NC Deep Dive

County government is where politics stops being abstract and starts showing up in your everyday life, in the schools your kids attend, the roads you sit on, the housing costs that keep climbing, and whether mental health care is actually available when a family needs it. Christine Kushner, a Democratic candidate for the Wake County Board of Commissioners At-Large seat, shares clear, detailed insight about what the county does and what she wants to change.

We get specific about the pressures of rapid growth in Wake County and what it takes to keep infrastructure and services from falling behind. Kushner lays out her priorities around affordability, youth mental health, and homelessness, including why access to providers is a bottleneck and how partnerships with municipalities and nonprofits can help people move from crisis to stability. We also talk about environmental quality of life, from protecting open space and tree canopy to long-range water planning.

Public education and public dollars are a major thread. Kushner explains the county’s role in capital funding for Wake County Public Schools, why teacher supplements matter for retention, and what worries her about private school vouchers and accountability. We also dig into property taxes, unfunded mandates that land on county budgets, and her concerns about a proposed property tax cap amendment.

If you care about Wake County growth, housing affordability, public school funding, mental health services, and smart local governance, this conversation will help you vote with more confidence. Subscribe, share this with a neighbor, and leave a review so more voters can find it.

Christine Kushner: Campaign Finance Report

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Voter Information (Register, Am I Registered?, Election Information)
Voter Info (Designated Polling Places, Sample Ballots, Registration Status, Voting Jurisdiction, Verify Address and Party Affiliation)
Election Information (Absentee by Mail Voting, Early Voting, Election Day Voting)

Early Voting - October 15-31

Closest Early Voting Locations

WE Hunt Recreation Center-Holly Springs

Hilltop Needmore Town Park Clubhouse-Fuquay Varina

Beech Bluff County Park

Wake Tech-Southern Campus

ELECTION DAY
Tuesday, November 3 from 6:30 AM to 7:30 PM

Support the show

As always, if you are interested in being on or sponsoring the podcast or if you have any particular issues, thoughts, or questions you'd like explored on the podcast, please email [email protected].  Your contributions would be greatly appreciated.

Now, let's dive in!

Appeals aren’t TV courtroom drama, and they aren’t a second shot at arguing the facts. They’re where the rules get enforced, errors get corrected, and precedent gets set and for most North Carolina cases, the Court of Appeals is the final stop. That’s why we sit down with Judge Michael C. Byrne, the Republican candidate for the North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 1, for a clear, practical conversation about what the job really demands. 

We talk through the biggest differences between trial courts and appellate courts, including why the Court of Appeals reviews for legal error, why it typically does not re find facts, and how standards like de novo review and the whole record test shape outcomes. Byrne draws on his experience as an administrative law judge and attorney for working people to explain how administrative law touches everything from state employee rights and due process to agency decisions with major real world impact. 

We also get specific about values that are easy to say and harder to prove: judicial restraint, impartiality, and judicial independence. Byrne shares why he believes “justice delayed is justice denied,” what docket discipline looks like in practice, and how judges can rebuild public confidence by doing the work and applying the same law to everyone. We close with voter ready reminders for the 2026 midterm election, including early voting dates, photo ID, and where to find your sample ballot. 

Subscribe for more candidate conversations, share this with a neighbor who wants to vote informed, and leave a review to help more North Carolinians find the show. 

Michael C. Byrne: Campaign Finance Report

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Voter Information (Register, Am I Registered?, Election Information)
Voter Info (Designated Polling Places, Sample Ballots, Registration Status, Voting Jurisdiction, Verify Address and Party Affiliation)
Election Information (Absentee by Mail Voting, Early Voting, Election Day Voting)

Early Voting - October 15-31

Closest Early Voting Locations

WE Hunt Recreation Center-Holly Springs

Hilltop Needmore Town Park Clubhouse-Fuquay Varina

Beech Bluff County Park

Wake Tech-Southern Campus

ELECTION DAY
Tuesday, November 3 from 6:30 AM to 7:30 PM

Support the show

As always, if you are interested in being on or sponsoring the podcast or if you have any particular issues, thoughts, or questions you'd like explored on the podcast, please email [email protected].  Your contributions would be greatly appreciated.

Now, let's dive in!

Most people can explain what a governor or a legislator does. Far fewer can tell you what the North Carolina Court of Appeals decides even though it is often the final stop for the vast majority of appeals and the place where real lives quietly change course.

