North Carolina
Gerrymandered off the Hill, Kathy Manning eyes what’s next – Roll Call
Rep. Kathy Manning has no interest in retiring, which is precisely what she’s doing at the end of this term.
“I have no idea what I’m going to do when this job is over,” the North Carolina Democrat told Roll Call during a sit-down interview a few weeks ago.
Manning, of course, isn’t really choosing to leave Congress so much as being forced out. Following state judicial elections in 2022, the new GOP majority on the North Carolina Supreme Court reversed a recent decision that barred partisan gerrymandering, paving the way for Republicans in the state legislature to draw up new congressional maps that heavily disfavor Manning and her fellow Democrats.
Under court-drawn maps used in 2022, the swing state elected an even set of seven Democrats and seven Republicans to the House; in 2024, Republicans can safely expect to capture 10 or 11 seats.
While some of her colleagues quickly pivoted to pursue other offices, Manning took a wait-and-see approach, hoping to remain in the House before eventually accepting the reality that no Democrat has much of a shot in the newly formed district. Manning may be done with running for office for now, but “I’m not ready to give up trying to help my community,” she said.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
Q: You came to Congress in 2021. Are you going to miss it?
A: I started in the middle of COVID, and I was caught in the House gallery during the insurrection. That was my third day in Congress, so that’s a pretty tough way to start a new job.
We didn’t have our committee meetings in person [during the pandemic]. Literally everything was done by Zoom. The only advantage was I got to learn a lot of names because I could look at all the different boxes on the screens and figure out who was who.
Like any new job, it takes a while to figure out who I could work with and how to work best, but I absolutely will miss it. It’s a privilege to get to represent your community.
Q: You’re leaving because of gerrymandering in North Carolina. The state legislature drew a pretty partisan new map.
A: Let’s be clear. They passed the most egregiously partisan map they could possibly pass to get rid of as many Democrats as they could in Congress.
In the past when there used to be gerrymandering, it used to be a best guess. Today, they can gerrymander with surgical precision because of computer programs. So this is a different kind.
The district I represented the first time is a Triad district, and if you know anything about North Carolina, [you know] Greensboro, High Point and Winston-Salem are in the Triad. It is the absolute definition of a community of interest. And now I represent all of Guilford County, which is Greensboro, High Point, Kernersville and a little bit of Winston, but still communities of interest. And I also represent Rockingham County and Caswell County, two more rural areas.
What makes me the most angry is that the communities I love are not going to have a representative who represents their interests and their values.
Q: That answer makes me think you’re not ready to give up being a politician. What’s next for you?
A: I’m not ready to give up trying to help my community. But I have no idea what I’m going to do when this job is over. I spent much of last year hoping that the Republican-led legislature would do the right thing in redrawing the maps, which obviously they didn’t.
And then I spent a couple months really examining the maps to see if I ran on my record in any of the three pieces that the district had been divided into, and if I really worked hard to get out and talk to people, was there any way to win? And, you know, there’s not. You can’t win in a map where your opponent, whoever he or she might be, has a 16-point advantage.
Q: What about other elected offices? Jeff Jackson was in a similar boat with redistricting, and he decided to run for state attorney general.
A: Honestly, I really haven’t thought about it. I was trying to figure out if there was any way to stay in this job. It was a tough decision, but it was the right decision. And now I’m focused on figuring out what I can get done in the time I have left.
Q: What can you get done?
A: We’ve worked on health care issues, bringing down the cost of health care. And I have another round of community project grants that I get to submit. We’ve been very successful in bringing money back to the district: for child care, for food banks, for innovation districts to help renovate some rundown areas, for a homeless shelter.
We’ve got one more chance to get federal dollars. I know that whoever takes over any of the three pieces of my district probably won’t submit for community funding because a lot of the Republicans don’t believe in bringing our own tax dollars back to help us.
Q: What has surprised you about working in Congress?
A: I think it’s amazing that anything gets done.
Q: Why?
A: Because the partisan divide is so disruptive. Last Congress, thanks to really extraordinary leadership on our side of the aisle, we were able to get more significant legislation passed than probably any administration in 50 years, like the infrastructure law and the Inflation Reduction Act.
But now that I see us operating with a divided Congress, I see how challenging it is. I have good friends on the other side of the aisle — people I have traveled with, people I’ve been on committees with — and they’re well-meaning people, but a lot of them are just afraid to step out of line from what Donald Trump wants.
Q: What do you think needs to happen to reduce the partisan divide?
