Thomas Mills
@tmillsnc.bsky.social
Editor and publisher of PoliticsNC. Erstwhile Democratic political consultant with 30 years on the campaign battlefield. Now offering insight into North Carolina and national politics. Father, grandfather, dogfather. Tar Heel.
https://politicsnc.com
https://politicsnc.com
It’s beginning to look a lot like 2006. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
Republicans' wave of health care woes
The GOP's refusal to deal with Medicaid and rising premiums is reminiscent of the 2006 election cycle.
open.substack.com
November 14, 2025 at 2:53 PM
It’s beginning to look a lot like 2006. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
What happens in New York City, stays in New York City. Also, Democratic Socialists should take a cue from Europeans. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
Mamdani and North Carolina
The NYC election results don't reflect the reality in swings states like North Carolina.
open.substack.com
November 12, 2025 at 4:32 PM
What happens in New York City, stays in New York City. Also, Democratic Socialists should take a cue from Europeans. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
Schumer and company are operating under rules that no longer apply. Time has passed them by. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
Trying to save a burning institution
Schumer and company are playing by rules that Republicans have shunned.
open.substack.com
November 10, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Schumer and company are operating under rules that no longer apply. Time has passed them by. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
Great insight into the elections both in North Carolina and nationally. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
Restless Natives NC, Off-year Election edition
Anderson Clayton, Travis Fain, and Thomas break down Tuesday's election results.
open.substack.com
November 7, 2025 at 1:09 PM
Great insight into the elections both in North Carolina and nationally. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
As of last night, a whole lot of Congressional and down-ballot races are in play in 2026 that weren’t yesterday—unless Republicans reverse course. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
Whew!
After last night, I feel better about the country than I have in a year.
open.substack.com
November 5, 2025 at 2:34 PM
As of last night, a whole lot of Congressional and down-ballot races are in play in 2026 that weren’t yesterday—unless Republicans reverse course. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
Republicans are SHOCKED, I say, SHOCKED that Tucker Carlson would host the same white supremacist who had dinner with Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
Guess who's coming to dinner?
Republicans ignoring extremists in their ranks have lessons for Democrats, too.
open.substack.com
November 3, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Republicans are SHOCKED, I say, SHOCKED that Tucker Carlson would host the same white supremacist who had dinner with Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
North Carolina House Minority Leader Robert Reives and I sit down to talk about the lack of a budget, mid-decade redistricting, and small town voters. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
Hometown Heroes with Robert Reives
The North Carolina House Minority Leader discusses the lack of a budget, redistricting, and how to reach small town voters.
open.substack.com
November 1, 2025 at 1:11 PM
North Carolina House Minority Leader Robert Reives and I sit down to talk about the lack of a budget, mid-decade redistricting, and small town voters. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
A ProPublica profiles exposes the extremism of North Carolina Chief Justice Paul Newby. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
Newby disrobed
A profile of NC Chief Justice Paul Newby exposes his bare-knuckled politics justified by his extremist religious beliefs.
open.substack.com
October 31, 2025 at 1:40 PM
A ProPublica profiles exposes the extremism of North Carolina Chief Justice Paul Newby. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
Republicans who say Trump is not eligible for a third term will fall in line if he seeks one. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
The moving goal posts
Who knows whether Trump will seek a third term, but the conservatives saying he won't will fall in line if he does.
open.substack.com
October 29, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Republicans who say Trump is not eligible for a third term will fall in line if he seeks one. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
State Senator Michael Garrett linked gerrymandering to rising authoritarianism so the GOP refused to record his speech in the public record. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
The speech North Carolina Republicans don't want us to hear
Sen. Michael Garrett laid out how the recent gerrymandering is tied to rising authoritarianism.
open.substack.com
October 27, 2025 at 3:54 PM
State Senator Michael Garrett linked gerrymandering to rising authoritarianism so the GOP refused to record his speech in the public record. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
It’s a good show this week. Anderson Clayton, Travis Fain, and Thomas Mills get into the tearing down the East Wing, stealing another Congressional district for Republicans, subsidizing big donor developers with taxpayer dollars, and more. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
Restless Natives NC, 10-26-2026
Tearing up the White House, shredding Congressional districts, and subsidizing wealthy developers with taxpayer dollars. We cover it all on the latest episode of Restless NativesNC.
