Ground Game Not A Shouting Match

Daily Update - May 15, 2026

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Episode summary:

North Carolina voters say they want lower taxes, school choice, and more economic opportunity – but right now they think Democrats will deliver it. A new Carolina Journal poll has Roy Cooper up double digits over Michael Whatley and shows Republicans facing an uphill climb this November, especially in the General Assembly. At the same time, strong majorities back Opportunity Scholarships, limits on property tax hikes, and rolling back health care regulations – all core conservative ideas. In this episode, we break down what the poll really says and why this election has to be a ground game for trust and ideas, not a shouting match on talk radio.

What you’ll learn / Key moments

00:00 – Why NC wants Republican policies but trusts Democrats to deliver them
00:14 – The new poll: Cooper’s 11‑point lead over Whatley and what it means for November
00:38 – How voters quietly back school choice, low taxes, and fewer government barriers
01:02 – Support for Opportunity Scholarships, stopping property tax hikes, and reforming Certificate of Need
01:24 – Why GOP ideas are winning but GOP messaging is not
01:41 – This is not a talk‑radio election: why preaching to the choir is not enough
01:57 – Turning conservative policy into a front‑door, plain‑English ground game
02:18 – The path forward: win the ground war on trust, not the shouting match

What You Can Do

If you are serious about seeing conservative ideas actually govern North Carolina, it is time to move from commentary to contact. Get behind candidates who can explain school choice, low taxes, and real economic opportunity in plain English at the front door, not just on a stage or a podcast. Support campaigns that invest in real ground game – door‑knocking, voter contact, and clear policy conversations – instead of just another round of outrage clips. The party that earns trust face‑to‑face and shows how its ideas help every North Carolinian is the party that will govern this state.

North Carolina wants Republican standards, but thinks Democrats can implement them.

This is the Wilmington Standard Daily Update for Friday May 15, 2026.

According to a Carolina Journal poll released yesterday of 600 likely voters, Democrat Governor Roy Cooper leads Republican Michael Whatley by 11%. That is a huge jump up from March when the gap was a little under 8 percentage points. The poll indicates that Republicans all over the state will have an uphill battle this November – especially in the General Assembly.

But here is the funny thing. Ideas and laws that most would think are just supported by Republicans actually have majority support across the board. Opportunity Scholarships – allowing parents to chose where to send their kids – has a 65% support rate. In the Black community, 77% want it – which is in stark contrast to what the Democrats proclaim. Statewide on affordability, 62% say our state should focus on “keeping taxes low, reducing unnecessary government barriers, and expanding economic opportunity.” 87% percent are open to some sort of halt to property tax increases. And 65% support abolishing or reforming the Certificate of Need program which restricts competition in health care.

Republicans need to understand that voters here in the Old North State actually support what conservatives are trying to do. But those same voters are not getting the message that it is Republicans – not Democrats – who are the ones most suited to carry out those objectives.

If Republican candidates are serious about winning North Carolina, they need to understand this is not a talk-radio and podcast election. Those things are important, but many times they are just preaching to the choir. This is a ground game, where Republicans need to get in front of people with specific plans, who can explain their goals in plain English just as easily as a front door in Burgaw as on a stage in Raliegh, and who will spend less time talking about how bad and socialistic the other party is and more time talking about concrete policies that all North Carolinians already want.

This poll is certainly not a death knell for the GOP. But it does give a clear path forward. The party that treats this as a ground war for trust and ideas – not a shouting match – is the party that will govern this state.

For the Wilmington Standard, I’m Reuel Sample. Thanks for listening.

Reuel Sample is the Editor-in-Chief of The Wilmington Standard. A graduate of Grove City College and Princeton Theological Seminary, he has served as both a Presbyterian Pastor and a Navy Chaplain. He is the product of a classical liberal arts education combined with real world experience in politics and business and conservative Christian worldview firmly rooted in the Reformed tradition. He is the host of several podcasts including the NHC GOP Podcast, the Pastor's Voice, and co-hosts the Nikki and Reuel Podcast Experience. An avid sailor, he has sailed around the world as a youth and to the Azores as a teen as well as extensive trips up and down the east coast of the United States. He is honored to be married to his wife Pam and makes his home in Wilmington, NC.