A: Well, I think partisan gerrymandering is a real problem. Some members who are in gerrymandered districts have to get through the primary but never have to worry about the general. They don’t have to focus on what people with different political leanings want and how you move forward.
I’ll be honest, another thing that’s a problem is running every two years, because once you’re into the second year and people are looking at running again, it’s really hard to get things done.
Q: What are you most proud of from your time here?
A: Number one, how much I’ve been out listening to my community and bringing back funding.
And I have to say, one of my proudest moments was in my first term, when I was able to pass my Right to Contraception Act in the House. That was a bill we thought of when the Roe decision was leaked, and we realized they weren’t going to stop at the stripping away of abortion rights. We got support from all the relevant outside groups and got it on the House floor within two weeks. This term, I’ve been trying to get a Republican co-lead, but we haven’t been successful. Even though they know contraception is an issue, they’re afraid to do anything that might give a benefit to Democrats.
I’m very proud of the work I’ve done in leading the Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism. We’ve had an explosion of antisemitism in this country, and not just since Oct. 7 — it predates that. We pushed the Biden administration to put together an interagency task force, which they did, and they introduced the first-ever U.S. national strategy to counter antisemitism.
Q: What about your biggest regret?
A: That I have to leave.
Quick hits
What are you reading? “The Two-Parent Privilege,” which talks about the advantage kids have when they’re lucky enough to grow up in a two-parent household.
In politics, can the ends justify the means? It depends on the ends. If the desired end is to be a dictator, and you do it by disrupting the peaceful transfer of power, then no.
Your least popular opinion? Apparently my least popular opinion is that gerrymandering should be outlawed by the Supreme Court.
One thing you’ll miss about Congress? I will miss working with my staff. I have this great team both in D.C. and in my district.
One thing you won’t miss? I won’t miss having to leave my husband home by himself all the time. Being a member of Congress is really hard on your spouse.
North Carolina
‘Seeing is believing’: Local content creator expands tourism growth across WNC post-Helene
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — A budding collaboration between content creators and local tourism leaders is bringing more eyes and visitor traffic to western North Carolina.
Explore Asheville is crediting local content creators like Aisha Adams, a Mills River resident, for helping to expand the mountain region’s digital footprint and draw more tourists to lesser-known spots.
Explore Asheville and the Buncombe County Tourism Authority said they are working with their partners to tell creative stories that get people out to discover the area. Adams said she does not ignore capturing spots on video of areas left with the remnants of Helene’s devastating floods.
GOV. JOSH STEIN URGES TRAVEL TO WESTERN NC AT TOURISM CONFERENCE
“That’s just a part of our story now, and it adds that texture and culture,” Adams said. “Now we have this mix of art and resilience that I think is going to make the depth of our work and the depth of our community even more attractive.”
When businesses started reopening after Helene, Adams said she began road-tripping around western North Carolina, documenting her travels online.
One of her videos showing the Jackson County farmers’ market gained nearly 60,000 views. Adams said she never expected her Facebook to garner millions of views every month.
“It’s giving me a sense of community that I never thought I could have in a small town, sort of like Asheville, but connecting with people from all over the world,” Adams said.
Explore Asheville said tourism is showing continuous growth since the floods, including hotel revenue, which has increased by 20% in recent months.
Still, during the state’s annual Visit NC Tourism Conference in March, Governor Josh Stein said one challenge western North Carolina’s tourism industry faces is changing perception of those who still tie the area to images they had seen immediately after the hurricane.
VENUES ACROSS ASHEVILLE REPORT ROBUST VISITORS AMID LAGGING HOTEL OCCUPANCY NUMBERS
Vic Isley, president and CEO of Explore Asheville, said, “Seeing is believing.”
Isley said content creators like Adams are showing both the rebounded and still-recovering areas of Helene, providing a more balanced perspective of places that define the mountain community.
“It’s just really important for people to see not only the shiny parts of Asheville, but the deep inner beauty of Asheville,” Isley said.
Adams, who founded her own media company, Aisha Adams Media, supporting small businesses and nonprofits in bringing profitable and conscious content to social media, said she believes more individuals are looking for authenticity from both online content and their travels.
“People are looking for resilience and healing, and I think that’s what we offer here,” Adams said.
Some of Adams’ recent partnerships with Explore Asheville include content for Black Wall Street AVL, which celebrates Black-owned businesses, along with other work for Martin Luther King Jr. Park located at the intersection of downtown and the East End/Valley Street neighborhood.
