Do Politics Better Podcast

Rep. Brenden Jones is the new House Majority Leader in 2025-2026 and ascends to the role as Rep. Destin Hall, Jones' friend and roommate, will be Speaker of the House.  

The four-term veteran lawmaker from Columbus County opens up about the House's new leadership team, their plans for the biennium, including building bridges with the Senate leadership and House Democrats.  

Skye and Brian also break down a volatile special session this week, Republicans elect leadership teams in House and Senate, #TOTW, Thanksgiving, and remembering Tim Kent.  

The Do Politics Better podcast is sponsored by New Frame, the NC Travel Industry Association, the NC Beer & Wine Wholesalers Association, the NC Pork Council, and the NC Healthcare Association.

Most of the NC politics world knows Dr. Jeff Warren as Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger's first science advisor starting in 2011 before he began work at the NC Collaboratory in 2017.  

Dr. Warren talks about is policy work for Sen. Berger, his career at what is now the NC Department of Environmental Quality before working in the Senate, the creation of the NC Collaboratory in 2016, teaching science policy at UNC, and how he squares politics, science, and religion.  

Plus, Skye and Brian talk about a pair of outstanding Senate and Supreme Court races still counting ballots, big campaign donors, the General Assembly's lame-duck session, House leadership elections, former Labor Commish Josh Dobson's new gig, gubernatorial transition team, #TOTW, and more.  

The Do Politics Better podcast is sponsored by New Frame, the NC Travel Industry Association, the NC Beer & Wine Wholesalers Association, the NC Pork Council, and the NC Healthcare Association.

Skye and Brian go through the 2024 election results, including the race for NC's 16 Electoral College votes, U.S. Congress, Governor and Council of State, the General Assembly, the NC courts, and more.  

They also talk about the possible power dynamic between a new Democratic governor and his former colleagues in the General Assembly.  

Plus #TOTW, holiday decorations, and what to do now that the election is over.  

The Do Politics Better podcast is sponsored by New Frame, the NC Travel Industry Association, the NC Beer & Wine Wholesalers Association, the NC Pork Council, and the NC Healthcare Association.

Congressman Patrick McHenry is wrapping up a storied 20-year career in the U.S. Congress this December.  The Republican from the 10th District talks to Brian about his time in Congress, including the nearly three weeks in 2023 he spent as the Speaker of the House, as well as his first elected position as a state legislator in the General Assembly in 2003-2004.  

Skye and Brian also talk about strong early voting numbers, campaign finance reports, final polling, #TOTW, and more.  

The Do Politics Better podcast is sponsored by New Frame, the NC Travel Industry Association, the NC Beer & Wine Wholesalers Association, the NC Pork Council, and the NC Healthcare Association.

Rep. Jake Johnson is Western North Carolina to his core.  Born and raised in rural Polk County, he knows just about everyone in his close-knit district spanning over Rutherford, McDowell, Henderson, and his home county. The 30-year old Republican talks about his public service, including his important position as co-chair of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, also called Gov-Ops for short.  

However, the conversation isn't all business as Skye and Brian discover Rep. Johnson has a love for (almost) all things James Bond, and he has family ties to moonshine, racing, and coon dogs.  

Plus, NC is inside two weeks of Election Day, early voting numbers are coming in strong, Mark Robinson amends his lawsuit, #TOTW, Skye's appearance on State Lines gets unwanted attention to her feet, and more.  

The Do Politics Better podcast is sponsored by New Frame, the NC Travel Industry Association, the NC Beer & Wine Wholesalers Association, the NC Pork Council, and the NC Healthcare Association.

Political consultants Nathan Babcock, a Republican, and Kimberly Reynolds, a Democrat, preview the 2024 General Election.  The veteran operatives discuss #ncpol races from U.S. President to Council of State to the General Assembly, including the disruptive effect of the Mark Robinson scandal on all races.  

