Politics

Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles announced her endorsement of Michael Bloomberg as the Democratic presidential candidate for 2020 about two weeks ago -- and immediately began facing some backlash. One of the surprising voices to come out against the support was Lyles' own daughter, Aisha Alexander.

NPR is repeatedly visiting several cities which will play a big role in the 2020 presidential election. First stop: Charlotte to see where voters are on the issues and on the candidates.

You don't need an ID to vote in the North Carolina primaries. That's because a federal court put a state law on hold until a case challenging voter ID can be heard. Last week, a state appeals court blocked it indefinitely. In his response to the federal ruling in December, North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore described the law as "one of the nation's most lenient voter ID laws."

The GOP’s Senate Leadership Fund admitted Friday to meddling in North Carolina’s Democratic Senate primary and said it “stole a page out of Chuck Schumer’s playbook.”

Updated 5:53 p.m.

Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey testified Wednesday in the political bribery trial of businessman Greg Lindberg. Lindberg and two of his associates are accused of trying to funnel $2 million to Causey in exchange for removing a senior deputy in his office who was part of the regulation of Lindberg's insurance companies.

WFAE's Steve Harrison has been at the federal courthouse in Charlotte to hear testimony and opening statements. He joined All Things Considered host Gwendolyn Glenn and WFAE's Nick de la Canal for an upate.

The federal bribery trial for political mega-donor Greg Lindberg began Tuesday in Charlotte with jury selection.

Lindberg, along with two of his associates and a former North Carolina congressman and GOP chair, were indicted on a slew of federal charges last March — charges tied to the bribery of a state elected official.

In the brightly lit Best Diner in Greensboro, a group of black voters discuss their thoughts about the upcoming presidential election.

Democratic presidential candidates and their surrogates are crisscrossing North Carolina as Super Tuesday draws closer. And they’re doing everything possible to appeal to black voters.

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders spoke at a campaign rally at Charlotte’s Belk Theater on Friday ahead of the rapidly approaching North Carolina primary, listing reasons why he believes he is the best candidate to defeat President Donald Trump in the 2020 election.

Here’s what a typical field office for a presidential candidate looks like: It’s about 800 square feet. Hidden on the second floor of a shopping center, with signs taped to an outside door, directing people inside.

This office – for Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren – was mostly empty one day this week, except for a couple of college-age supporters.

Then there is Michael Bloomberg’s Charlotte office. 

North Carolina’s primary is less than three weeks away. It’s Super Tuesday and former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg will be on primary ballots for the first time. He’s been spending big on TV ads in North Carolina. 

Recently his campaign mailed letters to people, criticizing President Donald Trump for creating chaos while in office, and asked for people’s vote. It included this phrase, "North Carolina election law allows all registered voters, regardless of registration to vote in the Democratic primary."

New Hampshire is casting its vote in the Democratic presidential primary today, and in less than three weeks — Feb. 29 — all eyes will turn toward South Carolina. It’s a crucial vote, since it’ll be the first primary in the South and the first in which a majority of voters are expected to be African American.