Welcome back to the Old North State Update. This is edition #34 for 2026.
Reminders
The Old North State Update will be off for Labor Day weekend.
There are 67 days left until the Nov. 3 midterm election.
Absentee ballots are set to go out on Sept. 4; Early voting is Oct. 15 - Oct. 31.
THE BIG STORY
We will always love you, Dolly
Country music icon Dolly Parton passed away this week at age 50.
FOX News Digital’s updates included a statement from her family saying her death was related to losing a battle with cancer:
“Our beloved Dolly Parton spent her life and career bringing joy, laughter, hope and integrity into everything she touched. Her unmatched generosity reached the lives of countless people whom she would never meet, yet she was always there to offer a helping hand. Whether it be the hundreds of millions of books donated through her invaluable Imagination Library or funding research that helped create a lifesaving vaccine used around the world, Dolly’s unconditional love for all people was the guiding force for her lasting impact. After bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones.”
President Trump issued a statement on Truth Social and ordered flags to half staff in her honor.
Dolly’s death eclipsed the passing of another iconic star: Tim Curry.
Like Dolly, Curry was also 80 when he died on Aug. 26. People remember him best for his Rocky Horror Picture Show role, but out of all movies he was in during his prolific career, one of my favorites was his performance as the butler in “Clue.”
General News Quick Hits
The official NC Judicial Voter Guide is out
The RNC’s Midterm Convention released its programming
Trump issued an executive order renaming Lake Ontario to Lake America
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
The General Assembly returns briefly next week for one of its scheduled skeleton sessions.
Hanig resigned
Sen. Bobby Hanig (R-Currituck) announced his resignation from the legislature earlier this week.
Hanig withdrew from seeking reelection when he opted to run for the NC-01 Congressional seat. The current matchup for his state senate seat this November is Democrat Melissa Zehner versus Republican Jerry Tillet. Per state law, the appropriate Republican Party committee will pick his replacement; it makes sense for it to be Tillet at this late date.
CONGRESS
Hudson in Fayetteville
Congressman Richard Hudson (R-NC09) gave remarks at the Greater Fayetteville Chamber’s State of the Community event in Fayetteville.
According to a press release from his office, Hudson talked about getting over $140 million in project authorizations for Fort Bragg and North Carolina in the National Defense Authorization Act, including “new facilities for Special Operations Forces, aircraft maintenance, and backup power.” Related to those funds and “backup power,” is a big get for NC by Hudson: Ft. Bragg has been picked as one of five military sites to get a microreactor.
Sex offender freeze tag returns
Democrats are still trying to Make Fetch Happen... for any candidate at this point. Axios Raleigh’s newsletter this week promoted the Democrats’ messaging, writing, “The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is placing a new digital ad in North Carolina’s competitive 1st Congressional District tying Republican Laurie Buckhout to a fundraising picnic hosted by Harvey West, the committee tells Axios.”
NC SENATE RACE
Cooper & Fauci
Anthony Fauci’s diary, released by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), has an entry on Roy Cooper. NC finally gets to know why Cooper delayed handing out his NC K-12 school reopening decision back in July 2020.
It’s important to remember Cooper had put a self-imposed deadline of July 1 on that decision. When the date rolled around, he held a briefing and announced he was delaying. He offered little explanation why, saying only that he wanted “buy-in across the board.”
Logan’s Story
A new Senate Leadership Fund ad hits Roy Cooper on policies he pursued which created a revolving door for criminals. This one features Stephen Federico, whose daughter Logan was murdered by a career criminal during a home invasion. In the ad, Federico says his daughter was the “victim of an agenda.”
The “soft on crime” campaign angle by the Whatley campaign continues to gain traction, as evidenced by the News & Observer running defense for Cooper this week. After seeing that article, my gut is telling me that the Cooper camp’s internal polling on this front is not good.
Happening Today
Michael Whatley and National Border Patrol Council President Paul Perez will host a roundtable in Raleigh today with North Carolina Angel Families and families with loved ones killed by illicit fentanyl.
Data centers flip flop?
The Cooper campaign tried dunking on Whatley for an RSVP to a data center event. While AI advancements and a flood of foreign propaganda have changed the narrative on data centers, Cooper’s latest batch of emails shows he was for them before he was against them:
Look for an update next week from me at North State Journal on the number of data center moratoriums being passed by towns and counties in North Carolina.
Related reading: As data center criticism grows, focus turns to N.C. Senate race (Spectrum News)
NC Senate Race Quick Hits:
Cooper laments energy costs that rose during his governorship (Center Square)
4th Circuit rules for Cooper, Dems in FCC campaign ad rule dispute (Carolina Journal)
Senate Leadership Fund announced record breaking $500M haul (SLF)
POLLING
Real Clear Polling’s average is unchanged from last week; Cooper up by 8 points over Whatley.
More Polling
Decision Desk HQ’s Podcast, Episode 41: Are Senate Polls Overrating Democrats’ Chances? With Patrick Ruffini of Echelon Insights
Gallup: Americans Still Skeptical That UFOs Are Aliens (Well, not this American)
WHAT I AM READING
Follow A.P. Dillon on X
Read her work at North State Journal