Skye and Brian also talk early voting, the Lt. Governor's press conference, the latest Carolina Journal Poll, Rep. Jimmy Dixon is running for House Majority Leader, #TOTW, and more.  

The Do Politics Better podcast is sponsored by New Frame, the NC Travel Industry Association, the NC Beer & Wine Wholesalers Association, the NC Pork Council, and the NC Healthcare Association.

Professor Chris Cooper's 'Anatomy of a Purple State' hit bookstores this week and the Western Carolina University political scientist stops by the podcast to discuss it with Skye and Brian.  

While in Raleigh, Dr. Cooper also talks about Hurricane Helene's impact on his part of the state and the effect he thinks the aftermath of the storm will have on the November 5th election.  And speaking of unprecedented storms, Cooper also talks about Mark Robinson's possible effect on down ballot races.  

Plus, the General Assembly returns to Raleigh to begin addressing the Helene recovery process, three new House members seated, swing state POTUS polling, an #ncpol reporter moves up and out, former Rep. Phil Haire dies, #TOTW, and more.  

The Do Politics Better podcast is sponsored by New Frame, the NC Travel Industry Association, the NC Beer & Wine Wholesalers Association, the NC Pork Council, and the NC Healthcare Association.

Kelly McCullen is the host of State Lines, a weekly roundtable public affairs show that features political analysts, journalists and elected officials.  Kelly also serves as executive producer to several PBS-NC public affairs shows, including Side by Side with Nido Qubein and The NC Listening Project.  

The Clinton native also talks about his start in broadcasting at a regional AM radio station in Sampson County, his path to TV journalism, and his witness to political change in the General Assembly over the last 20 years.  

Plus, Skye and Brian talk about the devastation in western NC caused by Helene, 2 new court cases, new polling, #TOTW, and more.   

The Do Politics Better podcast is sponsored by New Frame, the NC Travel Industry Association, the NC Beer & Wine Wholesalers Association, the NC Pork Council, and the NC Healthcare Association.

Lobbyist Mike Carpenter is a fixture at the General Assembly in his role as General Counsel at the NC Home Builders Association.  However, many don't realize that it was Mike who started the government relations program at NCHBA in 1989 after a career prosecuting drug dealers in the NC Attorney General's Office.  

Mike takes listeners all the way to 1971, when he was a college intern in the Lt. Governor's Office (one of the most powerful legislative offices in state government at the time), his stint a few years later working for U.S. Sen. Sam Irvin on the Watergate Committee, and surviving a plane crash in western NC in 1984. 

This week's #TOTW also sets Skye and Brian up to discuss the bombshell news still rocking #NCPOL.  

The Do Politics Better podcast is sponsored by New Frame, the NC Travel Industry Association, the NC Beer & Wine Wholesalers Association, the NC Pork Council, and the NC Healthcare Association.

Note from DPB:  This podcast was recorded the day before CNN broke the news about Lt. Governor Mark Robinson's alleged online pornography posts.  Skye and Brian record a brief intro before the podcast starts to give listeners a heads up to this fact and to comment about the gravity of the news. The podcast will talk more about the controversy next week.  

Sen. Bob Brinson (R-Lenoir/Craven/Beaufort) is the newest member of the NC Senate, and after his first day of casting votes in the September legislative session, he sat down with Skye and Brian to talk about his life, military career, and public service, including the dramatic hours leading up to him filing for his Senate seat.  

Then Sen. Benton Sawrey co-hosts the podcast with Brian as Skye enjoys a vacation trip.  The Johnston County Republican helps Brian understand the latest Carolina Journal Poll from the John Locke Foundation, with a focus on the four swing Senate races.

They also discuss AI campaigning, nominee taking the seat of the late Rep. Kelly Alexander, a storm hits the coast, the Christian Action League is dissolving, #TOTW, NC State football, and more.  

The Do Politics Better podcast is sponsored by New Frame, the NC Travel Industry Association, the NC Beer & Wine Wholesalers Association, the NC Pork Council, and the NC Healthcare Association.