It can be hard to find focus amidst near-constant reports of new and almost unfathomable attacks on our democracy. While Trump, Musk, and their minions tear down our federal institutions, here in North Carolina, Jefferson Griffin is continuing his attack on our democracy with his efforts to overturn a free and fair election.
While we’re still working to find our footing in these unprecedented times, one thing is certain: our resolve to fight for our democracy with our fellow North Carolinians has never been stronger. And we are heartened to see so many amazing people and groups stepping up in this fight. Together, we’re planning, collaborating, building alliances, and taking action to restore and protect our democracy and build new, more just systems to serve us all.
So, for this year, these are FLIP NC’s plans.
1. Stay Engaged Nationally While Focusing Our Efforts Locally
While FLIP NC has long been laser-focused at the state level, we cannot ignore the national landscape. So, while we’ll maintain a primary focus on state-level issues, we’ll also be returning to our Indivisible roots, amplifying important calls to action from our partners related to federal issues – especially when they directly impact North Carolina.
At the same time, it’s critical to understand that the more Trump and Musk dismantle our federal government, the more important our state and local governments become. While we have a fantastic governor and attorney general, the power-hungry GOP majority in our state legislature continues its efforts to usurp executive power and undermine Democratic efforts to fight for everyday North Carolinians. And our extremist GOP-controlled state courts have given them the greenlight to do it. That’s why, despite the horrifying national landscape, we’ll maintain our central focus on our state legislature and our state courts, where our power and potential impact are greatest – and where our institutions and elected leaders will only become more important as core functions of the federal government are broken down.
2. Build Community for a Unified Front Against Gerrymandering
It’s never been more important to fight for fair maps and voting rights in North Carolina. That’s why we’ve formed the NC Fair Maps Alliance in partnership with the Can’t Win Victory Fund and Neighbors on Call co-founder Becca Zerkin to combat gerrymandering and defend voting rights. Together, we’ll connect like-minded people and organizations to create a powerful, unified movement. Our first event will be a panel discussion with Justices Allison Riggs and Anita Earls and Sam Wang, PhD, from the Princeton Gerrymandering Project to help inform college students about gerrymandering and voting rights in North Carolina.
Stay tuned for more details and opportunities to engage as we continue to grow our alliance and work towards a fairer electoral system for all.
3. Support Justice Anita Earls and Our 2026 State Court Races
Our top priority for 2025-2026 is to reelect the incomparable Justice Anita Earls. We’ll be putting our energy into direct voter outreach, social media campaigns, and education efforts to make sure people understand how critical it is to protect our courts. We’ll also focus on educating the public about how we got here and what we can do to restore democracy in our state.
4. Protect Justice Allison Riggs’ Victory over Jefferson Griffin
This race should already be behind us, but unfortunately, Griffin's efforts to steal the seat he lost are still ongoing. We’ll continue to share new developments and opportunities to help fight for justice alongside Justice Allison Riggs, the NC Democratic Party, and organizations like Common Cause.
And we stand ready to take action in the (perhaps unlikely) event that the court orders a new election.
5. Educate Voters About Our Courts and Why They Matter
One of our biggest challenges is that most people don’t understand what’s happening with our courts and why it matters. This year, we’ll be rolling out an accessible education series to inform people about our courts, the threats they’re facing, and what actions we can take to protect them.
Conclusion
As the Trump administration continues to dismantle our federal institutions, state government – including our courts – will become even more important in protecting our rights and providing essential services.
We’re committed to doing everything we can to help North Carolinians understand our state landscape and how we got here; educate voters about how our courts work and why they matter so much for our rights and the future of our democracy; and work to elect people who will uphold our democracy and protect our rights. None of us can do everything, but we can all do something, and we hope you’ll join us.