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North Carolina Supreme Court race heads to a recount
Nov 20, 2024Tap to summarizeJudge Jefferson Griffin and Justice Allison Riggs (Courtesy photos)North Carolina county election boards began their recounts Wednesday in a much-watched Supreme Court contest in which just over 600 votes separate the Democratic and Republican candidates. Appeals Court Judge Jefferson Griffin formally requested the recount on Tuesday prior to the noon deadline. He trails Democratic incumbent Associate Justice Allison Riggs by 625 votes. It’s the only statewide race where there will be a recount, in addition to five General Assembly contests at the single- or multi-county level, the Associated Press reported. All recounts should be completed no later than Nov. 27, according to a press release. The recount results will become official. “Recounts are a regular part of the elections process when contests are close, and they help ensure that the results are accurate and that the public can have confidence that the candidate who received the most votes wins the election,” Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the North Carolina State Board of Elections, said in a statement. “Recounts are conducted by bipartisan teams and are open to the public whenever and wherever they occur.” Griffins had a lead of about 10,000 votes on election night. Since then, county election boards have added absentee and provisional ballots to the total count. More than 5.5 million ballots were cast in the Supreme Court race. Second-place candidates are able to demand a recount in statewide races where the difference is less than 10,000 votes. “My goal has always been to ensure that every voter’s voice is heard,” Riggs shared on social media. “We expect a smooth recount process, and I continue to feel gratitude for our election administrators.” Griffin also filed election protests on Tuesday challenging the validity of more than 60,000 ballots across the state, according to the North Carolina Republican Party. There are more than 300 documents of protests. “These protests are about one fundamental principle: ensuring every legal vote is counted,” Griffin said in a press release. Earlier in the week, Griffin sued the State Board of Elections on Monday, claiming it wasn’t providing data quickly enough for him to request a recount by the deadline. North Carolina has a history of tight judicial races. In 2020, Republican Paul Newby topped Democrat Cheri Beasley by 401 votes out of nearly 5.4 million cast in the North Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice contest.
Transcribe →Legislation would place NC elections under GOP auditor’s purview, stripping power from governor
Nov 19, 2024Tap to summarizeNorth Carolina Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) and House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland), surrounded by state lawmakers, address reporters ahead of a vote on a first round of Hurricane Helene relief money in October. (Photo: Galen Bacharier/NC Newsline)Republican lawmakers in North Carolina plan to transfer authority over the state’s Board of Elections to the state auditor’s office, a move that will place administration and appointment of its members under GOP purview. Changes would make it harder for people who use absentee ballots to have their votes count. The plan, included in a bill that also funds further aid for Hurricane Helene relief, would further strip power from the governor’s office, which currently has appointment power and will remain in Democratic control under Governor-elect Josh Stein. The measure also grants Auditor-elect Dave Boliek, a Republican, new jurisdiction after he defeated Auditor Jessica Holmes and flipped control of an office held by Democrats since 2009. The board’s powers would remain independent of the auditor’s office, according to the bill, but its budgeting and appointments would fall under the direction of the auditor. The auditor’s ability to make appointments would start on May 1, 2025. Staff at the State Board of Elections were presented with the bill Tuesday morning, spokesperson Pat Gannon said in an email to NC Newsline. He confirmed that if the changes were made law, control of the state board could change hands. “It would result in a 3-2 Republican split,” Gannon wrote. Karen Brinson Bell, the board’s executive director, said in a statement that the plan’s administrative changes could “make it impossible” for county boards to properly count votes. “State Board staff were not consulted about this significant piece of legislation that transfers authority of the State Board of Elections and makes substantial administrative changes that may make it impossible for the county boards of elections to adequately ensure every eligible ballot cast is counted, especially in high turnout elections,” Brinson Bell said. A spokesperson for Gov. Roy Cooper’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Stein wrote on social media Tuesday afternoon that he had met with leaders in western North Carolina, and criticized lawmakers for the plan. “Many people and communities are hurting and need our help. But instead of stepping up, the Republicans in the General Assembly are grabbing power and exacting political retribution,” Stein wrote. “How about they do their jobs so we can do ours?! North Carolina deserves better.” Under current law, the state board’s five members are appointed by the governor. Three members are the same political affiliation as the governor (currently