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Good morning and welcome to Under the Dome. My name is Ronni Butts here to give you the latest in North Carolina state politics with an assist from our democracy reporter, Kyle Ingram.
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With 55 days left until the midterms, North Carolina Supreme Court Associate Justice Anita Earls, a Democrat, is ramping up her reelection campaign by releasing her first digital ad of the election cycle.
Earls, who has served as an associate justice on the court since 2018, is running against former state Rep. Sarah Stevens, a Republican who represented Surry and Wilkes counties before stepping down in June to focus on her campaign.
So far, both candidates have been active on social media and have made appearances at party and campaign events. But the coming weeks, and the campaign ads to come, may determine whether North Carolina will have a nearly all conservative court.
Earls has significantly outraised Stevens 13 to one in campaign donations.
Roughly a dozen protesters gathered outside the North Carolina Supreme Court on Tuesday in opposition to Chief Justice Paul Newby, a Republican whom they accused of corruption as the high court began a week of oral arguments.
The protesters, who held a large sign saying “Stop Newby’s Corrupt Court,” did not address a specific case on the court’s docket, but rather a series of controversies involving Newby and other Republican justices.
In particular, the group pointed to the high court’s decision to uphold a rate hike from Duke Energy earlier this year despite Newby’s wife holding major investments in the company.
“They’ve proven over and over again that they will put themselves, their own interests, and the most powerful people in North Carolina above the Constitution, above the rule of law, and above the people,” Eric Holl, an organizer with the Justice Project, said.
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Holl also noted that Justice Phil Berger Jr., a Republican, has not recused himself in several major cases directly involving his father, Senate leader Phil Berger. Berger Jr. announced last week that he would not seek another term as associate justice when his term ends in 2028, though he hinted that he may seek a different office.
After brief remarks, the group of protesters entered the Supreme Court chambers to sit in on arguments in a case involving the NCAA. Holl said they planned to “sit there quietly.”
“We’re just here to show them that we’re watching,” he said. “We’re going to hold them accountable, and hopefully, change is going to come.”
— Kyle Ingram
That’s all for now.
Thanks so much for reading. We’ll see you right back here tomorrow.
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