We sit down with Judge John Arrowood, the Democratic candidate for North Carolina Court of Appeals Seat 1, to break down how appellate courts work in plain language. We talk about why the Court of Appeals is an error-correcting court, what it means to decide cases from the cold record, and why appellate judges do not re-try facts or re-weigh credibility. John also explains standards of review, how precedent binds panels, and what judicial restraint looks like when the court could rule broadly but chooses a narrower path.

From there, we connect process to impact. The Court of Appeals handles major categories of law that touch daily life across North Carolina: criminal appeals, civil disputes, domestic relations like custody and support, administrative law and workers’ compensation, and child welfare cases including termination of parental rights. We also discuss court funding, the importance of competent representation on both sides, and how changes affecting civil legal aid can shape access to justice for people who cannot afford a lawyer.

We close with practical voter guidance for the 2026 election, including where to read Court of Appeals slip opinions, how to research judges, and why skipping judicial races can have long-term consequences. Subscribe for more North Carolina judicial election coverage, share this with a friend who wants to vote informed, and leave a review to help more voters find the show.

John S. Arrowood: Campaign Finance Report

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Voter Information (Register, Am I Registered?, Election Information)
Voter Info (Designated Polling Places, Sample Ballots, Registration Status, Voting Jurisdiction, Verify Address and Party Affiliation)
Election Information (Absentee by Mail Voting, Early Voting, Election Day Voting)

Early Voting - October 15-31

Closest Early Voting Locations

WE Hunt Recreation Center-Holly Springs

Hilltop Needmore Town Park Clubhouse-Fuquay Varina

Beech Bluff County Park

Wake Tech-Southern Campus

ELECTION DAY
Tuesday, November 3 from 6:30 AM to 7:30 PM

Support the show

As always, if you are interested in being on or sponsoring the podcast or if you have any particular issues, thoughts, or questions you'd like explored on the podcast, please email [email protected].  Your contributions would be greatly appreciated.

Now, let's dive in!

Growth in Wake County is changing everything at once: commutes, school capacity, housing prices, healthcare access, and even how we think about data privacy. We sit down with Mona Singh, a Democratic candidate for the Wake County Board of Commissioners at-large seat, to hear how a longtime tech and product leader would bring a root-cause, people-first approach to county government. If you’ve ever wondered why county decisions feel disconnected from real life, this conversation is built to close that gap.

We talk about two pressures she hears most often from residents: jobs shifting because of technology and automation, and affordability, especially healthcare affordability. From there, we get practical about what it means to connect the dots across “silos” like public education funding, stable housing, mold and HVAC issues in schools, mental health, and community supports that prevent crises before they become 911 calls. We also discuss growth planning and why Wake County and its municipalities need a shared plan for infrastructure, permits, and a more useful public transportation network as new development spreads farther from job centers.

Singh also brings an angle you don’t hear often in local elections: AI governance. We dig into the difference between helpful AI and risky generative or surveillance uses, and what guardrails could look like around tools like flock cameras, data access, retention, and oversight. Toward the end, we cover her view on the ballot amendments, what accountability should look like, and where voters can learn more at MonaforWake.com, plus how to find your jurisdictions and sample ballot via NC Voter Search.

Subscribe for more 2026 Wake County election interviews, share this with a neighbor, and leave a review with the one issue you want county leaders to tackle first.

Mona Singh: Campaign Finance Report

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Voter Information (Register, Am I Registered?, Election Information)
Voter Info (Designated Polling Places, Sample Ballots, Registration Status, Voting Jurisdiction, Verify Address and Party Affiliation)
Election Information (Absentee by Mail Voting, Early Voting, Election Day Voting)

Early Voting - October 15-31

Closest Early Voting Locations

WE Hunt Recreation Center-Holly Springs

Hilltop Needmore Town Park Clubhouse-Fuquay Varina

Beech Bluff County Park

Wake Tech-Southern Campus

ELECTION DAY
Tuesday, November 3 from 6:30 AM to 7:30 PM

Support the show

As always, if you are interested in being on or sponsoring the podcast or if you have any particular issues, thoughts, or questions you'd like explored on the podcast, please email [email protected].  Your contributions would be greatly appreciated.

Now, let's dive in!

Flooding, drought, dirty creeks after a storm, disappearing trees, vanishing farmland, and rising water demand can feel like separate problems until you trace them back to one place: how we use land in Wake County. That’s why this conversation with Samantha Krop, a candidate for Wake Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor, is so eye-opening. Samantha brings a rare mix of experience as a former educator and current riverkeeper, where her day job includes water quality monitoring, pollution investigations, and turning hard data into real-world advocacy. 

