Good morning, readers.
This morning, we published a pair of stories on the NC Senate District 22 race between incumbent state senator Mike Woodard and his Democratic primary challenger Sophia Chitlik. The first looks at how the two would differ in terms of how they’ll handle being in the minority in the Republican legislature. The second is an 11th hour deep dive into their newly updated campaign finance reports.
Chitlik says her campaign is “entirely funded by real people” and that her finance data is “reflective of a pretty large grassroots campaign to put a progressive in this office.” As of February 17, Chitlik had received contributions from around 250 individual donors, many of whom live within NC Senate District 22.
But nearly half of the $189,142 that Chitlik has raised has come from her family members, herself, or wealthy out-of-state donors who have no clear ties to the district, including the heirs to the Timberland boot family fortune, the spouse of ShotSpotter’s largest investor, a philanthropist accused of a quid pro quo involving Hunter Biden, and a meditation instructor whose father created the show “Cheers.”
Meanwhile, 77 percent of the $60,000 that Woodard has raised has come from PACs. Given the number of pro-Woodard mailers that PACS have sent out recently—at least 10 by our count—it’s likely that special interest groups have spent tens of thousands of dollars promoting Woodard’s campaign via independent expenditures.
Woodard says people are welcome to examine his legislative record if they’re concerned about buying votes. Chitlik says to turn North Carolina from purple to blue, it’s going to require a national network of funders and supporters.
Election Day is tomorrow! Find all of our coverage here and follow our reporting and election updates in real time on our live blog.
Have a good Monday, everyone.
—Jane and Lena
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Durham
Durham’s city council could vote on a three-year contract with ShotSpotter at its meeting this evening. In an op-ed, East Durham resident taari felice argues that the more than $600,000 the city could spend on ShotSpotter would be better put toward the local community.
A bouldering gym called the Boulder Garden is coming to downtown Durham this fall.
Wake
The Wake County Southern Regional Center in Fuquay-Varina will reopen to patients today offering prenatal care, pediatric care, and STD screening. The clinic hasn’t been open fully since the outbreak of the pandemic.
Orange
Ahead of the election, Orange County Schools Board of Education members and candidates are looking to the new superintendent to forge a path forward.
North Carolina
North Carolina’s governor may have limited powers compared to other states’ governors, but there’s a fierce fight for the office nevertheless.
Today’s weather
Sunny with a high of 67 degrees.
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