Longleaf Politics (Opinion)

U.S. right (North Carolina-focused)

Background

Andrew Dunn founded Longleaf Politics after roughly a decade in North Carolina journalism, including reporting and editing roles at The Charlotte Observer and as editor-in-chief of Charlotte Agenda; he also previously advised Lt. Gov. Dan Forest's gubernatorial campaign. He launched the newsletter as an independent Substack publication offering weekly analysis of North Carolina campaigns, the legislature, and state government, building a readership that includes elected officials, political operatives, and journalists (reported around 3,200 subscribers). In early 2025 Dunn added a paid Premium subscription tier alongside the free weekly edition. Dunn has separately worked as a conservative columnist for The Charlotte Observer and The News & Observer and currently serves as a state political reporter for Carolina Journal, a publication of the conservative John Locke Foundation, which gives Longleaf Politics an institutional-adjacent but not formally affiliated conservative pedigree. The newsletter markets itself as calling out both parties rather than functioning as partisan messaging, and it also offers content-strategy consulting services to conservative candidates. Because its focus is overwhelmingly state and local North Carolina politics, it produces relatively little direct commentary on the Trump administration compared with national outlets, and when it does touch national politics it reflects a conservative but not uncritical viewpoint.

Sources

1. About - Longleaf Politics
2. About | Longleaf Politics
3. Andrew Dunn - Carolina Journal
4. A big new step for Longleaf Politics - by Andrew Dunn
5. Longleaf Politics' Andrew Dunn, a Conservative, Pulls No Partisan Punches
6. Longleaf Politics | Andrew Dunn | Substack

Profile compiled 2026-09-28; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.

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