Cotton candy sky tonight

At the beginning of this academic year, this poster in my office required no sticky notes.

Read the opinion here: punchbowl.news/1260127/ (complete with Ralph Waldo Emerson quote).

At various times in my life, I've lived in Spartanburg, Columbia, and Rock Hill, SC. The proposed SC #gerrymander has the unique distinction of splitting all three. #scpolitics #southernpolitics davesredistricting.org/maps#viewmap...

"scheduled maintenance." So that's what we're calling it now?

Even before the allegations of the last week, #nc11 was as competitive as it's been since 2010. Even so, it's worth noting that Chuck Edwards is not a pushover candidate. In 2024, he won by a larger margin than in #nc11 than every other candidate. See ⤵️ #ncpol

Sabato’s Crystal Ball moving #nc11 from likely to lean Republican #ncpol centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/...

“In the mountains we have to shovel horseshit,” he told The Assembly before an event at Blue Ridge Community College in Flat Rock. “In D.C. I have to deal with horseshit. And these allegations are more horseshit.” www.theassemblync.com/news/politic...

Canvas calling their grading function "speed grader" feels like violence at the end of every semester.

#nc11 #ncpol www.axios.com/2026/05/04/c...

This week, the Supreme Court finally killed off the Voting Rights Act of 1965. I've spent the past decade studying the VRA and the attacks on it, so I thought I would offer some historical perspective, and where I think we're headed. This will be a long thread; buckle up.

Re-upping this one on the legislative party switches in #ncpol for the weekend crowd. Also includes a mini-rant on dummymandering that is relevant to what's occured the last few days. chriscooperwcu.substack.com/p/nothing-le...

Your grocery store may have fresh croissants and those little sprinklers that keeps the kale damp, but mine plays Are You Sure Hank Done it this Way and Coat of Many Colors. Back-to-back.

#nc11 #ncpol www.notus.org/congress/chu...

"The committee was recently contacted by a witness, who described having witnessed improper behavior, the sources said." www.cnn.com/2026/04/30/p...

www.axios.com/2026/04/30/c... #ncpol #nc11

I'll give SCOTUS this--they could not have tee'd up the last day of my southern politics class any better. Not too many opinions opine about the "full-blown two-party system" that has emerged in the South & discuss the relationship b/w race and partisanship. A final exam ?, disguised as an opinion

This is perhaps the most significant Supreme Court race-related decision in modern history. While people will focus on Congress, this decision will dismantle thousands of districts electing representatives of minority communities at the state and local levels

There are 0 White Democrats in Congress from the deep South. There are 0 Black Republicans in Congress from the deep South. #Callais requires plaintiffs in Section II claims to prove "intentional racial discrimination" by disentangling race and partisanship. 🤔

Want to read a post about legislative party switching that leads with a Kris Kristofferson quote? Interested in a pedantic addendum about the proper use of the term dummymander? Content that you'd be hard-pressed to find elsewhere ⤵️ #ncpol chriscooperwcu.substack.com/p/nothing-le...

. #ncpol hive mind came through w/ three more NCGA party switchers 🙏 Cunningham & Majeed are still the only ones to switch after losing a primary. I expect there are more switchers in the 1980s, so if you know of any, please LMK.

Terrific capstone presentations today by WCU MPA students! Rigorous, applied research that helps us understand and improve Western North Carolina.

#ncga House member Nasif Majeed is joining Carla Cunningham in switching from the Democratic Party to Unaffiliated, so I thought I'd look back at the history of party switching in NC Here's a working list of all switchers who switched while in the NCGA. If you know of others, LMK. #ncpol (1/3)

What will likely decide whether the VA redistricting stands won't be about the legality of partisan gerrymandering, but rather about the definition of the words "election" and "session." ⤵️ apnews.com/article/redi...

New at Tusk: No, this wasn’t a false flag. And no, an assassination attempt doesn’t give a president magic powers.

1st #nc11 survey to hit my phone this cycle. Side note to whoever is conducting this—probably not great to start w age & zip code before the respondent knows what the survey is about

"Kevin Wilkinson, David Ferrell, Douglas Bowen Heath & Douglas Miskew now each face a single misdemeanor charge of solicitation to commit violations of the offense of giving gifts by lobbyists and lobbying principals." Read ⬇️ ⬇️; see all of their clients at 🔗 ⬇️ #ncpol www.sosnc.gov/webfiles/doc...