We walk through what the Soil and Water Conservation District actually does, why the Board of Supervisors matters even as an advisory body, and how conservation dollars can support projects like stream restoration, farmland best management practices, land conservation, and urban flooding fixes. Samantha also breaks down the basics without talking down to anyone: what stormwater is, why impervious surfaces like pavement change everything, and how green stormwater infrastructure (rain gardens, wetlands, cisterns) can mimic nature to reduce runoff and improve water quality. 

A big thread running through the episode is climate resiliency and environmental justice. Who floods first? Who gets heat relief from tree canopy? Who lives near the legacy of underinvestment and pollution? We also talk about the tradeoffs of rapid growth, the risks of sprawl, and what “watershed-wise” development could look like if Wake County plans for 2070 instead of just the next subdivision. 

Listen, share it with a neighbor who cares about clean water and smart growth, and then subscribe, rate, and review NC Deep Dive so more local voters can find these candidate conversations.

Samantha Krop: Campaign Finance Report

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Voter Information (Register, Am I Registered?, Election Information)
Voter Info (Designated Polling Places, Sample Ballots, Registration Status, Voting Jurisdiction, Verify Address and Party Affiliation)
Election Information (Absentee by Mail Voting, Early Voting, Election Day Voting)

Early Voting - October 15-31

Closest Early Voting Locations

WE Hunt Recreation Center-Holly Springs

Hilltop Needmore Town Park Clubhouse-Fuquay Varina

Beech Bluff County Park

Wake Tech-Southern Campus

ELECTION DAY
Tuesday, November 3 from 6:30 AM to 7:30 PM

Support the show

As always, if you are interested in being on or sponsoring the podcast or if you have any particular issues, thoughts, or questions you'd like explored on the podcast, please email [email protected].  Your contributions would be greatly appreciated.

Now, let's dive in!

Growth is reshaping Wake County fast, and the question hiding in plain sight is simple: will we still have clean water, working watersheds, and enough farmland when the next wave of development hits? I sit down with CeCe Grant, a candidate for Wake County Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor, to connect the dots between what looks like a small, nonpartisan race and the everyday basics we all rely on, from safe drinking water to flood-prone neighborhoods to the trees and green space that make people fall in love with North Carolina.

CeCe shares what pushed her to run after seeing repeated clear-cutting and topsoil stripping across the county, and she breaks down what “soil and water conservation” really means in common language: food and water. We talk about Wake County’s rapid farmland loss, the pressure on long-term water supply and water infrastructure, and why stormwater runoff is not just an environmental issue but a taxpayer issue when flooding forces expensive fixes and even home buyouts. She also explains the district’s advisory role and why strong plans like the Farmland Preservation Plan and One Water Plan only matter if leaders drive implementation.

We dig into practical ideas and tough tradeoffs: conservation easements, the possibility of agricultural zoning or stronger protective buffers near critical water sources like Falls Lake and Jordan Lake, coordination across all municipalities, and “green infrastructure” tools such as trees, native plants, rain gardens, and swales. You’ll also hear how CeCe thinks about prioritizing limited resources, finding outside funding, and expanding services like education, well water testing, and support for new farmers and agritourism.

Subscribe, share this with a Wake County neighbor, and leave a review so more voters can make informed choices and show up ready to vote.

CeCe Grant: Campaign Finance Report

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Voter Information (Register, Am I Registered?, Election Information)
Voter Info (Designated Polling Places, Sample Ballots, Registration Status, Voting Jurisdiction, Verify Address and Party Affiliation)
Election Information (Absentee by Mail Voting, Early Voting, Election Day Voting)

Early Voting - October 15-31

Closest Early Voting Locations

WE Hunt Recreation Center-Holly Springs

Hilltop Needmore Town Park Clubhouse-Fuquay Varina

Beech Bluff County Park

Wake Tech-Southern Campus

ELECTION DAY
Tuesday, November 3 from 6:30 AM to 7:30 PM

Support the show

As always, if you are interested in being on or sponsoring the podcast or if you have any particular issues, thoughts, or questions you'd like explored on the podcast, please email [email protected].  Your contributions would be greatly appreciated.

Now, let's dive in!