a Democrat), and two are the state’s second-largest party (currently Republicans). The board hires its own executive director. The plan marks a new step in a partisan fight over control of elections in North Carolina in which Republicans have sought to wrest control from the governor’s office ever since Cooper was elected in 2016. A law passed last year transferred administrative authority of the state board to the Secretary of State’s office. It also sought to allow the General Assembly (controlled by Republicans) to make appointments to the board. Cooper sued to block the law, calling it a “blatant violation” of the state constitution’s separation of powers. The suit has been backed by a bipartisan group of North Carolina’s five living governors. The law has been blocked by a panel of superior court judges. Republican leaders in the legislature have appealed the decision. It’s not yet clear how lawmakers’ new bill, if it becomes law, would impact that litigation. Another piece of the new plan would also allow the auditor’s office to appoint chairs of the state’s 100 county elections boards. Changes to absentee voting, ballot counting process Voting rights groups were appalled by the proposed changes, which would make it harder on people who vote absentee. The bill shortens the time voters can request absentee ballots, gives them less time to correct mistakes after they mail their ballots, and gives county boards of election less time to count them. “It’s an affront to voters that these kinds of changes are coming,” said Bob Phillips, executive director of Common Cause North Carolina. “Clearly, it’s hard not to think it’s just a reaction to the fact that Allison Riggs, once the provisional ballots were tabulated, is now on top. I don’t see any good reason why any of this stuff has been proposed.” Incumbent Supreme Court Justice Allison Riggs, a Democrat, is leading Republican Appeals Court Judge Jefferson Griffin by 625 votes in the state Supreme Court race. She was trailing on election night, but took the lead after counties counted provisional ballots and ballots delivered on Election Day. As it is now, if an absentee ballot is missing a voter signature, a witness address, or has some other mistake, voters now have more than a week after Election Day to correct it. The bill would cut that to 2 ½ days. Similarly, voters who forget IDs when they go to the polls would have only 2 ½ days after the election to make it to their county elections office to show them. County officials try to contact absentee voters whose ballot envelopes have mistakes to give those voters a chance to correct them. The shortened timeline would mean that local elections officials may not have time to tell people about needed corrections. The changes would make it harder for Republicans, Democrats, and unaffiliated voters, Phillips said. “We should be celebrating that we had a free and fair election,” Phillips said. “This is an ugly lame duck session for sure.” Republicans have supermajorities in the state House and Senate. That means that they can override Cooper’s...
Transcribe →GOP candidate sues state elections board over Supreme Court contest
Nov 18, 2024Tap to summarizeBins full of absentee ballots await Wake County Board of Elections review. (Photo: Lynn Bonner)This story has been updated. Appeals Court Judge Jefferson Griffin on Monday sued the North Carolina State Board of Elections over the vote counting process in the Supreme Court race in which he is the Republican nominee. Griffin’s suit claims the elections board isn’t providing data quickly enough for him to request a recount prior to the Tuesday, November 19 deadline for counties that have completed their canvass. Many, but not all of North Carolina’s 100 counties have completed the canvas process at the time of filing the lawsuit on Monday, though they are expected to finish by the end of the day. It’s one of the closest contests in the general election. Griffin held a narrow lead of less than 10,000 votes over incumbent Democratic Justice Allison Riggs on election night. Since then, Riggs has crept ahead with results from additional provisional and absentee ballots. The two candidates were separated by a margin of 24 votes at the time of filing the lawsuit, according to the document. The State Board of Elections website reported a margin of 70 votes in Riggs’ favor out of more than 5.5. million cast as of 4:00 pm. Monday. “Defendants’ failures have impeded Plaintiffs’ efforts to meaningfully examine the 2024 General Election processes and unlawfully interfered with Plaintiffs’ ability to evaluate the potential need to file any protests in relation to the 2024 General Election,” the document read. Griffin is represented by Philip Thomas of Chalmers, Adams, Backer & Kaufman, PLLC. Thomas is the chair of the North Carolina Chapter of the Republican National Lawyers Association and serves on their national Board of Governors. He previously served as chief counsel for the North Carolina Republican Party. Griffin’s counsel sent a formal request to the elections board to emphasize the need for readily available data on Saturday, but did not receive complete records, according to the lawsuit. Thomas asked for the records by 7 a.m. Monday morning after sending the request over the weekend. The state elections board provided the records later in the day, after informing the lawyers that the records would be provided on Monday. “In sum, this lawsuit is thoroughly unnecessary,” elections board spokesperson Patrick Gannon said in a statement.
