On March 3, voters cast their ballots for the North Carolina and Texas primaries, with heated races for both Democratic and Republican candidates. These primary elections have been among the most closely watched across the states, as incumbents, former state officials, and left and right-leaning challengers gear up for the November midterms. In Texas and North Carolina, Democratic results have raised major questions about party values, with Chapel Hill’s own District Four as a prime example.

Whether the next generation of North Carolina students inherit the same opportunities may depend less on their ambition, which is plainly there, and more on decisions being made in Washington right now, far closer to home than the Moon.

Voters in North Carolina’s Fourth Congressional District, including Durham and Chapel Hill, have chosen Representative Valerie Foushee as the incumbent in a controversial primary against County Commissioner Nida Allam. Claims of dark money, misshapen foreign policy, and AI funding shaped the outlook of this race, prompting national interest in the outside groups and super PACs that played a role.

The renewed attention surrounding the former Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has once again drawn international attention to the lingering global consequences of his association with Jeffrey Epstein.

With Greene’s seat sitting empty, a special election was held on March 10. Since no candidates received more than 50% of the vote, Democrat Shawn Harris and Republican Clayton Fuller have been selected as the two frontrunners for the April 7 runoff.