Since our founding in 2017, FLIP NC has followed a clear rule: we did not endorse in Democratic primaries. And for years, that approach made sense. We were tactically focused on flipping competitive seats in our state legislature, and that meant we would be supporting the ultimate Democratic primary winners in our target districts, so staying out of primaries made sense.

While most of our boots-on-the-ground work is now focused on statewide judicial races, we continue to partner with and support fellow grassroots groups working in their communities to elect Democrats to our state legislature. Over the past 9 years, we’ve seen the difference it makes to have true fighters for progressive values in Raleigh – versus Democrats who give ground to Republican extremists. We believe that having the right people in positions of power is critical, and progress depends not just on electing Democrats, but on electing the right Democrats.

That’s why, starting this election cycle, we’ve updated our endorsement policy. While we won’t weigh in on every primary, FLIP NC will endorse candidates in legislative and judicial races when we believe that candidate will mean a clear and significant difference in the lives of North Carolinians and where we believe early support may make a real difference.

Primaries are where political parties truly debate the issues and where voters can have their voices heard in the most direct way. Given the level of gerrymandering in North Carolina, they are also where representation is effectively determined in many districts. Our goal is to help voters understand who is running and what they represent so we can elect the leaders who will best serve their constituents and who are best prepared to meet the moment in these unprecedented times.

We’re excited to more fully engage in primary races moving forward and are confident that this change will allow us to better serve our mission: fighting for a more progressive state that serves all North Carolinians.