The nation's political eyes are on North Carolina. First, for the gerrymandering lawsuit that the state supreme court is expected to rule that will determine lines for U.S. House and General Assembly elections this year, but also for the U.S. Senate election which could determine which party controls the chamber next year.
In the background of both of those, is the growing schism in the Republican Party, between the side that supports former President Donald Trump and the side that doesn't like his tone and methods. A poll this month done by the John Locke Foundation only underscored the growing differences.
Cory Vaillancourt, the politics editor for Smoky Mountain News and a BPR contributor, has spent the past months examining that growing schism in his reporting. He joins BPR's Matt Bush to talk about that, plus what he remembers from one year ago when he attended President Biden's inauguration in DC. Their interview will be a part of a new episode of The Porch, this Friday morning at 9 on Blue Ridge Public Radio.