Wuncpolitics

With a growing population and skyrocketing construction costs, the N.C. Department of Transportation needs more help to build and improve roads and infrastructure across the state.If you’re driving around a high-growth area of the state, there’s a decent chance you might be stuck in traffic – and those daily bottlenecks are only getting worse. The Department of Transportation knows exactly where it needs to widen roads and build new ones to ease that congestion. But with inadequate revenue from the gas tax, construction on those improvements could be years away. DOT has a list of $144 billion in transportation infrastructure projects submitted by local leaders, but it only has $5 billion to spend WUNC News sat down with NCDOT Secretary Daniel Johnson at the agency’s Raleigh headquarters to get a better picture of the state’s transportation funding challenges, from controversial toll roads to the shifting sands around N.C. 12 on the Outer Banks.

Legislative leaders recently announced state employee raises as part of an initial budget agreement, but how much workers will receive will vary greatly depending on what they do for state government. The State Employees Association of North Carolina, better known as SEANC, says the 3% raise for most state employees is "not going to cut it" amid inflation and higher healthcare premiums. And while some workers like correctional officers, state law enforcement officers and teachers would get more, other hard-to-fill positions appear to be left out. WUNC News' Colin Campbell spoke with SEANC executive director Ardis Watkins about the reaction across state agencies to the pay proposal. She also addressed concerns about the elimination of vacant positions, decreasing staffing levels even as North Carolina's population grows.

A group of high school and college students want state lawmakers to crack down on the loosely regulated sales of vaping products. They're pushing for action on a bipartisan bill filed last year to regulate retailers that sell tobacco and vape products and ban sales to people under age 21. The legislation has been parked for months in the Rules committees without a hearing. The Tobacco 21 Coalition Youth Council recently came to the legislature to push for movement on the bill. UNC-Chapel Hill student Taylor Ward and Lake Norman Charter School student Pranika Senthil joined WUNC News' Colin Campbell to talk about the effort and why the regulations are needed to protect young people.

Senate leader Phil Berger lost his primary in March to Rockingham County sheriff Sam Page by just 23 votes. When the margin is that close, every factor that influenced at least 23 voters could be considered the deciding element in the race. Berger’s support for a controversial casino wasn't the only aspect of Berger’s legislative record that faced criticism during the primary.Sheila Mikhail, a prominent biotechnology executive in the Triangle, spent more than $200,000 on the race for a very different reason. She’s been advocating for a bill that would require insurance companies to cover supplemental breast cancer exams. Mikhail blames Berger and the lobbying influence of insurance companies like Blue Cross Blue Shield for keeping the bill from a vote on the Senate floor after it passed the House nearly unanimously. She spoke with WUNC News Capitol Bureau Chief Colin Campbell about her advocacy and why she decided to help Page.

Duke Energy says it needs to increase your power bill, and the fate of that request will soon be decided by a commission that recently changed to a Republican majority. The N.C. Utilities Commission has been holding a series of public hearings about Duke Energy’s plan to increase residential rates by up to 18 percent over the next two years. Duke says the rate increase is needed to keep up with higher demand for electricity and the need for a more modern grid that can handle storms with fewer outages. To learn more about what’s happening at the Utilities Commission and the energy policy landscape more broadly, WUNC's Colin Campbell spoke with state Sen. Jay Chaudhuri, D-Wake, and Dan Crawford, senior director of public affairs for the N.C. League of Conservation Voters.

North Carolina’s prison system is struggling with hundreds of vacant positions as the starting pay remains stuck around $18 an hour. Correctional officers are leaving in droves for better pay elsewhere. There’s not enough money to pay the bills for basic operations. And the state’s 55 prison facilities have more than a billion dollars in deferred maintenance needs, from air conditioning systems to fire alarms.Much of the problem stems from the legislature's inability to pass a budget, and Gov. Josh Stein is asking for "critical needs" funding to begin addressing the problems. To better understand the issues, WUNC News Capitol Bureau Chief Colin Campbell sat down with Secretary Leslie Dismukes at the headquarters of the N.C. Department of Adult Correction in Raleigh.

