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North Carolina has been an underappreciated political battleground recently and not gotten the same attention as nearby Georgia or Florida or the traditional campaign hotbeds of the Rust Belt. That is changing in 2024, in part because of a potentially historic governor’s race that pits North Carolina’s centrist tendencies against the rise of populist conservatism in the era of Donald Trump. The Republican nominee is Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, who would be the state’s first Black governor. Democrats have chosen Attorney General Josh Stein, who is trying to keep the office in his party’s control after two terms under outgoing Gov. Roy Cooper.

In his bid to become North Carolina’s first Black governor, Republican Mark Robinson assails government safety net spending as a “plantation of welfare and victimhood” that’s mired Black people in “dependency” and poverty. But the lieutenant governor’s political rise wouldn’t have been possible without it. Robinson’s household has relied on income from Balanced Nutrition, a nonprofit founded by his wife that administers a free lunch program for children. Balanced Nutrition is funded entirely by taxpayers. Tax filings and state documents show Balanced Nutrition has collected $7 million in government funding since 2017 while paying out $830,000 in salaries to Robinson, his wife and four relatives. A campaign spokesman defends Balance Nutrition’s work.

In his bid to become North Carolina’s first Black governor, Republican Mark Robinson assails government safety net spending as a “plantation of welfare and victimhood” that's mired Black people in “dependency” and poverty. But the lieutenant governor’s political rise wouldn’t have been possible without it. Robinson’s household has relied on income from Balanced Nutrition, a nonprofit founded by his wife that administers a free lunch program for children. Balanced Nutrition is funded entirely by taxpayers. Tax filings and state documents show Balanced Nutrition has collected $7 million in government funding since 2017 while paying out $830,000 in salaries to Robinson, his wife and four relatives. A campaign spokesman defends Balance Nutrition’s work.

WILLIAMSTON — Weeds have punctured through the vacant parking lot of Martin General Hospital’s emergency room. A makeshift blue tarp covering the hospital’s sign is worn down from flapping in the wind. The hospital doors are locked, many in this county of 22,000 fear permanently.

The conservative parental rights group Moms for Liberty plans to spend more than $3 million on a multi-state advertising blitz to increase its membership and engage voters before November. Yet the considerable investment comes with a twist for a group that has previously said its focus was on local school board races: It specifically will target voters in Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina and Wisconsin, four battleground states that are among the most important this fall. The group hopes to expand its efforts to the other key swing states. The campaign signals a return to the national spotlight after a spate of criticism for the group, which fights against mentions of LGBTQ+ identity and racism in the classroom.

Since being elected co-chair of the Republican National Committee in March, Lara Trump has worked to reshape the party in Donald Trump’s image. The RNC has fired dozens of longtime staffers, merged operations with the Trump campaign and sought alliances with election deniers, conspiracy theorists and alt-right advocates the party had previously kept at arm’s length. Trump supporters say his daughter-in-law — she is the wife of his son Eric — is breathing new life into the party, and say her charisma and work ethic make her an ideal choice to serve as its champion. But her installation has raised concerns among some Republicans who say the RNC is being operated in ways that could harm its mandate to help all of its candidates.

Since being elected co-chair of the Republican National Committee in March, Lara Trump has worked to reshape the party in Donald Trump's image. The RNC has fired dozens of longtime staffers, merged operations with the Trump campaign and sought alliances with election deniers, conspiracy theorists and alt-right advocates the party had previously kept at arm’s length. Trump supporters say his daughter-in-law — she is the wife of his son Eric — is breathing new life into the party, and say her charisma and work ethic make her an ideal choice to serve as its champion. But her installation has raised concerns among some Republicans who say the RNC is being run in ways that could harm its mandate to help all its candidates.