WCNC Charlotte this is Flashpoint where
power and politics collide and the
tough questions get asked and answered.
Thanks for joining us here on Flashpoint.
I'm Ben Thompson.
This week we are speaking to two
of the most influential people
in North Carolina party politics,
including the brand new chair of the
state Democratic Party, Anderson Clayton.
Defying expectations and becoming the
party's top leader at just the age of 25.
Her plan to win over more rural
voters back to the Democratic Party.
Then a little bit later,
we'll speak with North Carolina's
Republican chair as his party works to
win the governor's mansion in 2024.
But first joining us now, the brand new.
Chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party,
Anderson Clayton Anderson,
thanks for coming on Flashpoint.
We appreciate it.
Yeah. Thank you for having me.
I'm excited to be here
alright. So I usually don't
lead with somebody's age,
but I mean I do feel like that
sort of like you know the the
the big headline here you are 25
Full disclosure there but you
really defied party establishment
who who wanted somebody else who
publicly supported somebody else.
What do you think your election to
to this big position what do you
think it says about the current
state of of politics in general but
also about the more specifically the
Democratic Party in North Carolina.
I think it says that our
party is ready for change.
I think that we are ready to have
a generational shift, honestly.
And and you know who's in charge of
our party right now and who's speaking
up for the issues that are really
important to North Carolinians and I
I think that it's just an opportunity.
I've been really welcomed in by
Governor Cooper and Attorney General
Stein and you know all of my members
of Congress who supported my,
my opponent in this.
But I because, you know,
we've got to come together as Democrats,
honestly, at the end of the day,
we need to make sure that, you know, our,
our disagreements are not within our party,
but they are with people who don't
have the same visions and dreams.
Our communities that that we do
and I think that that's the really
exciting part about this is that
there's you know a new opportunity
for new leadership and new voices
to actually be heard from from the
democratic perspective we have.
We're not a monolithic party and I feel
like I need to say that to a lot of folks.
We are a big tent party and we have
a lot of different viewpoints and
and ideas about how the way that
this party should go forward and
everyone should have the opportunity
to be able to really I think express
those opinions and be able to
run on them if they want to too.
So I think it's really opening
up a a new way forward for our.
Already,
in order to be able to embrace
people from every walk of life,
what do you think Democrats were doing
wrong last year to explain what was
pretty good news nationwide, but not
such great news here in North Carolina?
Yeah, I think that one of the things that
we just didn't do really is actually
talk to rural North Carolina about the
money that's coming down right now
from the federal government when it
comes to the bipartisan infrastructure
bill and the American Rescue Plan.
And you know, I think that what I've
always seen in rural communities is
that folks just do not believe that
government is actually working for them.
And I think that the party and
and both parties, honestly,
not just the Democratic Party,
but the Republican Party too,
has the ability and the right to show
people that government does work for you.
And here's how it's doing that right now.
You know,
the affordable connectivity program is $30.
Off them off your off a month of
somebody's Internet bill and that got
passed or if you're 200% below the
poverty line right now we should be
educating people and talking to them
about the policies that are that are
happening at the federal level that are
trying to make people's lives easier.
At the end of the day.
Because right now in rural North
Carolina it's it's hard to just
live and in everyday circumstance
you're worried about you know how
do you put a roof over your head.
Can I pay my rent that month?
Am I going to be able to put
food on the table.
And I think that you know we
we talk about these issues and
politics to me as if they're.
You know,
if they're buzzwords to some degree,
but I'm like that's not like it's it's
people's reality and we need to be talking,
I think,
in a way that actually shows people.
And at a granular level, you know,
what does politics actually do for you?
What should government be doing for
you and holding people accountable
at that local level, too.
I tell people all the time that,
you know,
part of the responsibility is Democrats
is to hold our own accountable as well.
And we need to make sure that we are always,
I think,
trying to be representative voices
of the districts and the people
that were representing.
Because at the end of the day,
politics is about people.
It's not about.
Partisanship.
So
do you think, I think the conventional
wisdom is the core of the Democratic
Party is urban centers like Charlotte,
Deep Blue, but you're making a valid
point there about rural voters as well,
that have typically,
at least in recent years, been sort of
the backbone of the Republican Party.
Do you think you can speak to both groups
at the same time about the same issues?
I think you can because I think that,
you know, for me why I tell you all the time,
we can walk and chew gum at the same time.