Transcribe →Riggs inches ahead of Griffin in the race for NC Supreme Court, with more votes to count
Nov 18, 2024Tap to summarizeJudge Jefferson Griffin and Justice Allison Riggs (Courtesy photos)Incumbent Justice Allison Riggs, a Democrat, was leading Republican Appeals Court Judge Jefferson Griffin by 24 votes as of Sunday night as she tries to keep her seat on the state Supreme Court. Riggs was trailing Griffin by about 10,000 votes on election night, but closed that gap as counties reviewed and added results from provisional ballots and absentee ballots that arrived on election night. The final results are not yet in. Not all 100 county boards of election completed their work and reported results to the state Board of Elections by Friday evening, as had been anticipated. “On Friday, 91 out of 100 counties finished their county canvasses, and I’m now leading the race for NC Supreme Court by 24 votes,” Riggs wrote Sunday on X. “We always knew this race would be incredibly close, but it may come down to just dozens of votes.” The state Board of Election said in a news release Friday evening that six county boards scheduled meetings for Monday, and others may call meetings if they need them. The state Supreme Court now includes five Republicans and two Democrats, including Riggs. Keeping this seat is critical to Democrats’ hopes of reclaiming the court majority before the next round of redistricting in 2031. After Wake County finalized its results Friday night, Democrat Terence Everitt had claimed the lead from Republican Ashlee Bryan Adams in the Senate District 18 race. Everitt had been trailing on election night. He’s now ahead by 134 votes. Everitt is in his third term in the state House. He switched to run for a Senate seat that includes Granville and Wake’s northern edge. The result is close enough for Adams to request a recount, but Everitt posted a victory note to X on Saturday. “I am deeply humbled and incredibly grateful to the voters of Senate District 18 for their trust and confidence in me. It is an honor to have earned your support, and I look forward to continuing to serve the people of NC – just in a new office…maybe not in the basement.” House Speaker Tim Moore moved Everitt’s legislative office to a former supply closet after Everitt asked the Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman to investigate Moore on possible charges of embezzlement, bribery, or misconduct in office, related to Moore’s affair with a state worker, WRAL reported. Freeman said there was no basis for a criminal investigation. In House District 32, Democrat Bryan Cohn leads incumbent Republican Frank Sossamon by 233 votes. The district covers Granville County and part of Vance. The result is close enough for Sossamon, who is in his first term, to request a recount. Republican Rep. Tricia Cotham of Mecklenburg had a 216 vote lead over Democratic challenger Nicole Sidman in House District 105. Democrats worked hard to defeat Cotham, a former Democrat who changed her party affiliation months after she was elected in an overwhelmingly Democratic district in 2022. Her party switch gave House Republicans a veto-proof majority. She voted with the GOP to limit abortion access, to impose anti-transgender laws, and to greatly expand school vouchers. Republicans drew a new district for Cotham that gave her a chance to win reelection. Sidman indicated on Facebook that she would ask for a recount. “Our campaign has always been transparent, so I want to be clear: most recounts do not change the final result of the election,” the Facebook post said. “At this point, our chance of success is low; however, our race is close enough that a tabulation error or mixup at one precinct on election night could be the difference. That’s why recounts are part of the democratic process for races as close as ours.” State law allows legislative candidates trailing after the final results are in to request recounts if the totals are separated by 1% or less. For statewide races, the difference cannot be more than o.5% or 10,000 votes, whichever is less. There have already been at least two voter protests filed. Jay DeLancy, who has spent years searching for voter fraud, filed a protest that echoes claims from a Republican lawsuit alleging ineligible voters are on the rolls. A federal court judge dismissed part of the lawsuit in October. DeLancy’s protest alleges that irregularities will cast doubt on the Supreme Court race results. Another protest was filed by Garland Kanady in the House District 32 race between Cohn and Sossamon and is based on the same allegations of ineligible voters. Key election numbers as of Nov. 16 7,848,606 – total number of registered voters in the state 5,722,556 – number of ballots cast Just under 73% – total voter turnout 464,485 – number of absentee ballots requested 297,801 – number of absentee ballots cast as of Nov. 16 (in order to be counted, ballots had to arrive at the voter’s county board of elections by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day) 6 – the number of counties with boards of elections that will resume (and presumably conclude) their canvass meetings on Monday (Chatham, Craven, Cumberland, Forsyth, Randolph, and Yancey) 10,000 or less – in statewide contests, the threshold margin that allows a second-place candidate to request a recount 1% or less – the threshold in non-statewide contests 9,851 – the number of votes by which Republican challenger Jefferson Griffin led Democratic incumbent Supreme Court Associate Justice Allison Riggs on Wednesday, Nov. 6 2,769,516 – the number of votes cast for Riggs as of Saturday Nov. 16 2,769,492 – the number of votes cast for Griffin 24 – the current vote margin 3,068,499 – the number of votes cast for Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein in the race for governor, the top vote-getter in the 2024 General Election 2,241,072 – the number of votes cast for Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson 2,898,016 – number of votes cast for Donald Trump 2,714,403 – number of votes cast for Kamala Harris 72-48 and 30-20 – the Republican advantages in the current state House and Senate respectively (the precise three-fifths margins necessary to override a gubernatorial veto) 71-49 and 30-20 – the margins in the legislature in the new General Assembly that convenes in January if current leaders prevail 233 and 216 – the margins in the two closest state House races (Democratic challenger Bryan Cohn leads Republican incumbent Frank Sossaman in the 32nd district 21,213 to 20,980 and Republican incumbent Tricia Cotham leads Democratic challenger Nicole Sidman 27,303 to 27,087 in the 105th District) 134 – the margin in the closest state Senate race (Democrat Terence Everitt leads Republican Ashlee Bryan Adams 59,665 to 59,531 in the 18th District) Source: Home Page | NCSBE
