North Carolina
NC Republicans call on election officials to testify about treatment of third-party candidates
North Carolina elections officials are being called to testify before a legislative committee to talk about their treatment of third-party candidates.
The North Carolina State Elections Board on June 26 blocked requests by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Cornel West, and Constitution Party candidate Randall Terry to be listed as presidential candidates on the November ballot. Democrats who control the board said they want more time to review each candidate’s petition before making a final decision at a later date.
On Tuesday, leaders of North Carolina’s House Oversight and Reform Committee sent a letter to Alan Hirsch, chairman of the state elections board, asking him to testify before their committee on July 9. State Reps. Jake Johnson and Harry Warren, co-chairs of the committee, wrote to Hirsch:
“At the hearing, please be prepared to address this information, including:
- The grounds by which the Board denied the petitions of these political parties, even after timely submission.
- Anticipated schedule to resolve questions on the submitted petitions.
- Any communications the Board has had with third-party organizations concerning its decision to leave these political parties off the ballot.
- Any underlying or perceived political motivations the Board may have to exclude these names from the ballot.”
Johnson and Warren also invited other board members and Karen Brinson Bell, the board’s executive director. Paul Cox, the state board’s general counsel, told WRAL Wednesday that the hearing is still up in the air.
The state elections board plans to meet on July 9 and continue reviewing the third-party petitions, Cox said.
“My understanding is that the committee is looking to reschedule, because they weren’t aware that the State Board was planning to meet next Tuesday to consider petitions,” Cox said in an email. The board is scheduled to meet at 1:30 p.m. on July 9.
Staff for the legislative committee leaders didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.
The legislators’ request comes a day after Republican members of Congress also inquired about the board’s decision. On Monday, Republican chairmen of the House Administration and House Judiciary committees asked the state elections board to provide them with documents and other information related to the board’s decision.
The committees “are concerned that the NCSBE’s decision was politically motivated and may have been done to influence the 2024 presidential election by limiting the candidates for which voters may cast their ballots,” Reps. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Bryan Steil, R-Wisconsin, wrote in a letter to the state elections board. Jordan chairs the judiciary committee and Steil chairs the administration committee.
The board intends to provide the committees with the documents they seek, Cox confirmed earlier this week. Many of them are already publicly available on the state board’s website.
North Carolina voters have signaled that they’d like to have options for president besides Republican Donald Trump and Democratic President Joe Biden. The board’s review of third-party candidates comes as Democrats have raised concerns about Biden’s ability to defeat Trump following his heavily-scrutinized performance in a recent debate.
The three candidates petitioning to get their names on North Carolina’s ballot are hoping to do so by having their political parties formally recognized by the elections board. Kennedy would represent the We The People Party, West would represent the Justice For All Party, and Terry would represent the Constitution Party.
Board members raised different issues with each petition.
Democrats on the state elections board expressed concern that Kennedy is using the We the People Party to circumvent state law — and that the proposed party doesn’t represent a group of voters with a specific set of policy beliefs.
In North Carolina, state law makes it harder for individual candidates to get ballot access than for new political parties. Board members asked We The People representatives about a script they provided to volunteers, which said the purpose of the petition was to create a new political party and get Kennedy’s name on the North Carolina ballot.
As for the Justice For All petition, board members said they worried that volunteers misled signatories about the purpose of the group, which espouses liberal ideals. West is a former honorary chair of the Democratic Socialists of America.
Italo Medelius, chair of Justice For All Party of North Carolina, told the board at its June 26 meeting that its petition materials may have been accessed by Trump supporters. The party’s petition, board members noted, should be signed by people who want to advocate for a common set of beliefs.
The Constitution Party’s petition, meanwhile, is hung up on a technical issue.
State law requires party petitions to include a legitimate address. The group’s petition listed the address of a former residence for Al Pisano, chair of the state party.
Pisano told board members that he wasn’t sure if he needed to change the address. The party was on North Carolina’s ballot in 2020. Its presidential nominee, Don Blankenship, received 7,549 votes of the 5.5 million cast.
Pisano said that he had previously reached out to elections board staff about the address issue and didn’t receive an answer. Board members delayed their decision on the Constitution Party to review records exchanged by Pisano and board staff.
Democratic board member Siobhan Millen said that, before the address issue came up, she had expected the party’s petition to be “probably a slam dunk.”
The NC Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at Saturday, June 6, 2026 results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from June 6 drawing
16-32-55-59-64, Powerball: 03, Power Play: 3
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from June 6 drawing
Day: 4-7-2, Fireball: 4
Evening: 6-1-1, Fireball: 3
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from June 6 drawing
Day: 8-1-5-5, Fireball: 8
Evening: 9-2-3-1, Fireball: 0
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 5 numbers from June 6 drawing
03-07-12-22-29
Check Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Double Play numbers from June 6 drawing
03-11-14-20-30
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from June 6 drawing
03-13-18-35-48, Bonus: 04
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.
