Politics

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NEWS 10/10/24 10:10am

North Carolina governor race defined by stark contrast, serious consequences

By Miles Hayford

North Carolina’s general election for governor is a battle between contrasts. Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson will face off against Attorney General Josh Stein on Nov. 5, along with Libertarian Mike Ross, Green Party’s Wayne Turner and Constitution Party’s Vinny Smith. Ross, Smith and Turner are all polling at 3% or less, according to data from Sept. 25 to 29 in a Quinnipiac University poll. The two main candidates disagree on a number of issues and have been heavily in the spotlight with Robinson's most recent alleged offensive remarks.

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NEWS 10/8/24 9:28pm

Elon Town Council discusses upcoming schedule, reaffirms committee policy

By Cassie Weymouth

The town of Elon held a town council meeting Oct. 8 to address scheduling council meetings and reaffirm policies pertaining to committees and committee appointees. For the next two upcoming months, the meeting Nov. 10 was rescheduled to Nov. 17 and both Nov. 24 and Dec. 23 were canceled due to holiday rush, a motion passed by Randy Orwig. The town council also reaffirmed their bylaws, stating committees should consist of residents of Elon unless there is specific expertise needed or the potential member has vested interest.

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NEWS 10/4/24 6:20pm

Lt. Gov. urges supporters to vote, tells fans to ignore protests

By Avery Sloan

Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson filled the Hursey’s Bar-B-Q restaurant in Graham with supporters, local elected officials and law enforcement. Outside the restaurant, a handful of protesters were chanting things such as, “My body, my choice” at Robinson and his supporters. Robinson, the Republican candidate for the state governor race, spoke to supporters at Hursey’s on Oct. 4. Hursey’s employee Reggie Young said Robinson came to this spot because Hursey’s owner, Charles Hursey, “loves Mark Robinson.”

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NEWS 10/3/24 9:46am

Elon University community reacts to Mark Robinson controversy

By Trista Panagakos

After what began as a close gubernatorial race, now Republican candidate Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson does not seem like he has a high chance of winning, Carrie Eaves, political science professor, said. These comments include Robinson expressing support for reinstituting slavery, calling himself a “Black Nazi,” a “perv” and saying he enjoys transgender pornography. The gubernatorial race between Robinson and Democrat nominee Josh Stein has opened up with a recent Elon poll conducted between Sept. 4 to 13 finding Stein up by 14 points — before the comments came to light Sept. 19.

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NEWS 10/2/24 12:50am

Alamance County Board of Commissioners candidates prioritize lowering taxes, funding education

By Avery Sloan

The six candidates running for Alamance County's Board of Commissioners spoke at a forum held Oct. 1 at the Paramount Theater in Burlington. The board has six commissioners, with three seats open at this election. Two candidates, Democrat Pamela Tyler Thompson and Republican John Paisley Jr., are running for reelection and Democrat Carissa Graves, Democrat Chris Smith, Democrat Anthony Pierce and Republican Ed Priola are looking for a seat. The forum was hosted by Impact Alamance, Alamance Chamber and Elon University with support from the city of Burlington and Elon News Network.

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NEWS 10/1/24 3:27pm

Pennsylvania governor shows support for North Carolina Democrats

By Fiona McAllister

In an effort to rally supporters for Democrat candidates such as Josh Stein, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, the Alamance County Democrats welcomed a special guest — Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro. Shapiro addressed the North Carolina Democrats on Sept. 29 at the Democratic headquarters in Burlington, emphasizing the urgency of active participation in the upcoming election. ACD volunteer Robert Shuford said it was exciting to see Shapiro talk to Alamance County citizens to help other Democratic candidates.

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NEWS 10/1/24 10:36am

Candidates differ on budget plans at ABSS Board of Education candidate forum

By Avery Sloan

Candidates at the Board of Education candidates forum agreed that the Alamance-Burlington School System needs to focus on students and help recoup its finances — but candidates differ on the best way to do that. The event, sponsored by Impact Alamance, Elon University and The Alamance Chamber — with support from Elon News Network and the city of Burlington — was Sept. 30 at the Paramount Theater in Burlington. Five out of the eight candidates were present at the forum, which was moderated by Ann Bullock, dean of the Dr. Jo Watts School of Education.

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NEWS 9/12/24 5:36pm

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at Greensboro focusing on healthcare, cost of living

By Avery Sloan

Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to speak at 7 p.m. at the Greensboro Coliseum. This event is a part of her campaign’s New Way Forward battleground tour, with the goal of reaching undecided voters. This is her second event in North Carolina today and both campaigns have already visited North Carolina multiple times this month. But, in a recent YouGov poll conducted after the presidential debate this week, Harris is ahead in the polls among voters who said they watched the debate. Notably, 54.4% of voters asked in the poll felt Harris won the debate, 31.3% felt Trump won and 14.3% were unsure.

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NEWS 9/10/24 9:57pm

Elon Town Hall tackles community growth, unity

By Cassie Weymouth

The town of Elon held a town council meeting on Sept. 10 to address community events and ongoing initiatives. Key highlights include the approval of a five-year agreement which outlines staffing support and possible funding for downtown development, upcoming community events, progress on designing and building a local skatepark and hiring for an administrative position within the Elon Police Department. A resolution was also approved to investigate an annexation petition, which is a petition to add an unincorporated piece of land to the town. This step is crucial for obtaining any approval on upcoming construction projects.

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NEWS 9/10/24 3:51pm

Class of 2028 candidates campaign for SGA elections

By Alexa Citrin

Three weeks into their first year on campus, 24 freshmen have decided to run for Student Government. Voting opens on Sept. 17, and students will have the opportunity to vote for their president, treasurer and six senators. Elon News Network spoke to each candidate and asked what their motivations were for running. Official campaigning will take place for the rest of the week.