Transcribe →Trump cabinet picks draw mixed reviews from NC congressional delegation
Nov 14, 2024Tap to summarizeFormer U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz (left) is President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for attorney general. (Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images)The latest frenzy in Washington is over President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet appointments. The transition effort began with “relatively orthodox choices,” CNN reported, like campaign co-chair Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff. Other choices — namely Fox News host Pete Hegseth as defense secretary and just-resigned Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz as attorney general — have the political world scratching their heads. The Senate confirms nominees through a majority vote. Here’s how some members of Congress from North Carolina are reacting to the cabinet picks. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio as Secretary of State In the past decade, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio has gone from a rival competing for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination to a potential 2024 running mate to Trump’s selection for Secretary of State. Rubio stumped for Trump in the president-elect’s final North Carolina rally, joining him on stage in Raleigh the day before the election. “Congratulations to my friend and Senate colleague,” North Carolina Republican Sen. Ted Budd wrote on social media. The state’s senior senator, Republican Thom Tillis also took to social media to laud Rubio. “He is an outstanding choice to lead President Trump’s peace through strength [sic] foreign policy,” Tillis wrote. Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy as leads for the “Department of Government Efficiency” Despite what the name suggests, the “Department of Government Efficiency” is not a government agency. Only Congress has the power to create federal agencies, as designated by the Constitution. President-elect Trump says the organization would aim to reduce government spending and cut costs. It’s not clear how the department would operate, the Associated Press reported. “Thank God we have Vivek and Elon coming on board,” Republican Rep. Greg Murphy of eastern North Carolina’s third congressional district shared on social media. Fox News host Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is a conservative media personality and military veteran. His selection as defense secretary is an “unexpected choice that deviates from most of Trump’s staff picks for his White House, who largely descend from political roles in federal and state governments,” NPR reported. The position was tumultuous during Trump’s first term, with five men leading the Pentagon during the four years. Rep. Richard Hudson of the ninth congressional district said Hegseth is a “great choice” for the position, citing his more than 20 years of service and two bronze stars. “He is an America First warrior who will ensure our military is focused on training the warfighter and U.S. readiness, not woke indoctrination,” Hudson said. Hegseth has questioned the role of women in combat. Democratic Rep. Deborah Ross, who represents North Carolina’s second congressional district, described Hegseth as “clearly unfit” for the defense secretary role. “Women serving in combat make our country stronger — not weaker,” Ross wrote. “This statement from someone who could be leading our Armed Forces dishonors the service of the brave women who fight for our country.” Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz as Attorney General Known for leading the successful charge to oust Kevin McCarthy as House Speaker, Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz is a staunch Trump ally. His nomination as attorney general shocked Washington. If confirmed, he would lead the Justice Department, which “spent years investigating allegations that Gaetz engaged in sex with underage girls and paid for their transportation,” POLITICO reported. Gaetz proceeded to resign from his House seat later on Wednesday, a move interpreted by some observers as a tactic to circumvent a House Ethics Committee report investigating several allegations against him. Outgoing Republican Rep. Dan Bishop of North Carolina’s eighth congressional district kept it short: “Congratulations, Matt. Fantastic.” The Washington Post reported that Tillis said he’ll give Gaetz an “honest look” and has work to do to get enough votes for a Senate confirmation. In a video interview posted to TikTok by Raleigh’s News & Observer, Tillis appeared agitated by questions about his views on Gaetz and said that while he had “sparred” with Gaetz on social media, the nomination would succeed if Gaetz produces a “defensible resume” and a “really clean vetting.” Outgoing Democratic Rep. Wiley Nickel, representing the 13th district, called out his congressional colleague. “Hoping you take an ‘honest look’ in the mirror if you really think Matt Gaetz is qualified to be Attorney General,” Nickel responded to Tillis.
Transcribe →Hundreds of Wake ballots arrive too late to count as NC counties work to finalize election tallies
Nov 14, 2024Tap to summarizeWake County Board of Elections member Angela Hawkins and Board Chairwoman Erica Porter confer. (Photo: Lynn Bonner)Red and yellow containers sat at the end edge of the Wake County Board of Elections meeting table on Wednesday as members prepared to sift through their contents as part of the painstaking work of reviewing voter information that accompanied absentee ballots. Thousands of ballots had no problems and were approved in bulk. But some absentee ballots arrived initially without a voter signature. Some were sent without all the witness information included. Some didn’t have the proper notary seals. Wake County Board of Elections members passed from hand to hand 109 absentee ballots in their envelopes so they could review information voters had sent the county office to correct problems in order for their ballots to count. One hundred and nine ballots down, nearly 5,000 more to go. And that was just for the Wednesday meeting that ran for more than six hours. On Thursday, the Wake board will consider about 6,000 provisional ballots. Ninety-nine other counties are having meetings like Wake County’s to decide how many of the last of the absentee and provisional ballots to count on their way to finalizing election totals on Friday. Collectively, they are checking to determine whether votes on those ballots can