Welcome back to the Old North State Update. This is edition #31 for 2026.
THE BIG STORY
At the NC Democratic Party’s “Unity Dinner” last Saturday, Gov. Josh Stein accused NC State Auditor Dave Boliek of being able to “steal an election.“
Ever since Boliek was given powers over the NC State Board of Elections, he has been the target of Democrats in the state but this set of comments by Stein are by far the most inflammatory and a distinct departure from Stein’s rhetoric up until now of a ‘reach across the aisle’ theme.
Related Big Story News
Warren, supporter of Mamdani socialist view, stumps for Cooper (Center Square)
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
No veto overrides this week for House Bill 437 and Senate Bill 50 - legislative leaders say no more votes will happen until after the midterm elections in November. Sources in the legislature tell me the votes aren’t there for a veto override of S50, which would allow for concealed carry without a permit.
House bills 958 and 834, both dealing with election changes, were sent to Gov. Stein. Stein issued a statement on Aug. 4 saying he will veto 958. That statement was no surprise as he’s signaled he would do so since the day it was filed. What is a surprise is his increasing rhetoric against Boliek and the NC State Board of Elections, accusing them twice in recent months of being able to “steal elections.”
The House also passed two budget corrections bills (H562 and H268), as well as the adjournment resolution (SJR. 1091), which lays out the schedule of dates lawmakers will return through the rest of the year.
Related General Assembly news
SBI calls out Carolina Forward over investigation claims (Carolina Journal)
CONGRESS
Ethics Committee censures Edwards
In the span of a few days, NC-11 Republican Congressman Chuck Edwards went from being hit with an Ethics Committee report recommending his censure on Aug. 3 to withdrawing from his reelection bid entirely by Aug. 5.
Edwards announced his withdrawal in a 3:32 a.m. social media post.
Edwards had apparently filed the paperwork to withdraw during the late afternoon hours on Aug. 4
NC’s Sen. Ted Budd allegedly had urged him to drop out.
Edwards was facing Democrat Jamie Ager, whose path to victory just got a lot easier but it’s not a lock.
Edwards can (and will) be replaced on the November ballot through a request to the State Board of Elections, which has to be done ahead of the first day overseas and military absentee ballots go out (Sept. 4).
Names being floated include statehouse Sens. Tim Moffitt (R-Henderson) and Kevin Corbin (R-Macon), as well as Rep. Jennifer Balkcom (R-Henderson).
Post-publication, Moffitt issued a statement dropping his name from contention and Corbin indicated he’s not interested. See my thread on X for more.
Update: Since this article went live last week, Balkcom has stepped up to put her name in. Others included in the nominations list are former candidates for various offices: Matthew Burrill (Ran for NC-11 but lost in the 2022 primary), Ken McKim (NC state senate 2006 run, briefly ran in 2021-22 for congress), and Kristie Sluder (Ran for Senate District 49, lost in 2024).
Another name in the mix is Chad Nesbitt, president of Skyline News based in Asheville. Nesbitt was violently assaulted while covering a 2020 BLM protest.
A number of folks asked about Adam Smith, the Green Beret who lost to Edwards in the primary earlier this year. Smith issued a Facebook post on Sunday evening he was not going to seek the nomination.
The NCGOP issued a statement on the selection of a new candidate by the executive committee for the 11th Congressional District which will take place on Monday, Aug. 10, according to that district’s Chair Merry Guy. I was told that the meeting will happen at around 6:30 p.m. and the choice will be made public. I was told on Monday (8/10) that the meeting will not be streamed, no press is allowed in, and there will be no press conference after, but instead the NCGOP will issue a formal statement once the results are in.
Related NC-11 news
Speaker Johnson stumps for Buckhout in NC-01
This past Tuesday, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) was in North Carolina stumping for Laurie Buckhout, the Republican candidate challenging Congressman Don Davis for his NC-01 congressional seat.
I was at the press event and Johnson spent a lot of time ripping Democrats over their embrace of communism. Read the full story at North State Journal; here’s an excerpt:
“We’re in a contrast election right now, and the contrast is simply between common sense and crazy,” said Johnson. “And the Democrat Party is now turning to communism, Marxism, socialism, that is not something that comports with the values, the morals, the principles of the people of North Carolina.”
Johnson went on to say that by his count, there are “38 Marxist communists who have won primaries for Congress or are on path to do so. And this is a serious problem.”
He went on to add, “The barbarians are inside the gate, politically speaking, and we must defeat them.”
Related NC-01 News
U.S. SENATE
More ads
A portion of Americans for Prosperity Action’s $5.6 million in upcoming ad spends will include North Carolina. The ads will draw a contrast between the Republicans they are backing, like Michael Whatley, versus “their Democrat opponents’ long track record of excessive taxes, spending, and regulation.”
Senate Leadership Fund also dropped its first ad “exposing Roy Cooper’s record of putting violent criminals before innocent North Carolinians,” as part of its $17M summer campaign.
Whatley continues law and order tour
Michael Whatley held another “Restoring Law and Order” press event in New Bern this week. He was joined by Carteret County Sheriff John Nyberg, Craven County Sheriff Chip Hughes and statehouse Sen. Bob Brinson.
Shout out from POTUS
Trump hit Las Vegas this week, highlighting No Tax on Tips as a contrast between his administration and Republican candidates with Democrat’s increasing embrace of socialism and communism.
Trump went on one of his rambles and in the latter half he endorsed Whatley again and called out Cooper for releasing “the animal” that killed Iryna Zarutska while governor and said he should not be allowed to run for Senate. That call out starts around the 53:50 mark in Trump’s comments:
Trump’s full remarks were reduced to a nine second clip the Cooper campaign promoted on X which was turned into a gaffe with Trump stating, “Whatley should be your governor.”
Anyone who has been to a Trump event would see that comment as a troll of not just Cooper, but Gov. Josh Stein.
But hey, gaffes happen, right? Remember “Ray Cooper?”
NC Senate Related News
Democrat Roy Cooper’s Billion-Dollar Electric Vehicle Deal Crumbles (Breitbart)
This Democrat Has Never Lost a Race. Can He Flip North Carolina’s Senate Seat? (Wall Street Journal)
Democrat Roy Cooper Lied About Why He Released 4,200 Criminals from Prison (Breitbart)
Anti-ICE group held town hall, Cooper and Earls named as headliners (More To The Story)
Other NC Senate Tidbits:
Cooper did another interview on MS Now (This is at least the sixth time in the last four months he’s appeared on an MS Now show.)
Outgoing Sen. Thom Tillis is likely to lose many more friends after unveiling his new book.
POLLING
Real Clear Polling’s average has Cooper at 7.6 points over Whatley.
(Cooper saw a +.2 bump last week after a Fox News poll was added to the mix.)
Gallup: Supreme Court Job Approval Slumps to Record Low
WHAT I AM READING
America is arguing about homeschooling without looking at the data
(Flashback to 2013: “What about home schooling? You know, it’s not just for scary religious people any more.”)Fauci chose silence when America needed an after-action review
Trump admin refunds $100 billion in ‘liberation day’ tariffs
Keep up to date with all things NC politics — follow A.P. Dillon on X