We are one of only five states that have held a primary election this year. Phil Berger got a big surprise in that he lost his bid by a razor thin election. Of course, he has appealed, but it appears that the results wwill not be enough to change the election. He appeared to think that he was entitled to his seat since he has won several re-elections.
It is not clear yet what cost him the election, but obviously his constituents were ready for a change. I would speculate that part of that may be due to the fact that although we are more than eight months into the state’s fiscal year, we still don’t have a budget. That is due primarily to a gridlock in the Senate that is controlled by the Republicans. They can’t even agree among themselves. This delay, again relying on a continuing resolution, doesn’t meet the needs of a fast-growing state. For example, the state has had to pick up some of the bills for the hurricane damage two years ago that FEMA has failed to pay.
The North Carolina General Assembly has another set of long-standing bills that it has not paid. About 28 years, the NC State Supreme Court ruled that the NCGLA had failed to meet the constitutional requirements to fully meet the needs of the state’s schools. The NCGLA has continued to thumb its nose and said “try and make us. We’re the only ones who can spend money.” Of course, the Democrats have a lot of blame for this unresolved constitutional crisis.
The gerrymandering of the Congressional Districts did not affect the boundaries of state districts. The results first were felt in the 2025 elections and also will affect the ones this fall. It appears that some of the “safe” seats may be in contention. The Democrats are hoping to regain control of the U.S. Congress, and the results in North Carolina may affect those results.
For decades, the Democrats ruled politics in North Carolina both at the state and federal level. The top-dog changed a decade ago when the Republicans took control. The primary results have been a continual of lowering corporate taxes. North Carolina can’t take on debt, so the results has been a tight budget in spite of a growing economy. As a retiree, I still have to pay North Caroline state income taxes. States such as Texas and Florida have pulled some growth away from us because they don’t have state income taxes. Oil money paid the bill in Texas for decades, but their fast growth also has put a strain on their state budget with a right-wing Governor.
Although some people already are speculating about the mid-term elections this fall, it is too soon to set the odds.
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