be added to the totals. Everyone is interested in accuracy, but the results have personal and professional meaning for candidates who are in close races. Wake has the most voters, and according to the state Board of Elections, had the most provisional ballots to check. Between absentee ballots and provisional ballots, Wake elections board members settled in for a two-day chore. Most of the work Wednesday was done in silence, with members occasionally conferring in whispers. The board chatter picked up when members were handed the stacks of absentee ballots that arrived too late to count. Bins full of absentee ballots await Wake County Board of Elections review. (Photo: Lynn Bonner) The state legislature ended the three-day grace period for absentee ballots to arrive at board of elections offices. The deadline is now 7:30 pm on Election Day. Of the 616 late ballots the board denied for lateness, 111 were delivered the day after Election Day, 256 were delivered on Nov. 7, and 146 were delivered on Nov. 8. Those are ballots that likely would have been accepted under the old law. The stacks of late-arriving ballots included dozens that were sent via FedEx or USPS express delivery but still didn’t make it in time. Several members remarked at the $34 express delivery charge voters paid only to have their ballots arrive too late. One ballot was sent by express mail on Nov. 4 with a planned Nov. 5 delivery. It didn’t get to the county elections office until Nov. 8. Voters can go to the North Carolina Board of Elections voter search site to see if their ballots were accepted. The Wake meeting drew 25 onlookers who settled in for hours of mostly silent viewing. Members of voting rights groups fanned out to county elections meetings across the state this week to watch how boards are approaching their job. They’ve made a point to try to attend meetings where county board members have been hostile to state instructions for ballot acceptance and locations where the North Carolina Election Integrity Team has been active. The North Carolina Election Integrity Team is connected to Cleta Mitchell, a lawyer who in 2020 tried to convince Georgia to find enough votes for President Donald Trump to win the state. NCEIT has trained volunteers to scour voter rolls and bring challenges against individual voters. At least one person from NCEIT was at the Wake meeting. Five members of the League of Women Voters and a lawyer with the Southern Coalition of Social Justice watched the Wake board work. Marian Lewin, vice president of the League of Women Voters of North Carolina said that a key observation from watching Wake and keeping tabs on 10 other counties is that absentee voting “is a minefield.” “There are too many ways it could fail,” she said. Most of the absentee ballots were checked in batches of hundreds or thousands, but some received individual scrutiny. The board reviewed 381 ballots that elections staff had opened and resealed because the ballots weren’t in the security envelope. Republicans have a pending lawsuit that challenges counting those ballots. But for now, they can count. One of those ballots came with an envelope that looked as if it had been chewed by a dog. “My dog did something like that yesterday,” said board member Greg Flynn. “Teeth marks and everything,” said Board Chairwoman Erica Porter. The board counted that ballot.
Transcribe →Former commissioner of labor Josh Dobson to lead N.C. Healthcare Association
Nov 14, 2024Tap to summarizePhoto: Getty ImagesFormer commissioner of labor Josh Dobson raised eyebrows last week when he left his post nearly two months before the end of his term. On Tuesday, the reason for that decision became clear. Dobson has been named president and CEO of the North Carolina Healthcare Association (NCHA), an advocacy group for the state’s hospitals. Josh Dobson (Photo: NC Healthcare Association) In his role as president and CEO, Dobson will lead the association in representing its membership of hospitals, health systems, physician groups and other health care organizations across the state. “I am deeply passionate about health care issues and health policy,” Dobson said in a statement. “NCHA’s vision to bring equitable, accessible health care to all North Carolinians aligns perfectly with the work I started as McDowell County Commissioner and as a member of the local Public Health Board.” Dobson said hospitals are essential to the well-being and vibrancy of our communities and serve as economic anchors. “It is crucial that we have policies in place to ensure their financial sustainability, while continuing to deliver high-quality, high-value care,” he said. NCHA Board Chair Chris Peek, president and chief executive officer of CaroMont Health, said Dobson has developed strong relationships while holding three elected offices. “He is a proven collaborator who can bring people together to build the best solutions for ensuring North Carolina remains a top state for employers and residents to access high-quality health care close to where they live and work,” Peek said. Dobson resigned as commissioner of labor on Nov. 6, a day after fellow Republican Luke Farley was elected to replace him. Gov. Roy Cooper has appointed Kevin O’Barr to replace Dobson until Farley takes office in January. O’Barr is the bureau chief of consultative services at the state Labor Department. He has worked at the department in various positions for 24 years. Dobson was elected commissioner of labor in 2020 following the retirement of long-serving commissioner Cherie Berry, a Republican who served in the office for 20 years and was known as the “elevator lady” because her picture was plastered on certificates hanging in every elevator in the state. A NCHA press release noted that Dobson served eight years in the state House of Representatives where he represented the 85th district, covering Avery, McDowell and Mitchell counties in western North Carolina. During his final term, Dobson served as chair of the House Appropriations Committee and the House Health Committee, contributing to legislative efforts to expand Medicaid coverage to hundreds of thousands of additional residents. Prior to his service in the state house, Dobson served two years as a McDowell County Commissioner. In his new role, Dobson will also oversee NCHA Strategic Partners, a wholly owned subsidiary that offers health care providers access to products and services that provide cost-effective solutions to respond to the evolving health care landscape. Additionally, he will oversee the North Carolina Healthcare Foundation, the association’s charitable, 501(c)(3) non-profit innovative and programmatic arm. Dobson currently serves on the Foundation’s board.