The USC Trojans baseball team received an extended stay in Chapel Hill.
But for the wrong reason, as they took the Game 2 loss to North Carolina 4-0, which now forces a third game to decide who moves on to Omaha.
Head coach Andy Stankiewicz raved about the grit of USC during Game 1 between the two teams, especially after erasing the 5-1 deficit to defeat the Tar Heels. But he dropped a much different tone following this loss to UNC.
Andy Stankiewicz Vows USC Will Be Ready for Game 3
Stankiewicz revealed a good thing about the loss, saying “we have tomorrow” and stating how Sundays are “always important.”
All which led to this big statement from Stankiewicz after taking the disappointing loss:
“We’ll be ready. We will bounce back, and we’ll be ready to go tomorrow,” Stankiewicz told reporters after the loss.
This four-run defeat becomes only the second loss for Stankiewicz and USC during these NCAA Baseball Playoffs.
Andy Stankiewicz Praised USC Grit Despite Loss
The coach watched Colin Hynek set the tone for North Carolina in ripping a solo home run against his No. 2 ace pitcher, Grant Govel. Then, later watched Erik Paulsen blast a three-run homer to help swing the game in favor of North Carolina.
Yet Stankiewicz acknowledged this USC versus UNC contest could’ve gotten out of hand quick.
“I thought we did a really good job of minimizing what could have been some big innings,” Stankiewicz said. “I think that’s what we talk about a lot. The fact that we had some traffic (runners on base), but we made some good pitches. We made a good ground ball double play to Kevin [Takeuchi] at third base to first. We pitched well enough to keep ourselves close.”
Still, Stankiewicz saw two of his own mound options surrender a home run. Reliever Sax Matson allowed the three-run Paulsen blast during the sixth inning. He acknowledged the better pitcher was UNC’s Jason DeCaro.
“Again, at the end of the day, it was just al about DeCaro,” Stankiewicz said. “Just couldn’t get to him.”
USC Provides Update on Game 3 Mound Option
Stankiewicz already turned to No. 1 pitcher Mason Edwards to start the Chapel Hill Regional. His No. 2 ace Govel accepted the loss on the hill after allowing five hits, one run and the early homer. Andrew Johnson also saw extensive action, but in Game 1, which USC won.
The latter could rise as the potential starter in the winner-take-all matchup. Stankiewicz addressed that possibility.
“We’re not sure,” the coach began. “But it’ll be everybody. We can’t go too long with too many. But tomorrow is going to be one of those where we get everybody ready to roll.”
That could mean Diego Valzaquez could see time on the hill too, as he’s yet to throw against the Tar Heels. Stankiewicz rolled with six different pitchers in the Game 2 loss, including Sax Matson, Rohan Kasanagottu and Henry Chabot. But sounds like Stankiewicz needs all of his bullpen ready to save USC’s season.
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The North Carolina Tar Heels have had no downtime this offseason, with developments and updates constantly revolving through the doors in Chapel Hill.
Last week, we learned of the Tar Heels’ home and away ACC schedule, and earlier in the offseason, a portion of their non-conference schedule was released. Late Thursday, North Carolina was informed of another non-conference game, and it’s safe to say this will be another test for the program that resides in Chapel Hill.
Opponent Reveal
North Carolina will host Arkansas at the Dean E. Smith Center on Dec. 1 as part of the ACC/SEC Challenge. The Razorbacks are one of two SEC teams the Tar Heels will face this season, as they will take on Kentucky on Dec. 19 at Madison Square Garden in the CBS Sports Classic.
Significance of Matchup
Stacking up as many formidable opponents during the non-conference slate is monumental for the Tar Heels, who need to solidify their rotation and chemistry before ACC play begins. Arkansas has reached the Sweet 16 in each of John Calipari’s first two seasons as head coach, and it could orchestrate a deeper run in the NCAA Tournament next season, with one of the best rosters in college basketball.
With Michael Malone entering his first year as North Carolina’s head coach, it is crucial that the team develops cohesion on both ends of the floor. While the Razorbacks have been a Sweet 16 program in each of the last two campaigns, the Tar Heels have failed to advance past the first weekend.
This is an obvious test for North Carolina, as Arkansas’ roster and Calipari’s coaching pedigree should be a matchup Malone and this team should be excited for. The Tar Heels could prove a lot with an impressive outing against one of the elite teams in the SEC.
Polarizing Storyline
In addition to this matchup featuring two of the most prominent programs in college basketball, it will also be a reunion between Calipari and North Carolina’s associate head coach Chuck Martin, who served as an assistant on Calipari’s staff in Arkansas.
Martin’s familiarity with Calipari’s scheme could become a factor in the matchup and provide the Tar Heels with important intel on the Razorbacks. Since Calipari took over as head coach, Arkansas has tended to take time to gel, which could be another pivotal factor in how the game unfolds.
Overall, this is an opportunity for Malone and his players to prove that North Carolina should be taken seriously as a potential contender heading into conference play.
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