Williamston accountant and minister Patricia Smith pulled off an upset in this month’s primary over a six-term incumbent known for crossing party lines.Rep. Shelly Willingham, D-Edgecombe, was one of three moderate Democrats who helped give House Republicans what they call a “working supermajority” and lost their primaries. Willingham had survived previous attempts to unseat him in a primary, and while Stein endorsed a challenger to Rep. Carla Cunningham in Charlotte, he didn’t make any endorsements in the race to represent Edgecombe, Martin and Bertie counties. WUNC News' Colin Campbell spoke with Smith about her campaign, her concerns with Willingham's voting record, and some tense moments at the polls.

North Carolina's primary brought rebukes to incumbent legislators in both parties, including a razor-thin margin in the closely watched GOP primary challenge to Senate leader Phil Berger. Why did voters reject some longtime leaders in state politics? Why did Berger's home county turn against him in favor of Sheriff Sam Page? And what's next in the vote-counting process and this year's legislative session? To sort through the results, WUNC News' Colin Campbell spoke with Adam Wagner, who covers politics for the North Carolina Newsroom.

The 2026 North Carolina primary is almost here, and so for this week’s episode, we’re taking a closer look at four of the biggest races on the ballot, from the U.S. Senate to a legislative primary with major stakes. WUNC News Supervising Editor for Politics Dave DeWitt discusses the dynamics of each race -- from outside ad spending to endorsements -- with Capital Bureau Chief Colin Campbell and NC Newsroom Editor Adam Wagner.

This is the sixth and final episode in a new season of our Main Street NC series. We're visiting communities across the state to hear from local leaders about the issues and challenges they're facing.Soil contamination from long-ago trash incinerators has prompted Durham to close five of its parks for the past two years, and they’re still not close to a final solution to the issue.Soil testing in 2024 found potential lead contamination in the parks, and the city closed off playgrounds, athletic fields and other amenities to do additional testing and come up with a clean-up plan. Two of the five parks are in East Durham, where it can be difficult to find parks and public spaces that are open for young people. WUNC News visited East Durham and spoke with Durham Parks and Recreation Director Wade Walcutt about what's next.

This is the fifth episode in a new season of our Main Street NC series. We're visiting communities across the state to hear from local leaders about the issues and challenges they're facing.About 20 beach houses have recently collapsed into the ocean in Buxton on the Outer Banks. Local leaders there say the cause isn't just climate change or sea-level rise. They blame a deteriorating jetty installed by the U.S. Navy decades ago to protect a Cold War submarine monitoring station. Local and federal officials have responded to the rapid erosion by promising beach renourishment and jetty repairs, but those projects might not be a long-term solution for one of North Carolina's most fragile beach communities. To learn more about Buxton's beach erosion problems and what comes next, WUNC News' Colin Campbell visited the community and spoke with Buxton Civic Association President Heather Jennette and Vice President Brian Harris.

This is the fourth episode in a new season of our Main Street NC series. We're visiting communities across the state to hear from local leaders about the issues and challenges they're facing.A few years ago, the Coharie Indian Tribe launched an effort to clean out debris from the Great Coharie River near their headquarters in Sampson County. That led to a unique recreation and tourism initiative where members of the Coharie Tribe lead visitors on guided kayaking trips down the river. WUNC News' Colin Campbell recently hopped in a kayak to learn more about how the program brings tourists to Sampson County, while creating revenue, jobs and a heightened public profile for the 3,000-member American Indian group. Tribal Administrator Greg Jacobs and Coharie River director Philip Bell also discussed the tribe's history, programs and its hopes to eventually join the Lumbee Indians in obtaining federal recognition.