Transcribe →What’s next for Republicans defeated in NC? Vying for federal jobs and fighting GOP battles
Nov 14, 2024Tap to summarizeFrom left to right: Michele Morrow, Mark Robinson, and Dan Bishop. (Morrow photo: Galen Bacharier/NC Newsline. Robinson and Bishop photos: Getty Images)Some of North Carolina’s most prominent Republicans lost their races last week. But with a second Trump administration in the offing and party jockeying in progress in Washington, some of them appear primed to stay in the mix. Michele Morrow, who ran for superintendent of public instruction and lost to Democrat Mo Green, is the object of an anonymous “nomination” to serve in the Department of Education. In social media posts this week, she linked supporters to an online form — part of an open-source effort by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and his allies to staff executive branch positions. “Let’s help get Michele to Washington where she can fight to save our children in North Carolina and beyond!” a post from her account said Monday. Prior to her run for superintendent, the conservative activist had called for the televised execution of former President Barack Obama, as well as a number of other prominent Democrats. As of Wednesday afternoon, Morrow who has never before held public office or any paid employment in education, had received over 400 “votes” online. It’s not clear what role she would hold if appointed. The account nominating Morrow online blamed Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson for her defeat. “She narrowly lost the election, but that was due to the very poor performance of the GOP candidate for Governor (Mark Robinson), as that adversely affected several down-ballot candidates, like Michele,” the nomination form says. Mark Robinson delivers defiant sermon while targeting 2026 Senate election Robinson was defeated handily at the hands of Attorney General Josh Stein. But the lieutenant governor, who rose to prominence through headline-making speeches and declarations, delivered a new one after the election: a wide-ranging, 40-minute sermon addressing abortion, transgender people and his own political career. He repeatedly blasted elected officials in Raleigh and Washington, decrying them as selfish and cowardly. “You need people who are there for the right reasons,” Robinson said. “That’s what’s wrong with Washington D.C. right now. It is full of people who are there for the wrong reasons. People who sit there and declare, ‘this is my seat. I don’t want to lose my seat. I’m fighting to keep my seat.’ Who told you it was your seat?” And he made it clear he was uninterested in being welcomed into elite circles. Top Republicans abandoned Robinson’s gubernatorial bid following reporting by CNN. “You gonna open that wound? Guess what I’m gonna do. I’m gonna dump salt right in it, and I’m gonna rub it in,” Robinson said. “You can get mad at me, you cannot like me, you can keep me out of your little club if you want to. I don’t care! I don’t want to be in your little club! I don’t need your approval. I don’t need for you to like me. When I come in the room – as a matter of fact, in some rooms, when I come in, I want you to cringe.” The remarks will only fuel speculation of a potential primary challenge to U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, whose seat is up for election in 2026. In the meantime, Robinson has made his opinions known on the politics of a new Republican U.S. Senate majority. He urged followers on social media to call Tillis and U.S. Sen. Ted Budd (R-North Carolina) to support U.S. Sen. Rick Scott (R-Florida) as the new Senate Majority Leader, after U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) said he would step down. “The people of North Carolina have spoken in tremendous fashion,” Robinson wrote. “We The People are ready for fresh leadership in the U.S. Senate.” Of the three to run for the position, Scott was viewed most favorably by allies of President-elect Donald Trump. But in a caucus vote Wednesday, Scott was knocked off the ballot in the first round of voting; U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-South Dakota) was elected majority leader. Could Dan Bishop join White House? U.S. Rep. Dan Bishop also lost his bid for a statewide office, defeated by U.S. Rep. Jeff Jackson in the race for attorney general. But his time in the nation’s capital may not be done. An attorney and the author of HB 2, the controversial North Carolina “bathroom bill,” Bishop could find a landing spot in the Department of Justice. On Wednesday, Trump announced plans to nominate Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida) to be the next U.S. attorney general, bringing “desperately needed reform” to the Justice Department. Earlier this month, it was Gaetz who urged North Carolina voters to support Bishop in his bid to become North Carolina’s attorney general. I so hate that I won’t be there for this. Oh wait. https://t.co/ijtbhxqCZU — Rep. Dan Bishop (@RepDanBishop) November 8, 2024 Days after the election, responding to a video of Trump outlining his plans to shrink the federal bureaucracy, Bishop suggested he could be involved in some way with the administration. “I so hate that I won’t be there for this,” Bishop wrote. “Oh wait.” Bishop’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
Transcribe →South Dakota U.S. Sen. John Thune elected as next majority leader for Republicans
Nov 13, 2024Tap to summarizeU.S. Sen. John Thune, R-South Dakota,. arrives for the Senate Republican leadership elections at the U.S. Capitol on Nov. 13, 2024 in Washington, D.C. Thune was elected to be the majority leader in the next session of Congress. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)WASHINGTON — Republicans on Wednesday elected their leadership teams for the next Congress, opting for a new slate in the Senate while reelecting many of the same lawmakers in the House. South Dakota Sen. John Thune will become that chamber’s next majority leader, marking the first time since 2007 that Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell hasn’t held the top GOP slot after choosing to retire from leadership. Thune defeated Texas Sen. John Cornyn and Florida Sen. Rick Scott during the closed-door, secret ballot. “We’re excited to reclaim the majority and to get to work with our colleagues in the House to enact President (Donald) Trump’s agenda,” Thune said during a press conference. “We have a mandate from the American people — a mandate, not only to clean up the mess left by the Biden-Harris-Schumer agenda, but also to deliver on President Trump’s priorities.” Thune said border security, deregulation and energy policy would be among the top policy areas GOP senators pursue once the new Congress begins. He also pledged to “be a leader who serves the entire Republican Conference” and noted the GOP has “an ambitious agenda that will take each and every Republican working together” to achieve. More new GOP leaders Senate Republicans also elected a new slate of new leaders during the Wednesday elections, all of whom will take on their new roles in January. Wyoming’s John Barrasso, who ran unopposed, will become the assistant majority leader next Congress, holding the No. 2 slot in the Senate that was previously referred to as the whip. Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton defeated Iowa’s Joni Ernst for the No. 3 leadership post of conference chair. West Virginia’s Shelley Moore Capito was elected as the Republican Policy Committee chair, Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford received his colleagues’ backing for conference vice chair, and South Carolina’s Tim Scott will become the next chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Trump made demands of the next Senate Republican leader ahead of the election, writing on social media that whoever is chosen should recess the chamber early next year so he can appoint whoever he wants without having to go through the confirmation process. Thune said during the press conference Wednesday the Senate would work quickly to vet and confirm Trump’s nominees, but didn’t fully commit to recessing the chamber for the 10 days minimum that’s required for recess appointments. “What we’re going to do is make sure that we are processing his nominees in a way that gets them into those positions, so they can implement his agenda,” Thune said. “How that happens remains to be seen.” “Obviously, we want to make sure our committees have confirmation hearings, like they typically do, and that these nominees are reported out to the floor,” Thune added. “But I’ve said this, and I mean it, that we expect a level of cooperation from the Democrats; to work with us to get these folks installed. And obviously we’re going to look at, explore all options to make sure that they get moved and get moved quickly.” Building trust South Dakota GOP Sen. Mike Rounds said after the election that Thune was able to secure the votes needed to win after spending years building trust. “For a lot of people, it was that sense of comfort with John Thune of being able to represent what we believe — the fact that they knew that they could go to him and talk to him privately, and that he was not going to be doing this as ‘I’m going to tell the conference what to do,’ but rather, ‘We’re going to, as a conference, move forward, and we will find consensus as we do it, because we need everybody to support the vast majority of the things that we’re going to get done,’” he said. Rounds, an early backer of Thune in the race, said his fellow South Dakota senator voted in support of Trump’s policies “more than 90% of the time when he was in office.” South Dakota veteran lawmaker Thune, 63, was elected to the Senate in 2004 after spending six years in the U.S. House of Representatives. He currently holds the title of Republican whip, but has done stints as Republican Conference vice chair, Republican Policy Committee chair, Republican Conference chair and chairman of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Thune has given dozens of floor speeches and press conferences during his time in the Senate, but highlighted his support for bipartisanship in April 2021, applauding Democrats, who were in the majority, for working with the GOP on legislation. “The Senate was designed to promote moderation and consensus. It was intended to be a check on the more partisan — or as the founders would put it, factious — House of Representatives,” Thune said during a floor speech. “The Senate fulfills its constitutional role best when it engages in serious, bipartisan consideration and negotiation and ensures that members of both parties are heard.” He then pressed lawmakers from both parties to adopt that framework to negotiate infrastructure legislation in the months ahead. Control of Congress and White House Thune will have to break from those beliefs a bit during the next two years as Republicans use what is expected to be unified control of government to move through as much conservative legislation as they can via the complex budget reconciliation process. That legislative pathway will allow Republicans to get around the Senate’s 60-vote legislative filibuster, which typically forces bipartisanship on major legislation. The GOP used the process to try to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, during the first Trump administration, but were unsuccessful. Republicans were able to use it to enact the 2017 tax law. Democrats used budget reconciliation to approve a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package and their signature climate change, health care and tax package called the Inflation Reduction Act, or IRA, during the first two years of President Joe Biden’s term. Thune expressed frustration during his April 2021 floor speech that Democrats had used the process to avoid negotiating with Republicans senators on those two laws. “Our Founders established a democratic republic instead of a pure democracy because they wanted to balance majority rule with protection for minority rights. They knew that majorities could be tyrants, so they wove protection for minority rights into our system of government,” Thune said at the time. “The Senate was one of those protections. That is why we should be preserving rules like the filibuster, which ensures that the minority party and the many Americans it represents have a voice in legislation.” House Republican leaders In the House, Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana received his party’s nomination for speaker for a second time, but he’ll need to secure the votes to hold the gavel in the 119th Congress during a floor vote in January. Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise was reelected as House Republican leader and Minnesota Rep. Tom Emmer secured the votes needed to continue as the whip. Both ran unopposed. Michigan Rep. Lisa McClain will become the Republican Conference chairwoman, succeeding New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, whom President-elect Donald Trump has said he’ll nominate as ambassador to the United Nations. McClain defeated Florida Rep. Kat Cammack for the role. Indiana Rep. Erin Houchin will become conference secretary. Utah Rep. Blake Moore will become conference vice chairman. Oklahoma Rep. Kevin Hern will become policy chairman. And North Carolina Rep. Richard Hudson will remain chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee for another two years. Johnson said during a press conference after the closed-door elections that the GOP was ready to begin passing legislation as soon as the new Congress begins on Jan. 3. “I know you’re all tired of hearing my football metaphors, but we have a very well-designed playbook. We will begin to execute those plays with precision on day one,” Emmer signaled the potential speed bumps ahead during that press conference...
