On this week’s episode, host Tim Boyum reconnects with Shelane Etchison. She was North Carolina’s first ever Congressional unaffiliated candidate to make it on the ballot. Independents aren’t a party, they aren’t a third party, they’re exactly as they sound — independent.

Although she lost the election, she significantly outperformed all other non-major party candidates, exceeding expectations. 

“The burden for unaffiliated candidates to get on the ballot, I believe, is too high right now. The bar is too high right now,” Etchison told Boyum. “The amount of money I had to allocate to that, the time and effort, it just already puts you at an impasse.”

So, how does she feel now after running? Can an unaffiliated candidate ever win, and what’s next for her? Listen to find out her experience.

Next year, North Carolina will host what is expected to be the most important and expensive U.S. Senate races in the country.

This week, incumbent Thom Tillis’ consultant, Jordan Shaw, joins host Tim Boyum in studio to talk about the Tillis campaign. The two also talk about the impact President Trump has on candidates and Sen. Tillis’ potential Democratic opponents. 

"The best politicians are the ones who are able to thread the needle," Shaw told Boyum. "And that's a very small, small hole to thread right now."

They close the podcast by delving into the possibilities for the Republican party in 2028 and beyond. Tim also shares some memories from over the years of covering Thom Tillis that he said will be etched in his memory forever.

On this episode of Tying it Together, North Carolina’s new House Speaker Destin Hall joins host Tim Boyum for a wide-ranging discussion about his new role and working with a new governor. At just 37, he’s the state’s youngest speaker ever, and he’s not afraid to be frank.

Speaker Hall also goes in depth with Tim on the major topics of today like Hurricane Helene relief, immigration and much more. 

“If you’re here illegally and you’re committing crimes you gotta go,” he told Tim on the podcast. He added that being rules chair for almost five years with N.C. Sen. Phil Berger has helped him gain experience and respect in getting deals done.

The podcast ends with Tim shooting a few fun questions at Speaker Hall.

On this week’s episode, host Tim Boyum talks with former Senior White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates.

Bates, a North Carolina native and N.C. State grad, spent significant time in the White House with President Biden and on the campaign trail with him as well.

He takes us behind-the-scenes of working in the high-pressure job, trips on Air Force One, Biden’s decision to get out of the race, and what he thinks Democrats should do next.

Attorney and former Democratic politician Wiley Nickel joins host Tim Boyum this week to talk about his time in Congress.

Former congressman Nickel served as the U.S. representative for North Carolina’s 13th district from 2023 to 2025. He tells Tim why he was so concentrated on gerrymandering during that time. "Gerrymandering isn’t about the number of states, it’s about the number of districts carved up by politicians in each state," he said in one post. He also hints at a potential run for U.S. Senate in 2026. 

Nickel wraps up by spending time talking about his childhood experience having a TV news reporter for a mom, and his work for Al Gore and Barack Obama’s presidential campaigns.

On this week's episode of Tying it Together, host Tim Boyum gives us a look at what we can expect from Washington politics in 2025.

He spent several days there during the recent snowstorm, sitting down with three newly elected members of Congress from North Carolina: Rep. Pat Harrigan, Rep. Addison McDowell and Rep. Brad Knott.

He also talks with Washington pundit Doug Heye, who graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1994. Later, he gets 2025 political previews from Spectrum News national political reporters Taylor Popielarz and Reuben Jones.

This week, Tim Boyum interviews top Republican strategist Paul Shumaker about his analysis of the 2024 elections, and their implications for the future. 

Shumaker has won five U.S. Senate races as a consultant and currently works for U.S. Senator Thom Tillis, who is up for reelection next year. 

Shumaker offered insights into the race, including thoughts on Governor Cooper’s possible run and potential 2028 gubernatorial candidates.

A Tying It Together tradition — Billy Warden and Brian Lewis join Tim for yet another hilarious, and somehow, informative, look at the year in politics and a look ahead to 2025. 

Billy Warden, chief strategy officer with RLF Communications, also sings his annual parody Christmas song. Brian Lewis, founder of New Frame, gives us some insight into what 2024 might mean for 2025. 

It’s always a fun to celebrate the holidays and year-end, especially after a rough-and-tumble election season.

On this week’s episode, we have a spirited debate over the words liberal and conservative. 

What does it mean to be liberal or conservative? Do those terms automatically connect to Democrat and Republican? 

This debate started during a recent TV segment between Charlotte City Councilman Tariq Bokhari and former mayor pro tem Braxton Winston, who also ran for Labor Commissioner this year. Sit back with your new presents, a cup of coffee, and see how you fit — or don’t — into these widely used terms.

In a recent surprise, North Carolina Senate Democrats announced a new leader that was not Dan Blue. Sen. Sydney Batch will take his place next year after a decade of different leadership. 

Sen. Batch joined host Tim Boyum to discuss her background in an incredibly successful family, working with her husband at their law firm, surviving breast cancer, and how she plans on leading Democrats much differently than her predecessor, and how she will get along with Sen. Phil Berger.

“I have a lot to learn. I’m grateful to Sen. Blue to help guide me through this, and I have no doubt that Sen. Berger will let me know exactly how the trains stay on track,” she told Tim in the interview.

Sen. Batch added she believes the state is much more purple than the legislature is made to believe due to gerrymandering. She believes in respectfully disagreeing and disputing where possible and standing up for her party’s values.