Do Politics Better Podcast

Brent Woodcox serves as the Senior Policy Counsel to Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger and Senate Republicans.  Brent also has a presence on X (formerly Twitter) where he weighs in on policy and politics.   Recently, Brent came under fire from a Republican activist who questioned the lifelong Republican's political loyalty.  Brent talks about his social media, his work in the Senate, his faith,...

Sen. Mary Wills Bode was Democrats' new hope after the 2022 election in which she won a competitive Senate seat and put up solid numbers in rural part of her Wake-Granville counties district.  However, within a year Sen. Bode announced she was not seeking re-election, was rumored to run statewide, but after the candidate filing in December she was undeclared for any elective office.   Sen. Bode ta...

NC Department of Military & Veterans Affairs Secretary Grier Martin sits down with Skye and Brian for a conversation as we head into the Memorial Day weekend.   The Afghanistan War veteran recently returned to North Carolina after working at the Pentagon and now leads North Carolina's work advocating for the state's military installations, the active military serving, and veterans living in No...

Sen. Danny Earl Britt, Jr.  guest hosts the podcast this week with Skye and Brian as they tick through the latest policy, budget, and process developments inside the General Assembly.   The Robeson County Republican also gives a candid take on many 2024 candidates on both sides of aisle, including his swing Senate district. The Do Politics Better podcast is sponsored by New Frame , the NC Travel I...

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Bryan Anderson is a freelance journalist who founded Anderson Alerts, a substack on all things #ncpol.  The California native talks about his stints at the News & Observer, Sacremento Bee, WRAL, and The Assembly.  While Bryan loves his work as a NC politics reporter, he has concerns about his profession and he opens up about them in this podcast.   Skye and Brian also unpack the second week of...

Nathan Babcock plays two crucial roles in #ncpol.  Half of his work is inside the General Assembly working as a policy advisor to Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger .  During campaign season he's a Republican political consultant who takes lead on some of the most high profile, battleground districts.   Nathan talks about his two jobs, including some behind-the-scenes accounts of the abortion bi...

There's a lot of unfinished issues for legislators to tackle in the General Assembly short session set to begin on April 24:  Medical marijuana,   gambling,   social issues,   opportunity scholarships,   immigration, and more.      Then there's the rumors.   House Majority Leader John Bell and Senate Democratic Whip Jay Chaudhuri join Skye and Brian for a comprehensive preview of the short session...

Rep. Charles Smith was a three-sport athlete (basketball, baseball, and soccer) in high school.  The power forward/centerfielder/sweeper would go on to play college basketball at Emory & Henry College before heading to UNC Law.   The newly minted lawyer would return to his native Fayetteville as a prosecutor and entered private practice.  Along this journey, the freshman Democrat developed a f...

Campaign consultant Jim Burton works everyday to get Republicans elected up and down the ballot.  Burton takes listeners behind the scenes of his 2022 work to get Sen. Bobby Hanig elected in a Democratic leaning district.  Burton also talks about his craft, including how polling informs a political message, the targeting of voters, working directly with candidates, and what he's looking for in the...

As Muslims around the world celebrate Ramadan, Sen. Mujtaba Mohammed talks about his faith and its linkage to Christianity and Judaism , the importance of fasting during this Islamic Holy Month, and how it informs his politics. Skye and Brian also unpack the Rep. Michael Wray concession , Rep. Kevin Crutchfield still fighting , a new presidential poll in NC, sports wagering a good bet for NC , Gov...

Veteran lobbyist Andy Ellen went for a morning run in the summer of 2023, returned home to catch up on news before heading to the General Assembly, and he collapsed.  He had a heart attack.   The President/General Counsel of the NC Retail Merchants Association opens up about that day, his family's history with heart disease, and why he wants you to see a doctor today.   Skye and Brian also unpack...

Rep. Brian Biggs is in his first term representing Randolph County, however his path to victory included a primary race in 2022 against a veteran GOP legislator .   The Freshman GOP Whip talks about his life, family and political career, including that intra-party race and his prior service on the Randolph County School Board.   Skye and Brian unpack the week's news, including Congressman-elect Ad...

