Democrats Hope Ervin Name Will Dispatch Hunter

by John Wynne | Oct 16, 2014 | 2014 Elections, Carolina Strategic Analysis, Features, NC Politics, Polling | 1 comment

When Chief Justice Sarah Parker was forced to step down due to reaching the mandatory age of retirement at 72, that set off a chain reaction with big implications for the NC judiciary. Associate Justice Mark Martin was appointed by Governor McCrory to take her seat....

In Chief Justice Race, Voters Can Choose From Two Republicans

by John Wynne | Oct 14, 2014 | 2014 Elections, Carolina Strategic Analysis, Features, NC Politics, Polling | 3 comments

The race for Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court features two candidates, the incumbent, Mark Martin, and challenger Ola M. Lewis. The election is technically nonpartisan, though Martin receives support from the state’s Republican Party. He was appointed...

HD-51: Fracking Pushing Salmon Upstream

by John Wynne | Oct 13, 2014 | 2014 Elections, Carolina Strategic Analysis, Environment, Features, NC House Races, NC Politics, NCGA, NCGOP, Poll Analysis, Polling | 2 comments

House District 51: Rep. Mike Stone (R) vs. Brad Salmon (D) HD-51, which takes in parts of Harnett and Lee counties, is a district where local circumstances could prove decisive. It’s the one area of the state where it looks like hydraulic fracturing, or...

Tightening

by John Wynne | Oct 9, 2014 | 2014 Elections, Carolina Strategic Analysis, Features, NC Politics, NCGA, NCGOP, Poll Analysis, Polling, US Senate | 2 comments

Yesterday, Team Tillis got what they haven’t had in almost a month now: good news. In fact, yesterday was a very good day for the Tillis camp. Requests for absentee ballots are showing Republicans turning the tide. The Supreme Court also issued a stay in the...

In GOP-Leaning HD-49, Biggest Issue is Public Education

by John Wynne | Oct 7, 2014 | 2014 Elections, Carolina Strategic Analysis, Features, NC Politics, NCGA, Poll Analysis, Polling

House District 49: Rep. Gary Pendleton (R) vs. Kim Hanchette (D) This is an affluent, heavily white, very educated district which takes in some of Raleigh’s wealthiest neighborhoods inside the Beltline along with a part of North Raleigh. It’s yet another...

Civitas Polls, and a Democratic Wave?

by John Wynne | Oct 6, 2014 | 2014 Elections, Carolina Strategic Analysis, Features, NC House Races, NC Politics, NC Senate Races, NCGA, Poll Analysis, Polling | 5 comments

Could there be a Democratic wave in NC this year? Possibly. The Civitas polls of the legislative races certainly support such a theory. Rep. Mike Stone and Rep. Michele Presnell are both down 12 points in districts that Mitt Romney carried by double digits. In the...