Weekly Recap: A look at opposition research, Cooper vetoes two bills and Josh Stein could soon face a primary opponent
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed an elections bill and a measure aiming to reduce his influence on state boards and commissions.
Greetings all, let’s dive into the week that was in North Carolina politics…
🔬Art of Oppo
On Wednesday, an article I wrote for The Assembly went live. In it, I dive into the dark side of politics: Opposition research.
Among the highlights: How 2020 Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Cal Cunningham’s Cunningham’s affair came to life and fresh reporting on a Federal Election Commission investigation into whether he misused campaign funds for an extramarital affair and an Army investigation into Cunningham’s conduct. The story also profiles Charles Hellwig, the man who was instrumental in bringing the affair to light and upending one of the nation’s costliest races.
My piece in The Assembly also looks forward to the 2024 election, where a Democratic group that helped unseat U.S. Rep. Madison Cawthorn last year has its eyes on a new Republican political target: Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson.
You can read the takeaways from the story here.
🔨Cooper vetoes two bills
On Thursday, Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed a pair of GOP bills that would reduce his influence on state boards and commissions and make notable changes to how elections are administered in North Carolina.
The measures are likely to be overridden in the coming weeks, thus becoming law over the governor’s objections. Both measures could face legal challenges and be ultimately resolved in the courtroom.
If Senate Bill 747 were enacted, the following policies would take effect ahead of the 2024 primary:
Eliminate the three-day window after the election where mail-in ballots could be counted and instead require ballots to arrive at county elections offices by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day. Military and overseas voters could have their ballots counted if they are received the business day before the day of canvass
Allow partisan poll observers to take photos and videos of certain activities at voting sites, so long as they do not record any voter’s marked ballot, and move around precincts more freely
Prohibit the use of private money in election administration
Create a mail-in ballot signature verification pilot program for the 2024 primary election in 10 counties chosen by the State Board of Elections
Require the State Board of Elections (and each county elections board) to include a prominent notice on its website regarding the requirement to show photo ID to vote in person
A person who registers and votes on the same day must have a “retrievable ballot” that county elections officials could throw out if an address cannot be verified
Under Senate Bill 512, Cooper would lose the following appointment powers:
8 appointments to the Board of Transportation would instead go to the Republican-controlled legislature
4 appointments to Commission for Public Health would instead go to the Republican-controlled legislature
3 appointments to the Coastal Resources Commission would instead go the Republican-controlled legislature (2 members) and Commissioner of Insurance (1 member), currently a Republican
2 appointments to Environmental Management Commission would instead go to the Commissioner of Agriculture, currently a Republican
1 at-large appointment to the Wildlife Resource Commission would instead go the Commissioner of Agriculture, currently a Republican
1 appointment to the North Carolina Railroad Board of Directors would instead go the State Treasurer, currently a Republican
👨🏾⚖️A contested Democratic gubernatorial primary?
On Thursday, North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Michael Morgan announced his plans vacate his seat on the week of Sept. 4. He has considered jumping into the Democratic gubernatorial primary, where he would look to claim his party’s nomination over Attorney General Josh Stein.
“With the help of my outstanding staff, all of my opinions and assignments have been completed as the Court acts on them and concludes its current cycle in the coming days,” Morgan wrote on Twitter on Thursday.
Cooper will appoint Morgan’s successor, who would serve out the remainder of his term expiring at the end of 2024. Among the potential replacements: NC Court of Appeals Judge Allison Riggs and former state Supreme Court Chief Justice Cheri Beasley.
Barring unforeseen GOP departures on the 5-2 conservative majority court, Democrats wouldn’t be in a position to retake control of the bench until 2029 at the earliest. Morgan’s seat will be up for grabs in 2024.
⏰What to Watch For
It’s unlikely the legislature will enact a budget by Thursday, which means that Medicaid expansion implementation would face a two-month delay from an Oct. 1 launch that Cooper had hoped for to Dec. 1.
Republican lawmakers are likely to override Cooper’s two vetoes, but, like the budget, that may not happen this week.