Transcribe →Republican control in Washington could mean trouble for expanded Medicaid in North Carolina
Nov 13, 2024Tap to summarizeWashington politicians seeking to cut health insurance costs could put NC's Medicaid expansion in danger. (Photo: JoeRaedle/Getty Images)Health insurance coverage on which millions of Americans rely — Medicaid and plans purchased through the Affordable Care Act — were scarcely mentioned during the presidential campaign but may face extensive changes in President-elect Donald Trump’s second term. At a campaign stop in Pennsylvania last month, House Speaker Mike Johnson promised “massive” changes to health care in a second Trump administration. Changes could affect people who rely on Medicaid to pay their healthcare costs, those who buy subsidized health insurance under Obamacare, or those who are enrolled in expanded Medicaid. North Carolina has had Medicaid expansion for less than a year. As of Nov. 3, more than 569,000 people have enrolled, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services. More than 1 million people in North Carolina selected a health insurance plan through the ACA marketplace this year, according to KFF. More than 3 million North Carolinians are enrolled in Medicaid. The ACA and Medicaid are connected, because under the ACA states are allowed to raise the income limit for Medicaid enrollment, as North Carolina did last year, allowing more people to obtain health insurance. Trump spent much of his first term weakening and trying to repeal Obamacare. A big move in 2017 to kill it, when Trump was president and Republicans held the House and Senate, failed. Trump said during the September debate with Vice President Kamala Harris he would not try to repeal Obamacare unless he came up with something better. “I have concepts of a plan,” Trump said during the debate. “I’m not president right now. But if we come up with something I would only change it if we come up with something better and less expensive. And there are concepts and options we have to do that. And you’ll be hearing about it in the not-too-distant future.” Trump didn’t spell out those options during the campaign, leaving a giant question mark looming over the future of millions of Americans’ healthcare. “Nobody really knows, probably including President Trump,” said Don Taylor, professor of public policy and director of the Social Sciences Research Institute at Duke University. Repealing the Affordable Care Act and replacing it with something new would be “a heavy lift,” he said. Republicans will show up in Washington with a head of steam. They have secured the White House and the Senate majority and are closing in on a House majority. Larry Levitt, executive vice president for health policy at KFF, was certain Republican dominance in Washington would lead to cuts. “If Republicans sweep this election, I think the ACA along with Medicaid will have big targets on their back,” he said on the podcast Tradeoffs a few days before Trump won the White House and Republicans took the Senate. Trump promised to protect Medicare and Social Security. But his campaign was “deafeningly silent about Medicaid,” said Edwin Park, a research professor at the Center for Children and Families at Georgetown University. Park found similarities between the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, prepared as a playbook for Trump’s second term, and two House Republican proposals for Medicaid. The overlap signals “radically restructuring Medicaid” will likely be a high priority in a Trump second term with Republican majorities in the House and Senate, Park wrote. How congressional Republicans and Trump could cripple NC Medicaid expansion Those changes could reach North Carolina’s hard-won Medicaid expansion. The federal government pays 90% of the costs of people who are insured through Medicaid expansion. Project 2025 and the two House GOP plans propose to reduce that percentage. If that happens, it would kill expanded Medicaid in North Carolina. Included in the state law enabling expansion is a clause that triggers the end of coverage if the federal government stops paying 90% of the cost. Abby Emanuelson led Care4Carolina, a coalition of businesses, health organizations and faith communities that pushed for Medicaid expansion. With its mission completed, the organization disbanded earlier this year. If Congress considers reducing the federal 90% cost share, advocates should be ready to press upon elected officials in Washington how great an impact expansion has had on North Carolinians’ health, she said. In Trump’s first term, his administration allowed states to require some Medicaid recipients to work in order to keep their insurance. Some of the work requirements were challenged in court. The Biden administration rescinded other approvals. Medicaid work requirements could come back in a second Trump term and this time include North Carolina. A section of North Carolina’s Medicaid expansion law requires North Carolina health officials to pursue federal approval for work requirements. Health care advocates consider work requirements a tool for kicking people off Medicaid. Medicaid work requirements were in effect in Arkansas for less than a year before a court order ended them in 2019. Researchers found that some people didn’t know about the requirement, others were confused about the rules or were unable to report their work because they did not have internet access. People lost insurance coverage and reported that they had problems paying off medical debt and delayed seeking care more often than people who kept their coverage. The prospect of total Republican control in Washington has health policy experts considering how to fend off deep cuts. Support for Medicaid has grown since the first Trump administration, Park said. “I think that there is a hope that if there is another push to make really damaging Medicaid cuts, just like in 2017 there will be a large and loud set of stakeholders and beneficiaries who will oppose those kinds of proposals,” he said.
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