Your ballot can feel like a maze, especially after redistricting, but the stakes are simple: the choices in Raleigh shape your rent, your commute, your kids’ schools, and how safe you feel when you lock the door at night. Amanda Benbow Lunn sits down with Mary Insprucker, Republican candidate for North Carolina House District 36, to hear how she wants to represent parts of Cary, Apex, Holly Springs, and Fuquay-Varina in the 2026 general election.

We dig into affordability as a day-to-day reality, not a slogan. Insprucker explains why she prioritizes tax reduction and tax reform, including ballot amendments tied to tax limits and an income tax cap, and why she believes “fiscal responsibility” has to include stronger accountability. She argues for zero-based budgeting to force a fresh look at spending, reduce waste, and protect core services. We also talk about growth and infrastructure: traffic frustration across Southern Wake, the role of NCDOT funding, and how the state can keep roads and utilities from falling behind fast-moving development.

Education is a major focus too, from teacher pay and retention to school safety tools and the debate over opportunity scholarships and school choice. On housing, we cover practical levers that can change home prices, including permitting timelines, impact fees, zoning flexibility, and the costly due diligence process that can leave buyers out thousands. The conversation also tackles data centers, local control, moratoriums for further research, and where privacy should sit alongside public safety as technology like license plate readers expands.

If you want a clear, local, policy-focused look at what a District 36 candidate says she’ll fight for, hit play, then share this with a neighbor and leave a review so more voters can find it.

Mary Insprucker: Campaign Finance Report

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Voter Information (Register, Am I Registered?, Election Information)
Voter Info (Designated Polling Places, Sample Ballots, Registration Status, Voting Jurisdiction, Verify Address and Party Affiliation)
Election Information (Absentee by Mail Voting, Early Voting, Election Day Voting)

Early Voting - October 15-31

Closest Early Voting Locations

WE Hunt Recreation Center-Holly Springs

Hilltop Needmore Town Park Clubhouse-Fuquay Varina

Beech Bluff County Park

Wake Tech-Southern Campus

ELECTION DAY
Tuesday, November 3 from 6:30 AM to 7:30 PM

Support the show

As always, if you are interested in being on or sponsoring the podcast or if you have any particular issues, thoughts, or questions you'd like explored on the podcast, please email [email protected].  Your contributions would be greatly appreciated.

Now, let's dive in!

Wake County is growing at a pace that feels exciting until you sit in traffic, open your property tax bill, or try to find a home you can actually afford. We sit down with Wake County Board of Commissioners at-large Republican candidate Gary Hartong to unpack what “catching up to growth” really requires, and why he frames his run as an infrastructure-first campaign rooted in long-range planning.

We get specific about the pressure points: road congestion, water and sewer capacity, and the real-world risk of waiting too long to plan for the next major water supply source. We also dig into county budgeting and stewardship, including how leaders can use return on investment to rank competing needs while still delivering an excellent level of service. Education comes up in a big way, from facility maintenance and deferred repairs to the tradeoffs between large bond referenda and a pay-as-you-go approach that targets upgrades like HVAC without decades of interest costs.

Housing affordability and homelessness round out the conversation, with a focus on partnerships with nonprofits, avoiding duplicated efforts, and the practical goal of keeping workers like first responders close to where they serve. We also share voting basics you can use immediately: how to find your jurisdictions and sample ballot, why many ballots are double-sided, and key election reminders like early voting (October 15 to October 31), Election Day (November 3), photo ID requirements, and registration rules. And remember, you'll get to vote for up to two candidates for this race!

Subscribe, share this with a neighbor, and leave a review if it helped you feel more prepared to vote. What is the one issue you want the next Wake County commissioners to tackle first?

Gary Dale Hartong: Campaign Finance Report

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Voter Information (Register, Am I Registered?, Election Information)
Voter Info (Designated Polling Places, Sample Ballots, Registration Status, Voting Jurisdiction, Verify Address and Party Affiliation)
Election Information (Absentee by Mail Voting, Early Voting, Election Day Voting)

Early Voting - October 15-31

Closest Early Voting Locations

WE Hunt Recreation Center-Holly Springs

Hilltop Needmore Town Park Clubhouse-Fuquay Varina

Beech Bluff County Park

Wake Tech-Southern Campus

ELECTION DAY
Tuesday, November 3 from 6:30 AM to 7:30 PM

Support the show

As always, if you are interested in being on or sponsoring the podcast or if you have any particular issues, thoughts, or questions you'd like explored on the podcast, please email [email protected].  Your contributions would be greatly appreciated.

