WUNC Politics

Rep.-elect Jen Wiles, D-Forsyth, was one of the Democrats who unseated a Republican incumbent in a conservative district that no one expected to be competitive -- including her opponent. Rep. Donny Lambeth, R-Forsyth and a top budget writer, told The New York Times he didn't campaign because GOP leaders told him he didn't need to in a "safe" district. Wiles joined WUNC News' Colin Campbell to talk about how she built a successful campaign in an unlikely place, and what's next for her when she joins the N.C. House in 2027.Also on this week's episode: Senate Minority Leader Sydney Batch, D-Wake, spoke with Campbell about what's next in the Senate after Democrats flipped four seats but appear to have fallen one vote short of taking control. She's calling for bipartisanship next year as she works with a new Senate Republican leader and a Democratic-majority House.

It's been a wild week in North Carolina politics, so in addition to our Wednesday election analysis episode, we're sharing our Week in Politics segment, which airs on WUNC News each Friday during Morning Edition.WUNC news political editor Dave DeWitt spoke with reporters Colin Campbell and Adam Wagner about what's next in ballot counting and recounts, the prospects for a November lame-duck session at the legislature, and who will emerge in leadership after the election.

Tuesday’s election brought a massive blue wave to North Carolina and other states across the country. Democrats won a huge margin in the state’s U.S. Senate race and flipped several Republican congressional districts that no one thought would be competitive just a few months ago.And in the state legislature, Democrats flipped the state House with a comfortable majority, while coming close to getting control of the state Senate. One race in that chamber is likely heading to a recount.WUNC News Capitol Bureau Chief Colin Campbell sorts through the key results from across the state and across the ballot with Adam Wagner, editor and reporter for the North Carolina Newsroom.

A leading GOP strategist says low turnout numbers for Republicans has the potential to lead to Democratic majorities in the state legislature. Early voting statistics and last-minute polling across the country seem favorable for Democrats, and that’s made their party optimistic about a big blue wave on November 3rd. But Republicans are hoping their voters will turn out in bigger numbers on Election Day, and that could blunt some of the gains for Democrats. WUNC News' Colin Campbell spoke with Patrick Sebastian, a longtime consultant working for Republicans, to get his view on where things stand in the final days of the 2026 midterm campaign.

High voter turnout for Democrats could be putting multiple Republican-held Congressional seats in North Carolina in play for the first time in years. Early voting is now well under way, and we’re getting some early statistics on turnout. The numbers look so concerning for the GOP that at least six of North Carolina’s incumbent Republicans in Congress are now buying TV ads in what had been considered safe districts. They include David Rouzer, Greg Murphy, Addison McDowell, Brad Knott, Richard Hudson and Virginia Foxx.This week, we’re taking a closer look at those districts – and the overall early voting landscape. WUNC News' Colin Campbell spoke with Chris Cooper, a political scientist at Western Carolina University, and Kimberly Hardy, a Democrat and social worker who's challenging longtime Republican Congressman David Rouzer in the 7th District.

Democratic Congressman Don Davis is considered one of the most endangered incumbents in the country this year, after state lawmakers redrew his 1st Congressional District boundaries to make it more Republican. But some polls show Davis still has a lead over Republican challenger Laurie Buckhout. So why is Davis so hard to beat, and why has he previously outperformed fellow Democrats in northeastern North Carolina?Davis joined Colin Campbell on the WUNC Politics Podcast after an event in Williamston, where he was celebrating a new federally funded ladder truck at the local fire department. He spoke about his moderate record in Congress and his work to secure resources for Eastern North Carolina. WUNC News requested an interview with Buckhout, but her campaign did not agree to speak with us.

Democrats are hoping to pick up seats in the legislature this year to bolster Gov. Josh Stein’s vetoes, but to expand their margins, they’ll have to defend seats they flipped two years ago. That includes House District 32 in Vance and Granville counties north of the Triangle. The race is a rematch from 2024, when Democrat Bryan Cohn defeated Republican Frank Sossamon by just 228 votes. Sossamon had unseated another Democrat two years earlier. This year’s race features unique issues like the future of the area’s water supply. Both candidates are touting their records from two years in Raleigh. WUNC News' Colin Campbell spent a day in Oxford and spoke with each of the candidates about a race that could help determine the legislature's balance of power.

There's only one seat on the N.C. Supreme Court on this November's ballot, and while the outcome won't change the partisan makeup of the state's highest court, it could help determine whether Democrats have a shot at retaking the court majority in 2028. Justice Anita Earls, a Democrat seeking a second eight-year term, faces Republican Sarah Stevens, who recently stepped down from the N.C. House after 17 years in the legislature, including several terms as speaker pro tem. The two candidates have differing views on the appropriate role of the court and recent moves by the court's GOP majority to overturn past decisions on voter ID, redistricting and education funding. Earls and Stevens each spoke to WUNC News' Colin Campbell about the race, the issues and their legal backgrounds.

Research Triangle Park has been a driving force in North Carolina’s growth, but it started with a group of business and political leaders who saw potential to capitalize on the area’s three universities.70 years ago, the region around Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill wasn’t known as the Triangle. And the park filled with major employers between the three communities was just undeveloped woods. The idea of bringing research and industry to this location came to life because state leaders like Gov. Luther Hodges helped push big investments. Mack Paul, a longtime land-use attorney, joined WUNC News' Colin Campbell to discuss the history and future of RTP from his new book, "Miracle Road: The Story of Research Triangle Park." The book, co-authored with his late father Allen Paul, will be released on Oct. 6.

In July, Gov. Josh Stein signed a bill that makes big changes to the laws governing state government employment. He says the laws largely haven’t been updated since the 1960s. Among the changes. state employees will find a faster hiring process, more parental leave and bereavement benefits. The bill passed the legislature unanimously, thanks in part to a bipartisan group of lawmakers and advocacy from the state’s top human resources official in Stein’s administration. Staci Meyer, director of the Office of State Human Resources, joined WUNC News' Colin Campbell to discuss the bill and how it will address the high job vacancy rates across state agencies.