Down The Ballot: Attorney General

·17 min·1 clip

Jeff Jackson says he wants a Department of Justice, not a Department of Politics, while accusing his opponent of being a culture warrior.

This episode of WUNC Politics profiles the 2024 North Carolina Attorney General race between Democratic Congressman Jeff Jackson and Republican Congressman Dan Bishop. Host Colin Campbell presents interviews and forum recordings to outline the candidates' contrasting visions for the office. The role is a powerful statewide position and a traditional stepping stone to the governor's office. Jeff Jackson frames the Attorney General as the "people's lawyer" who must defend constitutional rights like voting against legislative overreach. He cites the 2020 absentee ballot lawsuit settlement by current AG Josh Stein as a proper defense of voting rights. Jackson's policy priorities include using a new state anti-money laundering law to dismantle fentanyl distribution cells and expanding medicated-assisted addiction treatment to all counties. He identifies AI-powered scams, like voice duplication targeting grandparents, as a growing threat requiring new legal tools for deterrence. Dan Bishop, in contrast, defines the role as strictly enforcing laws passed by the legislature, accusing past Democratic AGs of improperly acting as a policy counterweight. Bishop references New York Attorney General Letitia James' pursuit of Donald Trump as an example of what he calls "the end of law." A surprising insight is Jackson's admission that his vote for a bill forcing TikTok's Chinese divestiture was taken despite knowing it would cause him "a huge political hit." Bishop directly links local crime and fentanyl to an unsecured southern border, arguing state statutes are irrelevant compared to federal immigration action. Jackson reveals that hardcore fentanyl users often take the drug not to get high, but to stave off debilitating withdrawal symptoms. The episode notes Bishop's history as the primary legislative force behind North Carolina's repealed "bathroom bill" targeting transgender people. The tone is journalistic and explanatory, weaving candidate audio with contextual reporting on their careers and the office's significance. The style is structured, comparing the candidates' positions on specific issues like election lawsuits, fentanyl, and the proper scope of the Attorney General's power. Listeners interested in North Carolina's pivotal down-ballot races and the philosophical debate over the Attorney General's role would find this episode valuable. Those seeking a deep debate format or direct engagement with both candidates together might be disappointed, as Bishop did not grant a new interview for the program.

As heard by us

A sharp look at North Carolina's attorney general race and the stakes behind it.

This episode treats North Carolina's attorney general race as more than a routine partisan contest. It sets Jeff Jackson's public-safety-first message against the sharper attack lines around fentanyl, scams, borders, TikTok, and culture-war politics, with Dan Bishop's recorded…

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Why you'd press play

Hear North Carolina's attorney general race framed as a fight over fentanyl, scammers, borders, and culture wars.

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