WUNC Politics

The “WUNC Politics Podcast” is a free-flowing discussion of what we're hearing in the back hallways of the General Assembly and on the campaign trail across North Carolina. Sign up for our free, weekly WUNC Politics Newsletter here .

WUNC Politics is a news podcast hosted by WUNC News, with 453 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

WUNC News hosts WUNC Politics, a news show with 453 episodes published.

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  WUNC Politics

  An N.C. House rematch in an ultra-competitive district

  Oct 1, 202643 min

  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.

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  WUNC Politics

  Meet the N.C. Supreme Court candidates

  Sep 17, 202641 min

  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.

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  WUNC Politics

  How Research Triangle Park became an economic juggernaut

  Sep 3, 202641 min

  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.

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  WUNC Politics

  Big changes for state workers and government hiring

  Aug 20, 202634 min

  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.

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  WUNC Politics

  A six-year-old's death prompts new child welfare safeguards

  Jul 16, 202621 min

  The abuse and neglect of a child in Charlotte prompted state lawmakers to pass stronger child welfare regulations as part of the newly enacted budget bill. The Dominique Moody Safety Act was passed in the state House and later added to the state budget bill. It addresses the death of six-year-old Dominique Moody, who was abused and neglected while living with a relative despite visits to the home by social workers and law enforcement. WUNC News sat down with the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Allen Chesser, R-Nash, to learn more about how the legislation aims to prevent future tragedies and put more safeguards into the child welfare system. Chesser also spoke about new legislation on blockchain and digital currency issues and a proposed sales tax exemption for diapers.

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