Share

2022 opened up with a bang in North Carolina!

Well folks, the new year has started, and there’s already a lot going on in our state. From gerrymandering to local races, here’s what we’re keeping an eye on.

Plenty of downballot races!

In 2022, there will be plenty of races on the ballot in our small towns and counties. Positions like sheriff, county commissioners, soil & water district supervisors, school board, county clerks, register of deeds, and more. Use the Local Voter Tool to find more races in your county or town, along with filing dates. Some of these have been pushed back, so you’ve got time if you’re thinking about running– we need to elect more working-class people to fight for the folks down home!

Who’s replacing Burr, and what’s with the House?

It’s an election year again, which means that folks up and down the ballot will be up for election! North Carolina’s federal Senate race is shaping up to be interesting– Senator Burr already said that he wouldn’t be seeking reelection this year, so that’s at least one open seat. This is a long haul election, folks– U.S. Senators have 6 year terms, so we’ve got to vote wisely on our representation! We’ll also have 14 House races– one for each House district.

 

Click here to learn more about the House races and who’s running so far!

North Carolina’s state races in the House, Senate, and Supreme Court.

Speaking of it being an election year, we can’t forget about the races across the state for the North Carolina House & Senate. Remember– terms for both NC House and Senate representatives are two years, so the next time we can directly influence who represents us is in 2024. 

Did you know that a term for our state’s Supreme Court is 8 years? NC’s Supreme Court serves as the highest appellate court in the state, so this is an important election. Two justices have come up for re-election, so it’s time to get familiar with Sam Ervin and Robin Hudson’s policies and rulings. Click here to see all of the seats up for grabs this year!

The Redistricting Battle​

Photo by Slowking4 | CC-BY-NC 3.0

We’re sure you’re familiar with the battle over redistricting– too often, the story of North Carolina politics has been colored by blatant gerrymandering and partisan gamesmanship. The maps have already been challenged in court and affirmed by North Carolina judges, but the appeals process is already underway. The trial has been quick, so there could be enough time to redraw the maps. Now, there’s a vote underway to push back the primary elections to June 7th.

 

Extremists are really interested in our elections this year. You should be, too.

Over the last few months, we’ve seen our local school board meetings become hotbeds for extremist rhetoric, anger, and violence. We’ve seen this extremism show up in all kinds of races across the state and county– including our local school boards. Whether it’s about questioning science or book banning, our children and schools are stuck in the middle of a battle that they did not ask for and don’t deserve. We’ve got to intervene where we can, and that starts with talking to each other and organizing across the state to stop harmful rhetoric from taking hold in our schools.