Over the past decade, North Carolina’s part-time legislature’s sessions have become longer and longer, with this year’s 199 day session claiming the record for longest.
In addition to putting the healthcare of hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians at risk, the changes to Medicaid are expected to negatively impact rural hospitals, potentially leading to the closure of some health clinics in rural communities across the country.
For storm-ravaged communities, little has changed. Aid has been slow, and Whatley has been largely absent from the disaster zone, with Smoky Mountain News reporting that Whatley has “rarely, if ever” visited the area. Records show the FEMA council has met only twice in seven months, totaling about three hours.
Rep. Phil Rubin (D-Wake) blasted Whatley as a “Washington big oil lobbyist” who has “consistently elevated the most extreme forces in this party and in North Carolina”. Rubin pointed directly to Robinson, who lost the 2024 governor’s race in a landslide after years of inflammatory remarks.
Rep. Sarah Stevens (R-Surry) is making headlines as lobbyists donated thousands of dollars to her 2026 North Carolina Supreme Court campaign, which is a violation of North Carolina law.
At stake, she stressed, is whether someone can cast a ballot and feel confident it will count. “Instead, it will depend on whether partisan politicians have enough money to throw at a race to litigate the outcome after the fact,” Riggs said. She went on to share that in total, defending her election victory in court cost roughly $2 million.
Cooper, who concluded his governorship at the end of 2024, left office with a legacy of expanding health care access, investing in education, and driving job growth across North Carolina. In his farewell address, Cooper highlighted the progress the state made under his leadership—calling it a place where people are “better educated, healthier, and have more money in their pockets.”
According to Bob Hall, a longtime voting rights advocate, the majority of the affected North Carolina voters are disproportionately young, Black, and vote Democratic. A large majority of these affected voters registered when they were in their teens or twenties and provided minimal information at the time, which resulted in them being on the list.
The newly formed statewide coalition is made up of voting rights advocates, community leaders, voters, and progressive groups who are highlighting “the corruption of the Newby-Berger court”, according to the group’s press release.
Political observers say both parties are recalibrating. Davidson College professor Susan Roberts called Cooper a “real powerhouse” who could bring credibility and experience to the race. Duke University’s Mac McCorkle noted that Lara Trump’s name recognition could clear the Republican field. “It’s Lara Trump’s to refuse,” he said.