What is Longleaf Politics?

Smart conservative takes on North Carolina politics.

Longleaf Politics is an independent newsletter about North Carolina politics and government.

Every Monday at 6 a.m., you’ll get a lot more than who’s up and who’s down. I write about how campaigns are run, what politicians are getting right and wrong, and whether the ideas coming out of Raleigh will actually make North Carolina a better place.

Longleaf Politics has a conservative perspective, but this is no party newsletter. I try to call things as I see them, give credit where it’s due and criticize my own side when warranted. The goal is good government and sane politics.

More than 3,200 people now read Longleaf Politics, including elected officials, political professionals, journalists and people who simply care about North Carolina.

About the author

I grew up in Apex, started my career in Wilmington and have called Charlotte home since 2011. I spent a decade as a journalist, including at The Charlotte Observer and as editor-in-chief of Charlotte Agenda.

In 2019, I went from covering campaigns to working on one, serving as communications director for Dan Forest’s gubernatorial race. Today, I write a weekly opinion column for the state’s metro newspapers.

I’m also the author of The Change Agent, a biography of former North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory.

When I’m not writing, you can find me exploring North Carolina with my wife and four kids or making the case for the sweet potato as our state’s greatest export.

What readers say

“Longleaf Politics does a great job helping the public understand the complex political issues surrounding the state. Definitely a must-read for anyone involved in North Carolina politics.”

“While we’re on opposite sides of North Carolina’s political divide, I like what you’re doing with this newsletter. You’ve always struck me as one of the more thoughtful contributors in the wooly world of NCPOL.”

"I love your take on things. And that you're not a bomb-throwing partisan who can never recognize when 'the other side' is right on something.”