President Pro Tem in 2027. Sen. Lee joins us to recap the 2026 legislative session, including the state budget, ed...

Rep. Sarah Crawford stops by the podcast for a second visit and discusses serving two terms in the House after a biennium in the Senate.   Click here to listen to her first visit in 2022 .   The Wake County Democrat also talks about her relationships with her Republican colleagues and how those friendships here get a law enforcement bill through the North Carolina House, navigating difficult conve...

From organizing as a teenage Republican to managing campaigns out of his college dorm room, serving in elected office, and building a career in government relations, Zach Almond has always known politics was where he belonged. Today, he's living that dream as Executive Director of the North Carolina Republican Party. Zach joins us to discuss his journey, what he's learned along the way, and why he...

North Carolina lawmakers finally reached a budget agreement, a bipartisan one at that, and Skye and Brian break down what made it into the spending plan and what's next in the legislative session. Also, Rep. Phil Shepard (R-Onslow) reflects on his 15 years in the legislature, the evolution of North Carolina politics in his region, and the lessons he's learned.  The Do Politics Better podcast is sp...

This week on Do Politics Better, Brian Lewis and Skye David sit down with North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Secretary Pam Cashwell to discuss her remarkable career in public service and her department's leadership role in commemorating America's 250th anniversary. Secretary Cashwell made history as the first Native American to serve in a North Carolina Governor's Cabinet....

NC Family Policy Council Lobbyist Jere Royall sits down for a fascinating conversation about politics, family, and the power of relationships in #ncpol. Jere is the son of the late Sen. Ken Royall, one of the most influential figures in modern North Carolina political history when he became both the Senate Majority Leader and Appropriations Chairman decades ago. Gov. Jim Hunt described the Durham...

Mark Ezzell, Director of the North Carolina Governor's Highway Safety Program , was in his early 20s when his father, Sen. Jim Ezzell, died on Capital Boulevard in Raleigh on the eve of session starting in 1991.   That loss not only changed Mark's life forever, it also created an opening in the North Carolina Senate for a young House member named Roy Cooper. But this story is about more than polit...

Former NC Lieutenant Governor Dan Forest sits down for a candid conversation about the twists and turns that have shaped his life, career, and outlook on the future.   The Republican reflects on growing up in a political family, how his parents' divorce affected him and influenced his views on faith, family, and perseverance. He also opens up about one of the most difficult chapters of his public...

Rep. Allen Chesser is a combat veteran who served more than two decades ago, but he says war is still claiming lives today. With veteran suicide continuing to devastate military families, Rep. Chesser joins Skye and Brian for a candid Memorial Day conversation about service, sacrifice, mental health, and why he believes lawmakers must do more to support veterans long after they return home. The Na...

Former Rep. Leo Daughtry joins Skye and Brian to reflect on his storied political career, including the dramatic battle for Speaker of the North Carolina House heading into the 2003–2004 biennium. For weeks, the Johnston County Republican was widely viewed as the next Speaker after his party narrowly won the NC House in 2002 by a single seat.   But, a last-minute revolt within the Republican caucu...

Rep. Stephen Ross is wrapping up an incredible political career that began in Burlington, where he served on the City Council, led as Mayor, and eventually was persuaded to run for the NC House. The Alamance County Republican shares how he worked alongside a fellow mayor from another county (and another political party) to deliver results not just for their hometowns, but for North Carolina politi...

Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger sits down for a candid conversation about the legislative short session and the question everyone in #ncpol is asking: Will the House and Senate actually come together on a new budget? Sen. Berger also reflects on his unsuccessful run for the NC House in 1994, his successful bid for NC Senate six years later, and talks about spending a decade in the minority. W...