And and I know that because of
being in person county, I know that.
You know the the values that I hold
here as a rural person in a rural
community are the same things and the
same issues that people in my urban
communities are also fighting for.
Affordable housing is something
that we're dealing in rural North
Carolina with right now too,
just as much as you're dealing
with in an urban center, you know,
the ability to actually have clean water and
and good access to healthcare. Right now,
it's not just impacting our cities,
but it's also impacting.
Our rural communities, you know,
without Medicaid expansion across
our state right now,
rural hospitals are closing.
You cannot find good prenatal care,
especially in eastern North
Carolina right now.
And I think that we've got to
bring and we've got to put forth
these issues in front of folks.
As you know,
Democrats are coming forward
united on on certain things like
we want to expand Medicaid,
we want to make sure municipal broadband
is allowed to happen in North Carolina
and that folks can operate their
own infrastructure if they want to.
We want to make sure that cities are able to,
to do what they they need to for their
communities rather than being restricted.
By our state government like
they are right now.
And I think that localities don't
actually have the ability to do what
they need to do in order to help
their community survive every day.
And so we've got a big role to play and
and making sure that people understand
that and are are fighting for that.
Honestly
do you think Republicans have done
a better job appealing to rural
voters on on things that they care
about whether it's culture where
or issues or or as they say woke
ISM or some of these things that
really can get a reaction out of?
People and people really start
to care about that.
A lot of folks would say the Democratic
Party is completely ignored or at
least did not get a good footing on.
Yeah, I mean I think that the
Democratic Party has a good,
has a good long way to go on
messaging and I tell people about
this position that I'm in right now.
You know this is not a two
year my term is 2 years.
But it's not a two year thing
that we're talking about.
You know we're talking about a
a rebuild of our party in some
capacities because I think that right
now the Democratic Party has got to
rebuild trust and especially in rural
North Carolina like I I tell folks,
you know people are afraid to call
themselves Democrats sometimes out here.
And I want to make,
I want to make sure that every Democrat
feels proud to call themselves that,
that they can understand that this party
is fighting for them because we fight.
The working people and and that's where
that's where we need to go in the future.
And for me, I want to be the
messenger that gives people the.
The ability to say that we care about rural
North Carolina and we see the future of it.
We have a vision for it.
We understand that there's economic
opportunity there that has been honestly not,
not looked at as it should
have been in the past.
I think.
And you know,
as we've always looked at rural communities
as a problem versus an opportunity.
And I'm like,
I want to live in rural North
Carolina for the rest of my life.
And people tell me I'm crazy when I'm
25 and I want to be able to say that.
But I do.
And I think that we should always be looking
at communities as though what's their future,
not how do we,
you know,
help them into a slow decline to some degree.
So I think that Republicans
have done a good job.
I don't think that the Republicans
have necessarily had any competition,
though,
and that's what I want to really
provide to them in this capacity is,
is making sure they've got
competition in areas where they,
I don't feel like they've had to
compete for for much of anything
in the last decade,
to be honest with you.
Do you think President Biden
should run for reelection?
I think that I'm excited to see who
runs for reelection in 2024 but I'm
also really focused on North Carolina.
I think that you know for me if
people ask me about the presidential
level of things and while I used
to work on presidential campaigns,
the reason that I left national
politics is because I fully believe
that all politics is local and
that's where you're fully belief
and backing should be right now.
So I think the President Biden
should run for reelection in 2024.
I'm excited to to see the continuation
of the of what Democrats have been
able to do at the federal level
because rural North Carolina.
Right now is benefiting from it.
Our communities are benefiting from it.
And we need to make sure that folks
like that are still in office, I think.
But I also really want to make sure that
people understand the priorities and
we should be focused on what's going
on in your own backyard right now.
My problem with the Democratic Party,
and I've said it before,
but you know people can tell me
everything about George Santos,
what he ate for breakfast this morning,
what counties he represents and what he
did or not did or did not do in high school.
But they can't tell me who the five
people on their board of County
commissioners are and and and that's
what I really want people to look
at right now because those are the
folks that are making decisions that
are impacting your everyday life.
Sounds like you've got your
work cut out for you again.
Congrats on the new position
and best of luck as well.
Anderson, thanks for coming on.
We appreciate it.
Yeah, thank you for the time.
I really appreciate it too.
And thank you for all that you do.
Take care. More flash point after this.