This is the third episode in a new season of our Main Street NC series. We're visiting communities across the state to hear from local leaders about the issues and challenges they're facing.The floodwaters of Helene in 2024 washed away much of the spa and resort for which the town of Hot Springs is named, along with many homes and businesses. But the small town north of Asheville has rebounded over the past year, rebuilding shops and houses with private donations and volunteer labor. Leaders there say help from the state and federal government has been slow to arrive, and they're hoping to restore the outdoor-oriented tourism economy that will sustain the reopened businesses.WUNC News visited Hot Springs and spoke with Madison County Manager Rod Honeycutt and Rebuild Hot Springs President TJ Phillips.

This is the second episode in a new season of our Main Street NC series. We're visiting communities across the state to hear from local leaders about the issues and challenges they're facing.For more than two years, Williamston’s local hospital has sat empty. The closure of Martin General Hospital has meant much longer ambulance rides and big concerns about the state of healthcare in this rural county. But local leaders are hopeful the building could reopen soon as a smaller facility known as a rural emergency hospital -- if the state legislature approves funding for a proposal by ECU Health. To hear more about the plan, and how the hospital closure has affected Martin County's broader economy, WUNC News visited Williamston and spoke with Martin County Manager Drew Batts.

This is the first episode in a new season of our Main Street NC series. We're visiting communities across the state to hear from local leaders about the issues and challenges they're facing.For the past 65 years, Saint Andrews University has been a major economic engine for the small town in Scotland County. That all changed on May 5, when the university shut down for good after years of financial challenges. County leaders have been working to draw industry and development to multiple sites, and they hope the St. Andrew’s campus can be one of them. To hear more about what's next for the site and Laurinburg's efforts to reduce unemployment, WUNC News spoke with Chris English, executive director of the Laurinburg-Scotland County Area Chamber of Commerce; Jeff McKay, director of the Scotland County Economic Development Corporation; and Walker McCoy, community development director.

The North Carolina Chamber serves as the voice for businesses large and small in this state, and when it endorses or opposes legislation, state lawmakers from both parties take notice. To get an update on the NC Chamber’s advocacy efforts in 2025 and what’s ahead in 2026, WUNC's Colin Campbell visited the group's office to speak with president and CEO Gary Salamido. Salamido also weighed in on the ongoing battle between House and Senate Republicans over scheduled income tax cut triggers and the broader budget stalemate, and provided an update on the Chamber's new program to help small businesses access affordable employee health insurance.

Gov.Josh Stein is wrapping up his first year in office. It’s been a year marked by hurricane recovery efforts in Western North Carolina and fights with the legislature over taxes, Medicaid and more in Raleigh. He joined WUNC's Colin Campbell to discuss the big issues of 2025 and what’s ahead next year, from the primary to property taxes

The 2026 campaign season has officially kicked off (although many campaigns have been going for months now) with the start of candidate filing. With the primary less than three months away, we're digging into the races worth watching, from Congress to legislature to the Wake County district attorney. Two political reporters, Adam Wagner of the NC Newsroom and Dawn Vaughan of The News & Observer, join WUNC's Colin Campbell for the conversation. 

Local news is a tough business these days, with journalists routinely laid off and small-town newspapers closing up shop. But North Carolina’s journalism scene does have success stories. WUNC's Colin Campbell spoke with the leaders of two locally owned media companies that are seeing growth. David Woronoff owns The Pilot, a thriving newspaper in Southern Pines, and magazines including Business North Carolina and Walter. Kyle Villemain started The Assembly in 2021, and it’s since grown to a staff of 43 people producing in-depth stories on all things North Carolina. They discussed the business models that can work to support journalism and how they're approaching underserved communities.

At age 88, former Gov. Jim Hunt continues to be a prominent figure in state politics, but the state’s growth means that many North Carolinians weren’t around during his record 16 years in office. So to better understand what he accomplished and what lessons his political career offers for today’s landscape in state politics, WUNC's Colin Campbell spoke with longtime Hunt aide and biographer Gary Pearce. Pearce says Hunt's powers of persuasion helped him expand the influence of the governor's office and improve the state's education system.