open.substack.com
October 26, 2025 at 2:36 PM
It’s a good show this week. Anderson Clayton, Travis Fain, and Thomas Mills get into the tearing down the East Wing, stealing another Congressional district for Republicans, subsidizing big donor developers with taxpayer dollars, and more. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
Two expansive government programs highlight the different priorities of the two parties. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
Obamacare v. Vouchers
Two programs illustrate the goals of the two parties.
open.substack.com
October 24, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Two expansive government programs highlight the different priorities of the two parties. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
The destruction of the East Wing is a metaphor for what Trump is doing to the country. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
The East Wing, seeds of MAGA, and other thoughts
Trumpism didn't emerge from a vacuum. It's been growing inside the GOP for decades.
open.substack.com
October 22, 2025 at 3:36 PM
The destruction of the East Wing is a metaphor for what Trump is doing to the country. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
Exposing Republican bad behavior one anecdote at a time. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
Trump bombs Vance and other GOP news
The degradation of the US and North Carolina continues under Republican rule.
open.substack.com
October 20, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Exposing Republican bad behavior one anecdote at a time. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
Republicans are changing the rules again in North Carolina, this time stealing another Congressional district. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
Political Calvinball
Republicans are constantly changing the rules of the elections to benefit them.
open.substack.com
October 17, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Republicans are changing the rules again in North Carolina, this time stealing another Congressional district. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
Normalization of bad behavior. None of this is major news.
Today in GOP news
Subverting democracy, accepting abusers, and tolerating racists.
open.substack.com
October 15, 2025 at 2:31 PM
Normalization of bad behavior. None of this is major news.
Always the bridesmaid, never the bride. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
Trump won't win the Nobel Prize
Trump eschews democracy, ignores human rights, and lacks respect for human dignity.
open.substack.com
October 13, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Always the bridesmaid, never the bride. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
Anderson Clayton, Travis Fain, and Thomas Mills catch up on the political news. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
Restless Natives NC, October 11
Anderson Clayton, Travis Fain, and Thomas Mills discuss the shutdown, the Epstein Files, the State Board of Corruption and more.
open.substack.com
October 11, 2025 at 1:12 PM
Anderson Clayton, Travis Fain, and Thomas Mills catch up on the political news. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
Trump has upended politics and we need to recognize what he’s getting right, even if we oppose his presidency and abuse of power. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
What Trump gets right
Hard power and protecting industries have a place in the toolbox.
open.substack.com
October 10, 2025 at 2:20 PM
Trump has upended politics and we need to recognize what he’s getting right, even if we oppose his presidency and abuse of power. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
If conservatives believe Melissa Hortman’s murderer was a Never-Trumper, they will believe anything. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
Hoodwinked
Right-wing influencers have convinced their gullible audiences that Melissa Hortman was killed by a Never-Trumper or Democrat.
open.substack.com
October 8, 2025 at 3:53 PM
If conservatives believe Melissa Hortman’s murderer was a Never-Trumper, they will believe anything. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
Republicans say calling Trump's actions fascist incites violence, so let's define Trumpism instead. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
If it's not fascism, it's Trumpism
If Republicans don't want to be called fascists, let's define Trumpism for what it is.
open.substack.com
October 6, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Republicans say calling Trump's actions fascist incites violence, so let's define Trumpism instead. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
Cosplaying culture warriors are leading our country. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
Performance art and military priorities
Pete Hegseth didn't just lay out priorities. He made a threat.
open.substack.com
October 3, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Cosplaying culture warriors are leading our country. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
North Carolina Republicans have appointed an unabashed partisan warrior to oversee county boards of elections. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
Corrupting influences
The state board of elections has hired a political hack to oversee county boards of elections.
open.substack.com
October 1, 2025 at 1:58 PM
North Carolina Republicans have appointed an unabashed partisan warrior to oversee county boards of elections. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
Easy access to guns is clearly part of the problem, not the solution that we were promised. open.substack.com/pub/politics...
It's not ideology killing people at bars and churches
It's time to move past blaming groups and start looking for solutions. I'm not optimistic.
open.substack.com
September 29, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Easy access to guns is clearly part of the problem, not the solution that we were promised. open.substack.com/pub/politics...