A powerful new origin story for N.C. candidates

North Carolina's Helene recovery mistakes will drive a new crop of candidates

Superheroes all have origin stories, and so do the best political candidates.

By that I mean a simple, authentic and powerful answer to the question that trips up so many people running for office: Why are you running, and why now?

The classic example is the former soldier who emerged from the military with a love of country and an inclination to service. There are too many of these messages to count, but here’s a good one from Rep. Allen Chesser.

More recently, there’s been a wave of candidates who have run for office inspired by the COVID-era school closures. My mind immediately goes to Moms for Liberty-endorsed candidates for school board — more successful nationally than in North Carolina, but some General Assembly members fall into this camp as well.

The messy Hurricane Helene recovery will be the next source of political candidates

I predict that come November for municipal elections and 2026 for state ones, there will be a small but sizable crop of first-time candidates inspired to…