My first newsletter recounted a particularly interesting moment at a recent State Board of Elections meeting, as well as a mayor who really didn't want to be elected.

Things have been tense already, particularly after a back and forth between the North Carolina Democratic Party Chair Anderson Clayton and the agency over a municipal election issue.

If Brockman resigns, his departure wouldn’t completely flip the math. Whether there are 119 or 120 lawmakers in the state House, Republicans need 72 votes to override a veto.

But that doesn’t mean there aren’t political implications.

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So far, Brockman hasn’t resigned. He remains in custody on a $1.05 million bond while awaiting trial.

While Brockman mostly votes with the Democratic caucus, on occasion, he's removed himself from the vote, effectively lowering the number of Republican votes needed to override vetoes.

But...NC kinda started all of this.

A 2016 case attempting to strike down NC maps as unconstitutional partisan gerrymanders didn't go exactly as hoped.

While the U.S. Supreme Court didn't exactly legalize partisan gerrymandering, they said they couldn't do anything about it.

People I spoke to seemed fairly confident that North Carolina wouldn't throw its hat in the ring — after all, state Republican leaders have probably already drawn maximally advantageous maps.

Thus far, the group has raised about $20k with two events. They hope to raise enough to support 3-5 progressive candidates next year with $5k-$25k in seed money.

None of the money will go to support current lawmakers.

The PHC wants progressive North Carolinians to know someone’s fighting for them, said Rep. Deb Butler, D-New Hanover.

“We have got to be able to speak with moral clarity about the things we care about. And we just felt like this nucleus could do that articulately and well and without hesitation.”

In a political climate where a third of North Carolinian voters are unaffiliated, but politicians like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are also popular, it’s important to make sure that all voices are platformed, Rep. Maria Cervania, D-Wake, said.

Members told me their caucus is a "complement" to the main caucus, not a separation.

But it will allow them to speak more "boldly" on issues the broader caucus may not highlight for political reasons like retaining/recruiting moderate Dems in a purple state.

The bill's sponsor, Rep. Hugh Blackwell, R-Burke, has been open to feedback thus far, which has led to changes considered positive by people on both sides of the aisle.

But there are still some concerns for Democrats and Republicans alike.