Under the Dome: Court blocks certification of race; NC to get $1.6B in Helene funds
Good morning and welcome to the Under the Dome newsletter. I’m Emily Vespa.
The North Carolina Supreme Court on Tuesday blocked the state from certifying Democratic incumbent Allison Riggs’ 734-vote victory over Republican Jefferson Griffin in the race for a seat on the court, reports Kyle Ingram.
The Republican-majority court halted the State Board of Elections from finalizing the contest and agreed to hear Griffin’s challenges to over 60,000 ballots, which he said shouldn’t have counted.
Riggs recused herself, and her Democratic colleague on the court, Anita Earls, dissented.
On Monday, a federal judge sent the case to the state’s highest court. The board appealed to the 4th Circuit, which hasn’t yet taken action on it.
NC TO GET FEDERAL HELENE RECOVERY FUNDS; STEIN ANNOUNCES RELIEF LEADERS
North Carolina will receive $1.6 billion in federal Hurricane Helene recovery funds, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced Tuesday.
Ames Alexander reports that the governor’s office will decide how to distribute the funds, which can be used for a variety of needs, including:
Rebuilding homes
Helping small businesses
Developing affordable housing
Repairing roads, schools and other infrastructure
Gov. Josh Stein announced the funding with HUD’s acting secretary, Adrianne Todman, Tuesday in Asheville.
Stein announced members of the team that will coordinate the state’s Helene recovery efforts earlier Tuesday.
Anna Roman reports that Matt Calabria, who resigned Monday from the Wake County Board of Commissioners after a 10-year tenure, will serve as the director of the new Governor’s Recovery Office for Western North Carolina, called GROW NC. Stein issued an executive order last week to create the office.
The other team members Stein announced are:
Emily Williamson Gangi, chief deputy director for GROW NC: Williamson Gangi is the current policy director for the state Department of Information Technology.
Eliza Edwards, director of community partnerships for GROW NC: Edwards most recently served as deputy director of the North Carolina Office of Strategic Partnerships.
Stephanie McGarrah, deputy secretary for the Department of Commerce’s Division of Community Revitalization: McGarrah joins Stein’s team from the state Pandemic Recovery Office, where she was executive director.
Holly Jones, director of the governor’s Western North Carolina Office: Jones served as Stein’s western policy adviser while he was the state’s attorney general.
Jonathan Krebs, Western North Carolina recovery adviser: Krebs is an expert in recovery finance and previously worked as a partner at Horne, an accounting firm.
HOUSE SPEAKER-ELECT PICKS OFFICE STAFF
Incoming House Speaker Destin Hall, a Caldwell County Republican, announced the staff for his office Tuesday. Many previously worked in the speaker’s office under Tim Moore, including Chief of Staff Neal Inman and General Counsel Sam Hayes.
Former Rep. Jeffrey Elmore will return to the legislature as a senior policy adviser on Hall’s team. Elmore, who served six terms in the state House before resigning in September, ran for lieutenant governor but lost in the crowded Republican primary.
WHAT ELSE WE’RE WORKING ON
President Joe Biden banned oil and natural gas leases off the North Carolina coast Monday in a permanent action that would likely require an act of Congress to overturn, Adam Wagner reports. Still, President-elect Donald Trump vowed to overturn it.
Today’s newsletter was by Emily Vespa. Check your inbox tomorrow for more #ncpol.
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