WUNC Politics

Rep. Maria Cervania, D-Wake, is one of the first two Asian American women to be elected to the North Carolina legislature. She talks with WUNC’s Colin Campbell about why that representation is important, and why she’s creating a new Asian American Pacific Islander caucus. Cervania also discusses her opposition to legislation requiring sheriffs to cooperate with ICE, her bill to increase funding to...

Days after Rep. Tricia Cotham cited personal attacks as part of her decision to switch to the Republican Party, state Rep. Jason Saine, R-Lincoln, shares his thoughts on today’s bitter political environment with WUNC Capitol Bureau Chief Colin Campbell. Saine also talks about the highlights of the newly approved House budget, whether the favorable political landscape for sports betting could lead...

State lawmakers are easing into their months-long session with bill filings, press conferences and committee meetings. Among the items on the horizon are budgets, abortion regulations and mental health funding. State Representative John Bell IV (R-Wayne), Senator Sydney Batch (D-Wake) and Rose Hoban, founder and editor at NC Health News, all share expectations for this legislative session. And lat...

There was, a lot, that happened in state politics across the last 12 months: Redistricting fights, budget deals, a landmark Leandro ruling, a primary was delayed, Congressman Cawthorn and Governor McCrory suffered bad defeats, Roe was upended, and neither Medicaid nor sports gambling was yet expanded. In a review of 2022, Rob Schofield and Clark Riemer think back on the year, dole out some coal, a...

After losing every statewide race during the November midterm, Democrats are licking their wounds and considering what they should do next. On this episode of The Politics Podcast, a number of progressives discuss what the party can do better, policy worth pursuing, and who might be the face of their efforts.

This week in state politics, a major redistricting case landed before the U.S. Supreme Court. Meanwhile, power turned back on and a curfew was lifted in Moore County, where gunfire vandalism to two substations left many in the dark. Clark Riemer and Rob Schofield discuss those stories, as well as what to make of the comprising role Senator Thom Tillis has carved out for himself on Capitol Hill.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments in a case from North Carolina – Moore v. Harper. The case stems from congressional redistricting that began a year ago. At the heart of the argument from North Carolina Republican lawmakers is something called the independent state legislature theory. In practice, it holds the potential to significantly upend who has power of federal e...

This week in North Carolina politics, rank-and-file Republican state lawmakers again threw their support behind a couple of well-known leaders. On Capitol Hill, Senators Richard Burr and Thom Tillis voted with Democrats on the Respect for Marriage Act. And next week, the U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments in a case with the potential to significantly alter federal elections. In our weekly review,...

The landscape of a post-Roe world is still taking shape. There are many questions lingering about access to reproductive healthcare, as well as personal information and online privacy. On this episode of The Politics Podcast Matt Perault , Director of the Center on Technology Policy at UNC Chapel Hill, details some of the policy inconsistencies and forecasts what could happen next.

While a red wave didn’t materialize nationally, conservatives in North Carolina found very favorable results. On this episode of The Politics Podcast, three analysts offer insight on the electorate, and where state and American politics may head next.

North Carolina’s election results were largely favorable to Republicans on Tuesday night. On this episode of The Politics Podcast, Clark Riemer and Rob Schofield discuss what influenced the outcomes, why down-ballot candidates performed well, and where each party has room for improvement.

Republicans had a strong night in North Carolina on Tuesday, winning all seven statewide contests, and securing one supermajority in the state Senate. However, they fell one seat shy of a second veto-proof majority in the state House. On this episode of WUNC’s Politics Podcast, Will Michaels and Jeff Tiberii breakdown what the new landscape means and what could happen next.

With just a few days before the polls close and the 2022 Midterm results are announced, Rob Schofield and Clark Riemer offer some expectations for Tuesday night and discuss what stood out in this election cycle. Meanwhile, Governor Roy Cooper has tapped former UNC System Presidents Margaret Spellings and Tom Ross to review appointment procedures, but is it a commission Republicans will cooperate w...

With Election Day looming, WUNC’s Jeff Tiberii talks with a mix of journalists, a political scientist, a strategist, and a leading House Republican. They offer takeaways on what race is the most important on the ballot and what they will be watching most closely on Tuesday night, as well as a possible headline for November 9.

A million ballots have now been cast in North Carolina. But what, if anything, does the early turnout tell us? And in Washington, D.C., many briefs were filed in a case out of North Carolina that SCOTUS will hear in December. Clark Riemer and Rob Schofield discuss those stories in our weekly review of state politics.

Courtney Geels is running for the U.S. House of Representatives this midterm. Her chances of victory are exceedingly slim, yet the Republican is still campaigning with a purpose, hoping to pull off an upset of the century. On this episode of The Politics Podcast, Geels discusses why she decided to run for Congress, what she has learned, and some of the issues most important to her.

This week, many continued to grieve following a horrific act in northeast Raleigh. With one-stop early voting underway, the proverbial political winds might have shifted. And, new details in the state’s incentives package that lured Apple to RTP. Rob Schofield and Clark Riemer discuss those stories in their review of the week in state politics.

Voters will decide two state Supreme Court races this midterm, with the results potentially shifting partisan control of the bench. The fact that North Carolina even has partisan judicial elections is uncommon. On this episode of The Politics Podcast, Michael Crowell discusses some of the pitfalls for how our state handles judicial elections, and why these races are so important.

A new report details political meddling as part of the search for a new chancellor at UNC Wilmington. Meanwhile, there are concerning vacancy rates at one state agency. And is there any possible replacement for political debates? Clark Riemer and Rob Schofield discuss all this in our weekly review of North Carolina politics.

This fall, voters in Wake County will decide whether to approve three bonds – totaling more than $1 billion – to support new public schools, major improvements to community college infrastructure, and an improvement to several Raleigh city parks. WUNC reporter Jason deBruyn details the ballot questions, and forecasts their chances of earning approval.

Cheri Beasley and Ted Budd meet Friday night for their only scheduled debate. The U.S. Senate hopefuls will try to land a memorable moment while avoiding any sort of gaff. Meanwhile, new reports detail the lack of success within two education initiatives. In our weekly discussion, Rob Schofield and Clark Riemer review some of the leading stories of the week.

Republicans already hold comfortable majorities in the state House. This fall, conservatives hope to expand their margins and avoid the threat of gubernatorial vetoes. With several Democrats playing defense, some races have turned heated, and increasingly expensive. On this episode of The Politics Podcast, Jeff Tiberii lays out the battleground districts in the House.

With absentee voting underway and weeks until early voting begins, campaign advertisements are in full swing. In their weekly review of state politics, Clark Riemer and Rob Schofield discuss photoshopping, using death for political gain, and how they are handling the endless solicitations this election cycle.

The most important battle on the North Carolina ballot this November is not an open U.S. Senate Seat, or even control of the state Supreme Court. But rather, a fight for supermajorities in the North Carolina General Assembly. In the state Senate, Republicans need to net two seats in order to achieve a veto-proof majority. On this episode of WUNC’s Politics Podcast, Jeff Tiberii discusses some of t...

Rockingham County Republican Phil Berger is the most influential elected official in North Carolina politics. He has presided over the state Senate since 2011 and overseen a historic shift in state government. Berger returns to The Politics Podcast for a wide-ranging conversation, including election strategy, the judiciary, and what could be done to reduce the political temperature in our country.