On the Record | The races that will determine the future of North Carolina state politics

Election results across the country are showing positive signs for Democrats. Since President Donald Trump started his second term, special elections to fill vacant Congressional seats have yielded tepid Republican turnout. Democrats have flipped more than two dozen GOP-held legislative seats. And in North Carolina, Democrats last year won almost every single municipal seat up for election in Wake County.

That raises the question: Can the Democrats harness that momentum to gain control of at least one chamber of the GOP-run North Carolina General Assembly? And, if not, will they be able to muster enough power to affect policy?

WRAL state capitol reporter Paul Specht and Louis Fernandez speak through what races will make the different and impact the balance of power come November.

The WRAL Daily Download is an in-depth conversation about a single news story. WRAL covers news across North Carolina every day, but this podcast focuses on one story at a time, bringing context to each conversation. The in-depth, localized podcast takes you into the latest stories from Raleigh, Durham, and the entire Triangle region on North Carolina. This is community news aimed at keeping you informed about the more subtle stories that are happening around you. Hosted by WRAL News journalists, episodes post weekdays by 4:30am.