Now, let's dive in!

Wake County is growing fast, and that growth shows up everywhere: school construction, EMS staffing, park demand, housing costs, and the property tax bill that funds most of it. I sit down with Safiyah Jackson, the democratic candidate for Wake County Board of Commissioners District 2, to get specific about how county government actually works and why revenue has become the battlefield where so many community priorities collide.

Safiyah explains her “babies to seniors” lens from 25 years of early childhood work and connects it to county responsibilities like public health, public safety, education funding, and the community assets that make life feel livable. We unpack what she calls cost shifting from the state and federal levels and why Wake County leaders are being forced into tougher choices even while residents expect services to keep pace with 66 new neighbors moving here each day.

We also dig into the Blue Ridge Loophole and how a well-intended affordable housing tax policy can be exploited in ways that reduce county revenue without lowering rents or adding supply. From there, we talk property taxes, the proposed property tax cap amendment, and why Wake is moving toward more frequent property revaluations to reduce sticker shock in a rapidly changing market. We close with what accountability looks like at the county level and how you can follow meetings, read budget materials, and participate in public comment.

If you care about Wake County public schools, housing affordability, homelessness solutions, local control, and smart budgeting, this conversation will help you connect the dots. Subscribe, share the episode with a neighbor, and leave a review so more Wake County voters can find it.

Safiyah Jackson: Campaign Finance Report

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Voter Information (Register, Am I Registered?, Election Information)
Voter Info (Designated Polling Places, Sample Ballots, Registration Status, Voting Jurisdiction, Verify Address and Party Affiliation)
Election Information (Absentee by Mail Voting, Early Voting, Election Day Voting)

Early Voting - October 15-31

Closest Early Voting Locations

WE Hunt Recreation Center-Holly Springs

Hilltop Needmore Town Park Clubhouse-Fuquay Varina

Beech Bluff County Park

Wake Tech-Southern Campus

ELECTION DAY
Tuesday, November 3 from 6:30 AM to 7:30 PM

Support the show

As always, if you are interested in being on or sponsoring the podcast or if you have any particular issues, thoughts, or questions you'd like explored on the podcast, please email [email protected].  Your contributions would be greatly appreciated.

Now, let's dive in!

Your ballot can feel overwhelming until you slow down and hear how a candidate thinks when the questions get specific. I sit down with State Senator Lisa Grafstein, who’s running for re-election in North Carolina Senate District 13, to talk through the issues voters in southern Wake County keep bringing up: the cost of living, the pace of growth, and whether state government is still working for the people who live here.

We get practical about the “pocketbook” problems behind big headlines, from energy costs to wage pressure and what it means when economic gains don’t reach the middle class. Lisa also explains how power works in Raleigh, including what a supermajority can do to the governor’s veto and why transparency matters when budgets and major bills move fast. If you’ve ever wondered who really has leverage in the legislative process and how ordinary residents can push back, this conversation is built for you.

We also dig into the policy debates shaping daily life across Wake County: infrastructure that lags behind development, the case for impact fees, and how North Carolina should handle data center growth without shifting costs onto local communities or residential ratepayers. On education, we talk public school funding, charter and private school options, and the accountability gaps around private school vouchers. And on privacy, we go straight at automated license plate readers, government databases, warrants, and where the line should be between public safety and freedom.

Subscribe for more 2026 election interviews, share this with a neighbor who wants to vote informed, and leave a review so more Wake County voters can find it.

Lisa Grafstein: Campaign Finance Report

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Voter Information (Register, Am I Registered?, Election Information)
Voter Info (Designated Polling Places, Sample Ballots, Registration Status, Voting Jurisdiction, Verify Address and Party Affiliation)
Election Information (Absentee by Mail Voting, Early Voting, Election Day Voting)

Early Voting - October 15-31

Closest Early Voting Locations

WE Hunt Recreation Center-Holly Springs

Hilltop Needmore Town Park Clubhouse-Fuquay Varina

Beech Bluff County Park

Wake Tech-Southern Campus

ELECTION DAY
Tuesday, November 3 from 6:30 AM to 7:30 PM

Support the show

As always, if you are interested in being on or sponsoring the podcast or if you have any particular issues, thoughts, or questions you'd like explored on the podcast, please email [email protected].  Your contributions would be greatly appreciated.

Now, let's dive in!