Gumberry
Granville County Board of Commissioners candidates, Josh Shank, Amanda LaBrecque and Joe Sinnema—all Republicans—won their races in District 7, District 6 and District 2, respectively.
RALEIGH – State and local officials gathered last week in Raleigh to celebrate the renaming of a local post office after a civil rights leader, and a member of the only all-Black female World War II unit. Millie Dunn Veasey was a staff sergeant with the 6888th Central Postal...
Voters in N.C. House District 24 chose experience and continuity at the ballot box, returning Democratic incumbent N.C. Rep. Dante Pittman to Raleigh for another two-year term in the legislature. Pittman secured his reelection with 18,017 votes, earning 58.26% of the vote. His Republican opponent, Blake Boykin, received 12,910 votes, or 41.74%, according to unofficial election results. District 24 encompasses all of Wilson and the southeastern corner of Nash County. In Nash County, Boykin fared much better, taking 61.14% of the total votes cast in the Sharpsburg precinct, which accounted for 1,158 votes. Pittman garnered 736 votes in the Sharpsburg precinct (38.86% of the total votes cast in Nash County). Tuesday’s outcome means Pittman will continue representing District 24 in the N.C. House, with the Democrats poised to take the majority control of that chamber if unofficial vote tallies hold after canvassing. News outlets reported that Republicans will still hold a majority in the N.C. Senate. Tuesday’s race drew nearly 30,927 votes, reflecting strong voter participation in the district for a midterm contest. In 2022, the last time Nash and Wilson counties’ voters went to the polls in a midterm election, the N.C. House District 24 race garnered 27,889 votes.
CLAYTON – Nearly 70 acres of undeveloped land along the Neuse River near the Johnston-Wake county line have been permanently protected from development as part of an effort to preserve water quality and expand a nearby nature preserve. Triangle Land Conservancy announced it protected the 69-acre tract, known as...
Democrat Lorenza M. Wilkins won the N.C. House District 25 race with 52.67% of the vote, defeating two-term Republican incumbent Allen Chesser.
Republican State Rep. Howard Penny Jr. won a fourth term in the North Carolina House of Representatives Tuesday, defeating two challengers in District 53, which includes portions of Johnston and Harnett counties. Penny received 17,570 votes, or 51.56 percent, compared to 15,787 votes, or 46.32 percent, for Democrat Kevin Thurman....
Election night was a triumph for Granville County Republicans in county commissioner contests.
After a closely watched race for one of the county's more important judicial administrative positions, Nancy Blount has been elected Nash County Clerk of Superior Court. Blount defeated incumbent Linda Thorne with 21,573 votes, or 53.24 percent of the vote, compared with Thorne's 18,950 votes, or 46.76 percent, according to unofficial vote tallies. The result marks a transition in leadership for an office that serves as the public's primary point of contact with the court system. The Clerk of Superior Court's office oversees a wide range of responsibilities, including court records, estate proceedings, guardianships, special proceedings, jury administration and numerous other functions that support both District and Superior Court operations. For many residents, the clerk's office becomes part of their lives during significant moments, whether settling the affairs of a loved one, serving on a jury or navigating a legal matter. With the election behind her, Blount now turns her attention to preparing for the transition into office and the responsibilities that come with it. Supporters say Blount's campaign resonated with voters who were looking for both experience and a commitment to responsive public service. Throughout the campaign, she emphasized the importance of accountability, accessibility and maintaining public confidence in
Wake County school board members are creating a process to punish members for misconduct while saying they’re not going to stifle dissent. The Wake County school board gave initial approval Wednesday to a revised Code of Ethics policy that creates a process for publicly censuring board members. School board chair Tyler Swanson said the policy changes will provide clear guardrails on what board members can and can’t do. “Our job is the governing body,” Swanson said in an interview after the vote. “This policy does not yield that power away to staff. It allows us to have some checks and balances, so the board can stay above the fray, and staff can deal with the day-to-day operations through the superintendent’s guidance.” He said they’re emulating school districts such as Johnston County, which has censured members over their conduct. In 2022, Johnston County school board member Ronald Johnson was censured for actions such as trying to transfer the children of an adversary and for inappropriately texting sexual comments about a female school employee during board meetings. In 2025, Johnson was removed from the school board by a judge after being convicted of extortion and obstruction of justice. Caution urged on enforcing
SMITHFIELD – Johnston County Sheriff Steve Bizzell won an eighth four-year term Tuesday, extending his tenure as the longest-serving sheriff in county history. Bizzell, a Republican, received 54,865 votes in Tuesday’s general election. He was unopposed on the ballot after defeating challenger Randy Ackley in the March Republican primary.
