Candidate ME

Yes, this podcast could have stopped with episode 10. Instead we channeled our inner Spinal Tap and made this one "go to 11." Why?

Notice something different with our logo? With the election now just days away Candidate ME has become Candidate THEM, a modern twist on that election season classic - the voter guide.

Updated Friday, Nov. 3, 2017, 11:24 a.m. This election season, political reporter Tom Bullock has been busy covering the race for Charlotte mayor and council through his Candidate ME podcast. This week, there’s more of that - he goes outside the city. Tom spoke to WFAE’s David Boraks about races for mayor and town board surrounding Charlotte. David says that concerns over growth are a consistent theme.

With Election Day less than two weeks away and early votes already being cast, Candidate ME shifts into high gear. In this episode we introduce something new, real candidates call in to answer a mad lib and two important questions in order to sway your vote. And Host Tom Bullock unleashes positive and negative Candidate ME ads unto the world.

It's fall. Halloween is just around the corner and the November election is not far behind. It therefore seems fitting for Candidate ME to delve into one of the true dark arts of campaigns, political advertising.

Yes, Candidate ME was scheduled to be on a break. But then Tuesday, September 12 rolled around, the mayor was voted out, other incumbents were defeated and the Charlotte City Council changed in significant ways.

Tuesday, September 12, is a make or break day for candidates. It's primary day after all, the day the candidate herd is culled. What is that day like for political consultants and candidates who have to simply wait for results?

We're back with a full length episode. And since Tom can't be picked for jury duty for another two years, we'll remain back for the foreseeable future. This week's episode is all about the race for the District 1 seat on Charlotte's city council. And what a race it is.

Yes, my jury duty is over. But uncertainty over just when it would end (and the sun's sudden brief disappearance) meant I had to push back some key interviews to late in the week. Which left me with too little time to finish up a full podcast this week. But rest assured – we will be back with a full episode next week. And it's a doozy.

Have you noticed? Candidate ME hasn't been on the campaign trail this week. Host Tom Bullock puts on his (family friendly) limerick hat to explain why, and when Candidate ME will return, as best he legally can. _

WFAE political reporter Tom Bullock has a new podcast primarily tied to the Charlotte mayor’s race. It also delves into other municipal races.

In this episode, Tom breaks a campaign promise and asks our political gurus for their pick as the biggest broken political promise in Mecklenburg County. Then Candidate ME takes a look at absentee mail-in ballots - the potential problems and even a recent scandal with them.

This week, we're saving the best for last. As in the last interview in this episode. It's a rare look inside the world of 'dark money' groups looking to influence you and your vote. These groups can and do keep their donor lists secret and they aren’t known for talking with reporters. But first, have you ever cold called someone to ask for $5,000? If you have you're likely a political candidate. Host Tom Bullock learns the ropes of fundraising and makes a few cold calls. And our completely biased political panel is back to talk big money in politics. We're really excited about this episode. Hit play and you'll see why. _

Lawmakers in North Carolina have long loved to (politically) party with the gerrymander. And both major parties are guilty of twisting districts to help keep themselves in power. With the latest rounds of court ordered redistricting officially now underway, we dig into what the new maps may look like. And Candidate ME talks with Democratic State Senator Jeff Jackson about how he hopes to use the maps to break Republican supermajorities at the General Assembly. Then we jump to the other side of the aisle to find out why the leaders of the Mecklenburg County Republican Party has a brand problem. And no, not because of HB 2. MeckGOP Chair Chris Turner and Vice Chair Sarah Reidy-Jones tell us what the issue is and how they hope to fix it. Candidate ME is a fictional candidate going through the steps of running for mayor of Charlotte. Send us your question about campaigns and elections in the box below and we may use it for an episode of this podcast. _

Get ready folks, the 2017 election season is now officially underway. Which means dozens and dozens (and dozens) of candidates and their campaigns are hard at work trying to sway you to their side. What if one of these campaigns opens their doors and showed us what happens behind the scenes? The messy stuff usually hidden from view. The art, science and yes, shenanigans of campaigning? Now that would be fun. But that's not going to happen. So in our first episode, Candidate ME launches its own hypothetical campaign.

Welcome to the 2017 election season. This is an odd numbered year, which means politics really does go local, with contests for school board, town and city councils and, of course mayors. WFAE will, of course, bring you our usual full coverage of these races. But this year we're also doing something new. We're calling it Candidate ME.