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NEWS 9/3/24 11:18am

Classroom to polls: Elon offers election events across campus

By Alexa Citrin

As the November election approaches, student organization Elon Votes and professors are leading seminars, organizing voter registration drives and other educational events. Dillan Bono-Lunn, professor of political science and faculty fellow of civic engagement, said creating an environment of mutual trust and respect is vital for faculty when teaching during election season. Bono-Lunn also said she believes faculty including election content in class can be important for student success, and hosted an event Aug. 19 for faculty about how to include election content in upcoming classes properly.

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NEWS 8/26/24 10:54pm

Elon Town Council passes noise ordinance change

By Nia Bedard

After previously hearing from Elon Chief of Police Kelly Blackwelder on July 16, the town council unanimously approved changes to the town’s noise ordinance. Now with the new approved changes, a noise violation is classified as a civil violation with progressively increasing fines starting at $100. If violations continue, the fine increases to $200 and then $300 if violations continue within a 12-month period. However, police officers can still charge someone with a misdemeanor for a noise ordinance violation. Mayor Pro Tem Monti Allison said he thinks this change will positively affect the Elon community.

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NEWS 8/23/24 3:35am

‘They have coconut memes’: Harris-Walz campaign takes on social media

By Abby Gravely

When he opens his Instagram, 19-year-old political science student RJ Doroshewitz clicks through his stories and looks at reposts — not of cat videos or pop culture news, but of Kamala HQ, an official social media account for Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign. The account, now boasting over 3.8 million followers, posts videos of Harris and her running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to popular audios and trends. This pop culture appeal is also found at the Democratic National Convention, where 200 content creators were invited to cover the four day event.

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NEWS 8/22/24 10:04am

Harris to accept presidential nomination, close out 2024 convention

By Erin Martin , Ryan Kupperman and Abby Gravely

Ending the week 'For Our Future,' the 2024 Democratic National Convention highlighted a variety of voices in an attempt to elect Vice President Kamala Harris as the nation's first female president, and first female president of color. So far, Chicago has heard from former U.S. Secretary of State and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, former president and former first lady Barack and Michelle Obama and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz — who accepted the Democratic nomination for vice president last night in the United Center. Tonight, Harris is expected to accept the presidential nomination. 

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NEWS 8/21/24 10:46pm

North Carolina Democrats gear up for Election Day

By Erin Martin

At the Democratic National Convention, the Democratic Party is intensifying its efforts to mobilize its base and address key issues on the ballot — particularly engaging younger voters and rallying support for judicial elections and redistricting in North Carolina. As chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party, 25-year-old Anderson Clayton is the youngest chair of a state political party in the U.S. Clayton said she is enthusiastic about the state's youthful political energy.  

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NEWS 8/21/24 8:38pm

Trump visits North Carolina on campaign trail

By Anjolina Fantaroni

The grounds of the North Carolina Aviation Museum and Hall of Fame was filled with thousands of people waiting to hear from former President Donald Trump on Aug. 21. The rally marks Trump's first outdoor event since his assassination attempt on July 13. He spoke behind bulletproof glass, with increased security presence around the perimeter. Elon News Network was denied press credentials to film the podium area where Trump addressed the crowd. This rally took place at the same time as night three of the Democratic National Convention, which is located in Chicago.

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NEWS 8/21/24 10:44am

Democratic Party echoes ‘A Fight for Our Freedoms’

By Erin Martin , Ryan Kupperman and Abby Gravely

Democratic Party sets the scene for Wednesday night with theme ‘A Fight for Our Freedoms,’ in which the party will highlight how Harris will fight to protect the country’s freedom — while also portraying Trump’s candidacy as a threat and regression to these freedoms.  Attendees are expected to hear from Minnesota Gov. and vice presidential candidate Tim Walz, former President Bill Clinton, and former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi at the United Center later this evening. Programming is set to begin at 6:30 p.m. EDT. Mayor of Chicago Brandon Johnson also spoke to North Carolina delegates this morning about North Carolina’s crucial role in this election.

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NEWS 8/20/24 8:54am

A Bold Vision for America’s Future takes center stage

By Erin Martin and Abby Gravely

As the Democratic National Convention transitions into its second day, the theme shifts from ‘For the People’ to ‘A Bold Vision for America’s Future.’ Today’s focus will spotlight the contrasting visions for the nation’s future, with Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz presenting their forward-looking agenda in supposed contrast to former President Donald Trump.

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NEWS 8/19/24 12:39pm

2024 DNC kicks off convention with ‘For the People’ motif

By Erin Martin and Ryan Kupperman

The 2024 Democratic National Convention kicked off in Chicago on Monday, Aug. 19 with a theme of ‘For the People,’ drawing in between 5,000 and 7,000 delegates and roughly 50,000 visitors throughout the week. The headline speakers anticipated to take the stage Monday evening include President Joe Biden, former U.S. Secretary of State and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Over the next four days, each day of the convention will have a unique theme centered around the Harris-Walz campaign.

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NEWS 8/16/24 8:54pm

Elon prepares for DNC, final months of presidential election

By Ryan Kupperman

The Democratic National Convention is set to kick off in Chicago on Monday, Aug. 19, hosting thousands of delegates from the country’s 50 states, District of Columbia and its territories. With President Joe Biden dropping out of the race less than a month before the convention, Vice President Kamala Harris now tops the Democratic ticket and has the chance to make history as the first woman, the first Black woman and the first South Asian American to hold the nation’s highest office. For an already unusual election, this year’s DNC has also gained national attention for its similarities with 1968’s DNC.

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