Rachel Hunt will have to navigate a state that is much different from when her father dominated.
Jim Morrill
McHenry Opens A New Path to Washington
U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry’s retirement boosts the chances of Tim Moore, the long-time state House speaker.
The Troubled Last Days of Speaker Tim Moore
As he moves toward finishing an unprecedented 10-year reign, the House speaker leaves a complicated legacy.
What’s Behind Tricia Cotham’s Democratic Divorce
She says Democrats drove her away. Her former allies are puzzled—and say Cotham doesn’t seem to be the same person they knew before.
A Prescription for Rural Hospitals
Legislators are lurching toward expanding Medicaid, which would boost the state’s ailing rural hospitals.
Thom Tillis and the Art of the Deal
With his next reelection campaign four long years away, North Carolina’s soon-to-be senior senator has emerged as a bipartisan dealmaker. Back home, his party’s conservative wing doesn’t like it.
Cheri Beasley’s Record Is On Trial
The U.S. Senate candidate and former chief justice of the state Supreme Court touts her independence as a jurist. Republicans are taking aim.
Pat McCrory’s New Game
The former Charlotte mayor and governor considers himself a Reagan Republican and believes in “constructive conservatism.” Now, as he runs for the U.S. Senate against a Trump-endorsed candidate, the ground has shifted—and he’s trying to find his footing.
On Guard in Asheville
The Asheville Watchdog is powered by a cadre of accomplished journalists who retired to the North Carolina mountains. The staff’s investigative reporting has made a splash, and they’d like it to be a model—but it’s unclear whether their startup can be duplicated.
The State’s Looming Constitutional Crisis
The long-running Leandro case has promised transformative investments in K-12 education. As a judge prepares to take action, the state is anticipating a constitutional impasse with enormous consequences for students and North Carolina’s system of checks and balances.