Triangle friends: come out tomorrow (April 21) to celebrate the publication of Bill Link's excellent new book on Jesse Helms at Flyleaf books. John Drescher and I will be on a panel with Link discussing the book and Helms' legacy. Should be fun. Will be even more fun if you're there. #ncpol

MIT's Election Performance index has been updated to include the 2024. Look up any state and see how it compares on a host of different measures of election performance. elections.mit.edu?utm_source=s... For an explanation, see: playingwithelectiondata.substack.com/p/the-electi...

Chuck Edwards' Q1 FEC report is out (through the end of March). ~785K total in receipts ~490K cash on hand If you want to read through every expenditure (including $7.99 at the Sylva Zaxby's, have at it: docquery.fec.gov/pdf/563/2026... #nc11 #npol #avl #wncpol

Teaching about migration and population growth in southern politics tomorrow. This one says more than 1000 academic articles ever could.

re-upping for the evening crowd. #ncpol

Migration is changing #ncpol. The graph below is the % of each voter registration cohort (1st time registrants) who are identified as a NC native in the NC voter file. 🛑Lots of missing data on this field, but the trend is still striking.

The Completely Avoidable Embarrassment of the Literacy Test in North Carolina's Constitution And Why We Should Use This Short Session to Do Something about it. #ncpol open.substack.com/pub/chriscoo...

“'The bones of this race are really difficult to overcome unless something drastic happens,' one North Carolina Republican strategist admitted to us." @jessicataylor.bsky.social / @cookpolitical.com moved the #ncsen race from Toss-up to Lean Dem #ncpol ⤵️

If you’ve got even the smallest interest in professional cycling, tune into #ParisRoubaix

. @coryvaillancourt.bsky.social reports that Anna Ferguson has been chosen to fill the NC-119 seat (Jackson, Swain, Transylvania) & will appear on the Nov '26 ballot She will be the 1st woman & the first enrolled member of the EBCI in the #ncga House #ncpol smokymountainnews.com/news/item/41...

The Sylva Herald is reporting that 4 people are vying to fill the #ncga district 119 seat (& appear on the November ballot): Anna Ferguson, Shira Hedgepeth and Molly McKim (all Jackson County), and Larry Chapman (Transylvania County) (1/5) 🧵 www.thesylvaherald.com/top_stories/...

Raphael Lemkin’s definition:

The sky got the message—always look your best for Easter.

Lindsey Graham is running an ad in the SC primary with the tag, "South Carolina Republicans deserve a Senator who says no to cocaine and yes to the truth." Also notable, Pee Wee Herman makes an appearance.

Remembering when I woke up on Easter Sunday to find a tape of Dire Straits Brothers in Arms in my Easter Basket. Mid 1980s Easter Bunny slapped.

THREAD: Groups are starting to sue to block President Trump's executive order that calls for restricting voting by mail...

Curious why Phil Berger's primary loss is such a big deal? ⤵️ #ncpol #statepolitics open.substack.com/pub/chriscoo...

With today's #SCOTUS oral arguments on birthright citizenship, where do North Carolinians stand on this democratic principle? #ncpol Some analysis at: ncpoliticscenter.substack.com/p/who-counts...

If I understand ⬇️ correctly, states would have to submit to the USPS a list of mail voters at least 60 days before an election. Helene hit #wnc 39 days before the 2024 election. If this EO was law then, Helene victims would have had no way to request a mail ballot after they were displaced #ncpol

Also: This was the only case left from court's October sitting other than CALLAIS, the VRA case. The only justice who hasn't written a decision from that sitting is Alito. The court tries to distribute cases fairly evenly, so strong odds that Alito is writing for the majority in Callais.

The End of the Berger Era: Why is Phil Berger's loss such a big deal? 🔗 ⤵️ #ncpol #statepolitics chriscooperwcu.substack.com/p/the-end-of...

Just read that Jon Dee Graham passed away. If you don’t know Jon Dee or his music, start w this piece by @chuckreece.bsky.social If you do know his music, still read this piece by Chuck Reece RIP bittersoutherner.com/jon-dee-grah...

The Haire Institute for Public Policy is pleased to welcome Katie Searles to speak on: "How News Coverage of Democracy Affects Audience Participation" on April 5 in Apodaca 201 on the WCU campus. Please join us if you're in the greater Cullowhee metropolitan area. All invited #polisky #wnc