An interesting article at Longleaf Politics by Andrew Dunn deserves a look. He says NC Republicans face a bleak future for key statewide offices. While I don’t completely agree with every aspect of his analysis, he makes some good points:
The party comes out of the election cycle leaderless, directionless and with a particularly bleak future. The problems run deeper than a bad candidate. They’re systemic.
Despite periodic victories, Republicans in North Carolina have put zero effort into building a framework that will outlive an individual candidate. Instead, the party’s factions have torn each other apart rather than rally around a cohesive vision or leader…
They’re consistently outspent in high-profile campaigns, and have never strategically lined up candidates for higher office. They don’t communicate a vision with the electorate and even attempt to rally around a leader or vision.
That’s the difference in N.C. politics. While the conservative movement has made great strides in states like Florida and Virginia over the last half-decade, North Carolina now has little prospect of gaining ground in the next 20 years.
Instead, the blame typically goes to the candidates themselves, or perhaps the voters…
Winning over the primary electorate just takes a strong leader, coherent message and some money.
Even if the party were to get serious about candidate recruitment, there’s precious little hope for Republicans in the coming years. What sane Republican will want to run into a $100 million Stein buzzsaw in 2028? And Cooper could very well grab a U.S. Senate seat in 2026 from a hamstrung Thom Tillis.
That puts Attorney General-elect Jeff Jackson well-positioned to run for governor in 2032 and 2036, with no Republicans of similar stature on the rise.
Will Jackson then lead the next great Democratic dynasty? Almost certainly, if the Republican Party doesn’t change.
My oh my what a bleak outlook.
At least there is still control of the General Assembly, but with leadership there that has turned left, it really IS bleak.