ASHEVILLE KICKS OFF PEAK TOURISM SEASON WITH NEW FESTIVALS, LIVE MUSIC
Both Explore Asheville and Adams said they have been experimenting with artificial intelligence as a tool, not a replacement, for their online content.
Adams said she hopes to partner on some more professional projects with Explore Asheville in the future.
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — A state Senate bill that would delay property tax reappraisals for some North Carolina homeowners is moving forward at the General Assembly with a last-minute change.
Lawmakers gave initial approval Tuesday to the Property Tax Revaluation Moratorium Bill (SB 889), which would block counties that completed property reappraisals in 2026 from using those new values for the upcoming tax year. Instead, those counties would be required to use older property values this year before switching to the updated numbers in 2027.
The move is in response to sharp increases in property values across parts of the state, in some cases jumping by 50% to 60%, which could translate into higher tax bills for homeowners.
“We’ve seen an extensive increase in property values, in the double digits,” said state Sen. Steve Jarvis (R-Davidson County, Davie County).
The moratorium would apply to a dozen counties, including Guilford, Buncombe and Pender, where reappraisals are already underway.
During debate Tuesday, state senators approved an amendment carving out an exemption for three smaller counties to allow them to move forward with their reappraisals as planned.
“This will impact only three counties, Clay, Chowan and Pamlico,” said State Sen. Kevin Corbin (R-Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain, Transylvania counties). “These smaller counties face a relatively higher financial burden during the reappraisal process.”
The updated bill also includes new language clarifying the appeals process, ensuring property owners still have the ability to challenge their property values in both 2026 and 2027.
Senate leader Phil Berger says the goal of the bill is to give lawmakers time to address larger issues tied to rising property values.
“In many instances, the folks that are getting hit the hardest are folks at the lower end of the income scale, especially folks that are on fixed income,” Berger said.
The bill has cleared initial Senate approval and now heads to a final vote, before potentially moving to the House. Berger also acknowledged the proposal’s future in the House is still unclear.
“I don’t know that they haven’t embraced it. We’ll see once it gets over there,” he said.
The NC Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at Monday, May 4, 2026 results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from May 4 drawing
30-36-42-60-63, Powerball: 13, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from May 4 drawing
Day: 0-5-9, Fireball: 8
Evening: 5-4-0, Fireball: 7
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from May 4 drawing
Day: 8-3-9-5, Fireball: 0
Evening: 4-8-7-4, Fireball: 9
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 5 numbers from May 4 drawing
01-10-21-27-37
Check Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Double Play numbers from May 4 drawing
02-09-15-23-34
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 4 drawing
08-17-22-34-39, Bonus: 05
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All North Carolina Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $599.
For prizes over $599, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at North Carolina Lottery Offices. By mail, send a prize claim form, your signed lottery ticket, copies of a government-issued photo ID and social security card to: North Carolina Education Lottery, P.O. Box 41606, Raleigh, NC 27629. Prize claims less than $600 do not require copies of photo ID or a social security card.
To submit in person, sign the back of your ticket, fill out a prize claim form and deliver the form, along with your signed lottery ticket and government-issued photo ID and social security card to any of these locations:
- Asheville Regional Office & Claim Center: 16-G Regent Park Blvd., Asheville, NC 28806, 877-625-6886 press #1. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
- Greensboro Regional Office & Claim Center: 20A Oak Branch Drive, Greensboro, NC 27407, 877-625-6886 press #2. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
- Charlotte Regional Office & Claim Center: 5029-A West W. T. Harris Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28269-1861, 877-625-6886 press #3. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
- NC Lottery Headquarters: Raleigh Claim Center & Regional Office, 2728 Capital Blvd., Suite 144, Raleigh, NC 27604, 877-625-6886 press #4. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes of any amount.
- Greenville Regional Office & Claim Center: 2790 Dickinson Avenue, Suite A, Greenville, NC 27834, 877-625-6886 press #5. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
- Wilmington Regional Office & Claim Center: 123 North Cardinal Drive Extension, Suite 140, Wilmington, NC 28405, 877-625-6886 press #6. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
Check previous winning numbers and payouts at https://nclottery.com/.
When are the North Carolina Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 10:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 11 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky for Life: 10:38 p.m. daily.
- Pick 3, 4: 3:00 p.m. and 11:22 p.m. daily.
- Cash 5: 11:22 p.m. daily.
- Millionaire for Life: 11:15 p.m. daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Carolina Connect editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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