Start your week in North Carolina politics with our latest Under the dome podcast, for the week of September 2, 2024. Dawn Vaughan here, your podcast host and The News & Observer’s Capitol bureau chief. In this episode, I’m joined by Western Carolina University political science professor Chris Kuiper.
We spend the first half of the show discussing the North Carolina gubernatorial race and the latest news on the Republican lieutenant governor’s position. Mark Robinson and Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein.
“It’s a very different race than it was a few months ago, isn’t it?” said Cooper, who also director of the Public Policy Institute at Western Carolina University.
“And we expected this to be the most expensive gubernatorial race in the country. We think we’re absolutely right about that. We expected it to be the most watched race. I think we were right. We also expected it to be the most closely watched, and it may still be the most closely watched, but the recent polls suggest that it may not be — that Josh Stein could win this by a larger margin than we expect,” he said.
In addition to polls and the gubernatorial race, we also talk about the presidential race and the Democratic vice presidential primary. Kamala Harris vs. former president Donald Trump.
Cooper said Democrats are trying to turn the current excitement among Democrats into something that can actually win them elections.
“You don’t get two votes if you’re super excited about casting them,” he said. “So there has to be more than just enthusiasm. So far, Harris has done a pretty good job of turning enthusiasm into something measurable. For example, new voter registrations, which Republicans have seen increase almost every week for the past few years. Since the big change, Democrats have actually been slightly ahead of Republicans. Not enough to win an election, but enough to say, hey, they’re actually getting some people to change their political behavior,” he said.
If they are successful, Cooper said, “then the Democrats may finally be able to do what they haven’t been able to do since 2008, which is win North Carolina. And we have to say, 2008 is also the last year that Democratic voter turnout equaled Republican voter turnout. It’s no coincidence, those two things happened in the same year.”
After the break we will also discuss some news about this week’s sponsorship.
Former Democratic State Auditor Beth Hout endorsed Republican candidate for accountant position Dave Boliek instead of the incumbent Democratic State Auditor Jessica Holmesthat Democratic governor. Roy Kuiper appointed to complete Wood’s term after she resigned over her hit-and-run and assault scandal.
Also the sitting Republican Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt said she will not support the Republican Party Michele Morrowwho defeated her in the primaries.
Main act of the week
Stay tuned to the end for our picks for Headliner of the Week. Cooper’s is about Robert F. Kennedy Jr. On the ballot and in my mind is the return of college football and all the hype that comes with it.
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