It was a North Carolina primary election for the ages, one that was incorrectly described in the days leading up to it as a "sleeper."   Sen. Jim Perry  (R-Lenoir/Craven/Beaufort) guest hosts the podcast with Skye and Brian as they try to make sense of a primary election that defied the political odds and protocols. The Do Politics Better podcast is sponsored by New Frame , the NC Travel Industry...

Primary Election Day is Tuesday, March 5,  the day many races across North Carolina will be ultimately decided.  However, some of the more crowded races are likely heading to runoffs.   Political science professors Michael Bitzer (Catawba College) and Chris Cooper (Western Carolina University) join Skye and Brian for the entire podcast to talk early voting trends, races to watch, political party r...

Kimberly Reynolds is a Democratic political consultant at Maven Strategies , a firm she founded with Maggie Barlow.  Kimberly talks about her career dating back to 1999, including her past work for the NC Senate Caucus program and #ncpol campaigns she's managed.   Skye and Brian also share Republican polling from Capen Consulting , which includes the standings for the crowded race for Lt. Governor...

Sen. Eddie Settle is a no-nonsense, unpretentious, and accessible legislator whose style of legislating has won him admiration and respect from his colleagues, including Democrats.  The Wilkes County native talks with Skye and Brian about his politics, life, family, work, and faith.   Plus, early voting is underway , a voter identification lawsuit scheduled , Governor Cooper's executive order , RN...

Rep. Caleb Rudow is currently sitting in one of the safest House seats in the General Assembly.  The Asheville Democrat could sit back in 2024, put a few yard signs up, and coast to re-election victory.  So why is he trading it in to challenge GOP freshman Congressman Chuck Edwards in the ruby-red leaning 11th District? Skye and Brian also break down a pair of polls from Meredith University and Hi...

The Senate Republican Caucus is well known as a well-oiled, disciplined machine known for recruiting top-shelf candidates, methodically executing campaign plans, and winning majorities (sometimes supermajorities) since 2010.   Political operative Dylan Watts runs that machine and he sits down to talk about his life and work, which sometimes is a blur except when he's playing golf.  The Cary native...

The Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce hosted a live recording of the Do Politics Better Podcast in front of an audience of over 100 people on the campus of UNC Asheville  on January 19.   Skye and Brian were joined by Senators Warren Daniel and Julie Mayfield to review the 2023 General Assembly session, issues they partnered on, and bills they were on opposite sides of.   The Senate duo represent...

Tim Kent, the executive director of the NC Beer & Wine Wholesalers Association, traces his North Carolina political roots back to 1981, the year he arrived in the state and started covering its politics as an on-air TV reporter.   Kent talks about covering the Hunt-Helms race in 1984 , a bipartisan overthrow of a Democratic Speaker of the House in 1989, and how it led to his transition from jo...

The NC Democratic Party announced last fall it hired Kian Sadjadi as its new executive director .  The 36-year old veteran political operative will lead Democrats in 2024 as they try to turn their Election Day fortunes around.   Skye and Brian also talk endorsement announcements , a fledgling redistricting lawsuit , Race of the Week , Tweet of the Week , and more.   The Do Politics Better podcast...

Sen. Vickie Sawyer kicks off the first podcast episode of 2024, and the conversation centers around social media trolls and how to deal with them.  The Iredell County Republican also reads some mean tweets she received from trolls when she announced on X she was running for re-election. Skye and Brian also discuss how they let each other down in 2023 and their plans to improve in the New Year.  Pl...

In this year-end podcast, U.S. Senator Thom Tillis sits down with Skye and Brian on Capitol Hill to talk about his early life growing up in trailer parks, his first foray into politics, the historic 2010 Republican takeover of the General Assembly, and his approach to representing NC in the U.S. Senate.   Also, Senator Jim Perry (R-Lenoir/Beaufort/Craven) stands in for Skye as guest co-host and ru...

Billy Ball writes about North Carolina politics and culture as Senior Editor at Cardinal & Pine , a left-leaning, online newspaper.  Whether Ball is covering water quality in rural North Carolina, school funding disparities, or writing about the sounds of the cicada during summer time , his writing is steeped in authenticity.   Billy talks about growing up in eastern North Carolina, his early...