N.C.
North Carolina Votes Tuesday on Open U.S. Senate Seat, a Photo ID Amendment and All 14 U.S. House Seats
Democrat Roy Cooper led Republican Michael Whatley 54% to 40% among likely voters in a late-October High Point University/YouGov poll; other polls from July to October show leads of 9 to 13 points. Polls are open 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, and about 36% of registered voters have already voted.
Stein and Legislative Leaders File Final Briefs Before Nov. 10 N.C. Supreme Court Arguments on Judicial-Vacancy and Board Appointments
Gov. Josh Stein is challenging two kinds of laws: one limits whom he can pick to fill appellate court seats, and the others change his appointments to state boards. His separate appeal over the elections board, now appointed by Auditor Dave Boliek, is a different case.
North Carolina Early Voting Ends With 2.6 Million Ballots in State Count, Up More Than 37% From 2022; Aggregator Puts Total Near 2.8 Million, With Registered Democrats at 38.4% and Registered Republicans at 26.2%
In-person early voting ended Saturday, Oct. 31. The State Board of Elections count reported by WLOS was 2,612,249 ballots (the source of the 37% figure). The OnPoint Politics aggregator, as of Nov. 1, shows 2,816,820. Election Day voting on Tuesday, Nov. 3, has not yet been counted.
North Carolina Among 20 States Joining FTC Suit Alleging Dollar General Charged More at Register Than on Shelf
The federal complaint was filed Oct. 26 in Tennessee and cites tens of thousands of customer complaints. Dollar General says it will fight the case and that the FTC sued instead of continuing to discuss the company's counteroffer.
Stein Asks N.C. Supreme Court to Review Ruling That Let Auditor Boliek Appoint Elections Boards
Gov. Josh Stein's Oct. 21 petition challenges a 2-1 Court of Appeals decision from Sept. 16 that upheld a 2024 law moving elections-board appointments from the governor to the state auditor. Auditor Dave Boliek, a Republican, defends the ruling. No response to the petition or Supreme Court action has been reported.
Justice Department Charges 18 Noncitizens in North Carolina With Voting Illegally in 2024, Bringing the State's 2026 Total to 30
Seventeen of the 18 hold green cards. The charges, announced five days before the Nov. 3 election, are part of a national Justice Department push on noncitizen voting. Supporters call it overdue enforcement of the citizenship requirement. Critics say the confirmed cases are few and the timing risks intimidating lawful voters.
North Carolina's 1st District Race Hits $52.9 Million in Ads and Reservations as of Oct. 27, a Record for a U.S. House General Election, AdImpact Says
Ad tracker AdImpact says more money has been spent or booked on ads in the Don Davis–Laurie Buckhout rematch than in any House general election it has tracked. The race is in a district Republicans redrew in 2025.
Union-Backed Group Launches N.C. Medicaid Outreach Campaign; Gov. Stein's Office Estimates More Than 250,000 Could Lose Coverage Under Federal Rules Starting Jan. 1, 2027
The national nonprofit Keep Your Care, formed by the SEIU union and two health advocacy groups, held its North Carolina launch in Raleigh on Oct. 29. The 250,000 estimate comes from Democratic Gov. Josh Stein's office, not from a federal or independent count.
AAA: North Carolina Gas Fell About 48 Cents a Gallon and Diesel 38 Cents in First 10 Days of 41-Cent Fuel Tax Suspension
The Relief at the Pump Act, which passed 111-1 and 41-0 and was signed by Gov. Josh Stein on Oct. 9, suspends the state fuel tax through Nov. 30 and uses a state reserve to replace the lost road money; Stein backed the bill but questioned its election-season timing.
Earls and Stevens Close Out N.C. Supreme Court Race; Result Will Leave GOP Majority at 5-2 or Make It 6-1
Democratic Justice Anita Earls and Republican former Rep. Sarah Stevens disagree over how much courts should check lawmakers and regulators. The court already upheld Duke Energy's 2023 rate increases 5-2 in May, and the seat's eight-year term runs past the 2030 Census.
Stein and Jackson Ask Regulators to Require Data Centers to Help Pay for New Power Plants in Duke Tariff Deal
On Oct. 14, the attorney general filed comments with the N.C. Utilities Commission saying a settlement among Duke Energy, the Public Staff and major tech companies covers grid hookups but not new generation; on Oct. 27, Gov. Josh Stein repeated that request publicly.
Libertarian State Senate Nominee Jonathan Miller Charged After Hours-Long Armed Standoff in Cary; No Shots Fired
Cary police say Miller, 46, the Libertarian nominee for N.C. Senate District 16 in western Wake County, ran into the woods with a revolver during a wellness check prompted by suicide-related posts. He surrendered about 3 p.m. Monday and faces charges of communicating threats, resisting officers and going armed to the terror of the people.