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North Carolina’s 2026 midterm elections have dramatically reshaped the state’s political landscape. Democrats reclaimed the NC House of Representatives for the first time in 16 years, Republicans suffered significant losses, and voters delivered a complicated message about the future of conservative politics.
What happens next in Raleigh?
On this episode of Locked In with Algenon Cash, Democratic State Representative Amber M. Baker of Forsyth County and Mitch Kokai, senior political analyst at the John Locke Foundation, examine the election results, the Republican Party’s changing political fortunes, and the challenges of governing under a new balance of power.
From Roy Cooper’s U.S. Senate victory to the defeat of longtime Republican legislators, the Democratic resurgence surprised even members of the party. Yet voters simultaneously approved three conservative-backed constitutional amendments addressing income taxes, property taxes, and voter identification.
Are North Carolinians abandoning conservative principles, or rejecting the Republican candidates asking for their votes?
The conversation explores Donald Trump’s influence on the GOP, divisions within the conservative movement, Governor Josh Stein’s legislative opportunities, and the future of education funding, taxes, economic development, and divided government.
Can North Carolina’s newly divided legislature find common ground, or is another period of political gridlock ahead?
Subscribe to Locked In with Algenon Cash for thought-provoking conversations about politics, economics, business, culture and public policy. Watch on YouTube or listen through the Triad Podcast Network, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Also airing Sundays at 7:30 AM on WTOB.
