THANK YOU. AND COMMITMENT 2024. WE ARE EXACTLY ONE MONTH AWAY FROM THE NORTH CAROLINA PRIMARY, AND TODAY WE BEGIN OUR COMMITMENT 2024 COVERAGE WITH A LOOK AT THE CANDIDATES AND THE KEY ISSUES. BILL O’NEIL JOINS US NOW WITH THE STORY. IF YOU’RE WAITING UNTIL NOVEMBER TO CAST A BALLOT, IT COULD BE TOO LATE. MOST OF THE LEGISLATIVE AND CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATES ARE A SHOO IN COME NOVEMBER IF THEY WIN THE PRIMARY, BECAUSE MOST OF THE VOTING DISTRICTS FAVOR ONE PARTY OR THE OTHER, MAKING THE PRIMARY THE DECIDING RACE FOR VOTERS WHO MISSED THE PRIMARY WON’T HAVE A CHOICE COME NOVEMBER. IN NORTH CAROLINA’S SIX CONGRESSIONAL RACE. THE RACE INCLUDES SIX REPUBLICANS, BUT NO DEMOCRATS. THE INCUMBENT DEMOCRAT KATHY MANNING. DECIDED NOT TO RUN FOR A THIRD TERME. THE REPUBLICAN WHO WINS THIS PRIMARY GOES TO WASHINGTON. ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE POLITICAL AISLE, FORSYTH COUNTY VOTERS WHO MISSED THE PRIMARY WON’T GET A CHANCE TO PICK THEIR CHOICE FOR NORTH CAROLINA HOUSE. THE 72ND DISTRICT HAS TWO DEMOCRATS RUNNING, BUT NO REPUBLICANS. THE PRIMARY WINNER GOES TO RALEIGH, A PRIMARY IS A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT. TYPE RACE. LESS THAN A THIRD OF NORTH CAROLINA’S REGISTERED VOTERS TURNED DOWN FOR THE PRIMARY IN 2020. THIS YEAR, HOWEVER, ONE KEY ISSUE MAY CHANGE THAT TURNOUT. WE NEED TO REALLY RISE UP AS WOMEN AND SAY YOU’VE TAKEN AWAY OUR RIGHTS. ABORTION RIGHTS ISN’T ON THE BALLOT, BUT LAWMAKERS WHO MAY DECIDE ITS FUTURE IN BOTH NORTH CAROLINA’S LEGISLATURE AND THE U.S. CONGRESS ARE ON THE BALLOT. WOULD YOU BAN ABORTION COMPLETELY? I WOULD SUPPORT ANY BILL THAT WOULD THAT WOULD LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF ABORTIONS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN EIGHT YEARS, NORTH CAROLINA VOTERS WILL SELECT A NEW GOVERNOR. ON THE REPUBLICAN SIDE, IT’S MARK ROBINSON. BILL GRAHAM AND DALE FALWELL. WE CANNOT HAVE A REPUBLICAN PARTY THAT’S BASED ON HATE. IT NEEDS TO BE BASED ON HOPE. FIVE DEMOCRATS ARE IN THE RACE FOR GOVERNOR, A LIST THAT INCLUDES JOSH STEIN AND MIKE MORGAN. I’VE DARED TO DREAM BIG DREAMS ALL MY LIFE. ODDS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN AGAINST ME. NO RACE THIS YEAR HAS ATTRACTED MORE CANDIDATES THAN THE GOP PRIMARY FOR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR. 11 CANDIDATES IN ALL MORE THAN HALF OF THEM FROM OUR AREA INCLUDE ROCKINGHAM COUNTY SHERIFF SAM PAGE. DID YOU SERIOUSLY CONSIDER RUNNING FOR THE NORTH CAROLINA SENATE AND CHALLENGING SENATOR BURGER? I’M GLAD YOU BROUGHT THAT UP. DEMOCRATS HAVE THREE CANDIDATES RUNNING FOR SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION, TEACHER PAY BOOK BANS, AND A NEW LAW. THATRILLIONEQUIRES EDUCATORS TO INFORM PARENTS WHEN THEIR CHILD CHANGES. PRONOUNS ARE THE TOP ISSUES, AND NOW I’M LIKE, DON’T, DON’T TELL ME I WANT YOU TO BE SAFE. SO PLEASE DON’T. VOTERS WILKES AND ALEXANDER COUNTIES HAVE FOUR REPUBLICANS RUNNING FOR AN OPEN SEAT IN THE NORTH CAROLINA HOUSE. WOULD YOU SUPPORT GETTING RID OF THE INCOME TAX? OF COURSE. I DON’T WANT TO SEE ANY KIND OF TAX. WE’RE TAXED TO DEATH AS IT IS. ALAMANCE COUNTY HAS TWO DEMOCRATS RUNNING FOR STATE SENATE. WE ASKED THEM ABOUT BUCKY’S THE STATE’S NEWEST CONVENIENCE STORE, COMING SOON TO MEBANE. DO YOU FAVOR OR OPPOSE THE EXPANSION OF BUCKY’S HERE IN ALAMANCE COUNTY? WELL, I’M STILL HAVING THOUGHT ABOUT THAT. TWO DAVIDSON COUNTY REPUBLICANS, LONGTIME FRIENDS SQUARE OFF ONCE AGAIN FOR A SEAT IN THE NORTH CAROLINA HOUSE. CAN YOU GIVE ME A BILL OR SOMETHING THAT HE’S VOTED THAT YOU DISAGREE WITH? UH, ONE WITH MEDICAID EXPANSION VOTERS IN GUILFORD COUNTY, 62ND HOUSE DISTRICT HAVE FIVE CANDIDATES IN THE GOP PRIMARY, INCLUDING ONE OF THE YOUNGEST CANDIDATES TO EVER RUN FOR THE LEGISLATURE. IF I’M STRATEGICALLY AND UNIQUELY POSITIONED BECAUSE OF MY AGE TO BRIDGE THE GENERATIONAL GAP THAT THERE IS IN OUR STATE AND IN OUR COUNTRY, JACKSON BARBER SAYS HE’S 20 YEARS OLD. YOU’D HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE 1800S TO FIND SOMEONE THAT YOUNG SERVING IN THE NORTH CAROLINA LEGISLATURE. WE HAVE INTERVIEWED SOME THREE DOZEN CANDIDATES, AND YOU’LL HEAR FROM EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM DIRECTLY OVER THE NEXT MONTH. BI