We’re questioning candidates in 170 districts across NC, and making their answers free

As part of our 2022 election coverage, we sent out hundreds of candidate questionnaires for all 170 races for the North Carolina General Assembly. Compiling these responses is a lengthy process, but a grant from the American Press Institute is helping make this special coverage possible.

We’re calling it Project 170.

What makes this effort unique: All of the questionnaires will be available to local publications across the state for free, in an effort to help inform North Carolina voters this election season.

The questionnaires will also be free at newsobserver.com, heraldsun.com and charlotteobserver.com, without a subscription. But please consider subscribing to help make this coverage possible. Subscribers will get access to more Project 170 stories about the candidates, the state of play in the legislative elections and what it means for the balance of power in North Carolina. And we’ll keep you up to date with breaking news.

The N&O is one of 31 news organizations that received a grant from the American Press Institute’s Election Coverage & Community Listening Fund.

Kyle Ingram, a UNC-Chapel Hill journalism senior who was an intern on The N&O politics team in the summer of 2022, is leading the project.

On our latest Under the Dome politics podcast, Ingram talked with N&O politics reporter Dawn Vaughan about Project 170 and shared some key information from three of the legislative races.

• House District 37:
  
  Covers Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina and some of Apex.
  
  Erin Pare (R, incumbent): Priorities include lower taxes and inflation, school choice, funding school resource officers, and transportation and infrastructure.
  
  Christine Kelly (D): Priorities include education funding, environmental issues, and independent redistricting and voter access.
  
  
  
  

• House District 54:
  
  Covers Chatham and Randolph counties.
  
  Walter Petty (R): Priorities include enhancing education funding, supporting a parents’ bill of rights, and more funding for law enforcement and infrastructure.
  
  Robert Reives (D, incumbent): Priorities include tax cuts, funding education and Medicaid expansion.

• Senate District 39:
  
  Covers the southwestern part of Mecklenburg County.
  
  Mark Robeson (R): Priorities include law enforcement and public safety, budget handling and county tax appropriation.
  
  DeAndrea Salvador (D, incumbent): Priorities include strengthening education, the economy, public health and safety, and infrastructure.

Listen to Vaughan and Ingram’s conversation to learn more about those races, Project 170 and more to know about the General Assembly elections.

And stay tuned to the end for our picks for Headliner of the Week.

Under the Dome is available at campsite.bio/underthedome or wherever you get your podcasts.