The N.C. Board of Elections declined on Tuesday to certify petitions by progressive academic Cornel West’s Justice For All Party. Italo Medelius is leading Justice For All’s efforts in North Carolina. Leading up to the vote, he complained the state Democratic Party was playing a chicken-or-egg game with West and his followers.

Recent polling suggests Trump is a heavy favorite to win the state, of course, should Biden stay in the race. But it also raises the possibility of Republicans sweeping all 10 council of state seats along with the state Supreme Court race.

The race is not to run against Vi Lyles. But to succeed her, whenever she decides not to run again. But last Monday's City Council vote to spend $650 million to renovate Bank of America Stadium was the unofficial campaign opening for several council members, even if we don’t know when that campaign will be.

Before the March primary, the LGBTQ+ Meck Dems gave Democratic Mecklenburg Commissioner Pat Cotham one of its lowest ratings: “Insufficient.” Cotham has long been an outspoken advocate for the LGBT community, wearing rainbow tutus at the August Pride parade and supporting the passage of a county nondiscrimination ordinance.

Despite the huge sum of money at stake, and Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper’s checkered past when it comes to fulfilling public development plans, the five committee members showed little interest in asking hard questions about the proposal, which would keep the Carolina Panthers and Charlotte FC here for 15 years.

With five months until Election Day, North Carolina Republicans appear to have momentum, at least when it comes to how people identify themselves when they register to vote.

The city of Charlotte made one tough decision about how to trim its ambitions for its $13.5 billion transportation plan. But it’s probably not enough.

Republicans are warming up to non-Election Day voting (or trying to), having realized Democrats have exploited it to their advantage. The GOP’s problem, however, is that Republicans — most notably former President Trump — have trashed mail voting since the 2020 election.

Mecklenburg Sheriff Garry McFadden said the state is not being reasonable. He said he’s willing to reopen the detention center if he can hire state staff from the juvenile detention center in Cabarrus County.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Republican Women are holding an event this week in SouthPark to raise awareness about human trafficking, featuring a speaker who has courted controversy — to put it mildly.