Tying It Together with Tim Boyum

In this week’s episode, Tim talks with North Carolina GOP chairman Michael Whatley about the U.S. House Speaker race in Washington, the political nature of courts and the 2024 election.

Host Tim Boyum and Whatley also discuss his incredible background that includes ramping up Donald Trump’s first run in North Carolina, chief of staff for former Senator Elizabeth Dole, and as a George W. Bush attorney who was in the room analyzing ballots in Florida in 2000.

You have probably never heard of Brookford, North Carolina, but you will never forget it after this conversation with 24-year-old police chief Willie Armstrong.    Beyond his accomplishments at a young age, he has overcome so much in his life and a lot of that is because of an officer that now works for him. Chief Armstrong tells stories that will bring tears to your eyes hearing what endured through with parents that struggled with addiction and criminal activity.    Later, he discusses his appearances on a national TV show, On Patrol Live, and how it’s bringing attention to his community and himself.

In a special bonus episode, House Speaker Tim Moore joins the podcast just days after the state budget was passed.

Host Tim Boyum and the House Speaker discuss the budget, casinos, school vouchers, public records and a bill that will completely change the makeup of election boards just months before the election. 

Later, they talk about Speaker Moore moving a Democrat’s office to an old closet, and if he plans to be on the ballot in 2024.

Earlier this year, 25-year-old Anderson Clayton took the political world by storm when her energy caught fire and launched her to victory in the North Carolina Democratic Party Chair’s race.    Now seven months later, she returns to the podcast to talk about the newly passed state budget, why she finds it harder now to seek common ground with Republicans, criticism over Joe Biden’s age and even Taylor Swift (of course, right?).

The state budget is now nearly three months late, a Supreme Court Justice quits to run for governor, proposals to expand casinos stir up controversy, a man who called for a new election in 2018 after someone on his campaign allegedly committed election fraud is running again in 2024. 

Phew, what a time in North Carolina politics. 

This week, strategists Morgan Jackson and Jonathan Felts help sort it out in the bluntest of terms. Jackson works for Gov. Cooper and Attorney General Josh Stein. Felts was George W. Bush’s political director and helped Ted Budd win his U.S. Senate race in 2022.

The past several election cycles, North Carolina is often mentioned among the potential swing states and receives a lot of attention.    But recent analysis shows as few as three or four states will make a difference in the presidential election. Does North Carolina make the cut?    Kyle Kondik, Managing Editor of Sabato’s Crystal Ball, joins host Tim Boyum with the answer, a long discussion about the 2024 presidential race in North Carolina and our congressional races and race for governor.

This week, host Tim Boyum takes us inside the world of political opposition research. We’ve all seen the ads, heard about salacious accusations or ready stories about political candidates. And most of that comes from what’s known as opposition research. 

He talks with two North Carolinians involved in some of the more famous opposition research cases in recent times. Republican Charles Hellwig helped dig up information on 2020 U.S. Senate candidate Cal Cunningham, and David Wheeler discovered and released several things about 2022 candidate and U.S. Representative Madison Cawthorn. 

Both candidates ended up losing.

The two argue opposition research is vital for a campaign and not some dark room operation.

As we await a final state budget plan, last-minute negotiations are intensely focused on the potential of allowing multiple casinos across North Carolina beyond the tribal casinos already in place.   It’s an intense debate that crosses party lines, and could happen in the next two weeks. Now a group of sports betting companies want in on the action with the ability to gamble on your phone, too.   This week, Sports Betting Alliance Vice President Scott Ward joins host Tim Boyum to explain what’s going on behind the scenes, what mobile gambling would look like, and how he counters some concerns over competition, gambling addiction and more!

He helped lead the effort to expand the ACC conference a dozen years ago, but also resigned from UNC Chapel Hill after the fraudulent class scandal involving athletes and “no-show” classes.   Now, Holden Thorp, a Fayetteville native, joins host Tim Boyum to talk about those times, and put into perspective the chaos of collegiate athletics. Thorp candidly discusses conference realignment, Name Image and Likeness, the transfer portal and whether UNC could ever leave the conference without NC State.   Finally, he reflects on leaving his home university now a decade later.

A North Carolina native, Kody Kinsley has a fascinating story from a first in the family college graduate, to working for presidents, to now North Carolina’s top health official. 

This week, host Tim Boyum discusses Kinsley’s role in changing policy to allow gay men to donate blood as a gay man himself. The two also discuss his push to get Medicaid expansion into place ASAP, and the future of health care.