Massive wins across North Carolina for Democrats and losses for Republicans in 2026 election have multiple causes, complex implications.
With more than percent of precincts reporting, Democrat and Lee County native Paul Barringer declared victory Tuesday night over Republican Congressional Representative Bradd Knott. If the lead holds, Barringer would become the next representative from North Carolina’s 13th Congressional District – and likely the first member of Congress from Lee...
SMITHFIELD – Johnston County Board of Commissioners Chairman Patrick Harris won another term Tuesday, turning back a write-in challenge, while newcomer Adam Caldwell and incumbent Commissioner R.S. “Butch” Lawter Jr. also won seats on the seven-member board. Harris, a Republican representing District 5, received 49,331 votes, or...
Durham County voters cast ballots in record numbers this election, even though there weren’t many local candidates on the ballot. Voters saw no challengers in the election for sheriff, district attorney or clerk of Superior Court. But those were only a few of the races on a ballot packed with federal, state and judicial contests, along with three proposed state constitutional amendments. As of 4 p.m. Tuesday, the Durham County Board of Elections said over 23,700 voters cast ballots on Election Day with polls closing at 7:30 p.m. During the early voting period, Durham County surpassed 100,000 voters, the largest early-voting turnout for a midterm election in the county’s history. There are about 250,000 eligible voters in the county. The big picture The countywide officers on the ballot Tuesday were effectively elected in the March primary, when Democratic candidates won. Sheriff Clarence Birkhead, District Attorney Satana Deberry and Clerk of Superior Court Aminah Thompson were all on the ballot unopposed. For the Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor, two people were on the ballot for two open seats: David Harris and Mark Waller. But Durham County voters were also choosing between candidates in the U.S. Senate race, the 4th Congressional
New balance of power in Raleigh
Choo choo is about to get very serious. More than 500 vendor tables and 16 working layouts are filling one enormous North Carolina room, and I already know I would lose track of time almost immediately. What pulls me in is how many different people can enjoy the same show...
Construction has begun on a 20-story residential tower in Midtown Raleigh that will combine 289 rental apartments with an 80,000-square-foot athletic club and a 40,000-square-foot rooftop recreation area. Dewitt Carolinas and Life Time marked the groundbreaking of Life Time Living at The Exchange Raleigh, formally launching the second phase of...
Last month, a cell tower company applied to expand its relatively small data center in western Raleigh four days before the city passed a data center moratorium. American Tower, based in Massachusetts, wants to expand its approximately 15,000-square-foot data center on Chapel Hill Road by about 10,000 square feet. The News & Observer tried to contact American Tower on Monday but did not receive a response. The facility is far smaller than the 100,000-square-foot data center proposed on Jones Sausage Road near Southeast Raleigh over the summer. That proposal, ultimately withdrawn, asked the city to annex property to allow the data center to move forward. That, in turn, prompted the City Council to pass a six-month moratorium on data center applications on Oct. 6. That was aimed at buying time to develop regulations around the facilities. The moratorium applied to facilities that are 10,000 square feet or larger. But because American Tower’s expansion plans were submitted before the moratorium was passed, the moratorium won’t apply. “There’s nothing we can do to change the approval process that this current data center is under,” said City Council member Jane Harrison, whose district houses the data center. “It’s under our old rules.” What
DeLeon “Dee” Parker says he is ready to get to work after voters elected him to represent District 5 on the Nash County Board of Commissioners, succeeding longtime Commissioner J. Wayne Outlaw, who opted not to run for reelection. According to unofficial elections results, Parker, a Republican, defeated Democrat Erica Mitchell by a margin of 3,838 votes (60.54%) to 2,502 votes (39.46%), prevailing in the county’s only contested commissioner race. For Parker, the victory represents both an opportunity and a responsibility. “It’s a tremendous honor to follow Wayne,” Parker said shortly after elections results were announced. “He’s been such a solid presence for Nash County and representing our district over the years. He leaves a very strong legacy of leadership, and it’s an honor to follow in those footsteps.” Outlaw’s retirement closes a chapter that began in December 2008. For nearly two decades, he became a familiar voice on issues ranging from county growth and economic development to budgeting and public services. During the campaign, Outlaw publicly endorsed Parker, a move that connected the first-time candidate to one of the board’s longer-serving members. While Parker has never held elected office, he is no stranger to county government. Since 2016, he
