Until this week, the best news about the future of North Carolina Democrats was the development of a future Apple campus in Durham, the fourth largest city in the state. Next came confirmation that fellow digital-world goliath Meta [parent to Facebook and Instagram] would also be locating a major office complex in Durham.

The city of 300,000 people is expected to double in size in the next 25 years, generating high hopes for Democrats that North Carolina will become a more progressive state politically.

NC Future Is Now and It’s Younger

That future reality met today with the February 2023 ouster of Democratic North Carolina state party chair Bobbie Richardson, running for her second term, replaced by and 25-year-old Anderson Clayton to guide them through the upcoming 2024 election. Note that both ‘Bobbie’ and ‘Anderson’ are women.

All four top officials of North Carolina’s Democratic party were replaced, not only Richardson. A review of all results shows an interesting dynamic in play. You can see all the candidates running.

Former state Sen. Floyd McKissick, one of the party’s longtime proponents of civil rights, was also swept out Saturday. McKissick, 70, lost his seat as first vice chair to Jonah Garson, 36, who chairs the Orange County Democratic Party. Meanwhile, Kimberly Hardy, 51, defeated incumbent second vice chair incumbent Matt Hughes, 32. Elijah King, 21, won the third vice chair position, which was open.

The 2022 elections in NC brought very disappointing results for Democrats, although Anderson Clayton’s track record is impressive.

Anderson Clayton Delivered

As the chair of Person County's Democratic Party, Clayton's efforts flipped three Roxboro City Council seats in 2021, handing Democrats the majority there, wrote Axios. And she led the effort to flip one of two House seats that went from red to blue last year — a victory that means House Republicans are one seat short of a supermajority in the chamber.

Clayton is well-positioned to walk her own talk, as a broadband analyst for Rural Innovation Strategies, Inc. She understands the challenges facing rural voters in her state and beyond.

Clayton appeared on 'MSNBC’s ‘Morning Joe’ this week and blew AOC out of the water. Even co-host Mika Brzezinski wasn’t sure what she was witnessing.

Not only does she sat “y’all” but Anderson Clayton is sort of a human tornado of the benevolent kind.

Apple Update

Returning to where we began with Apple’s presence in North Carolina, COVID and a review of workplace changes jumpstarted by the pandemic have caused some delays in the Apple masterplan for Durham.

Apple is growing its Triangle footprint by filling an entire office building now in Durham as the tech giant awaits the build out of a technology hub expected to one day house 3,000 employees in Research Triangle Park.

A Vibrant Durham, NC Is Blooming

The future of Durham is exciting and vibrant, with this new team of Democrats well-positioned to move progressive politics forward in the state.

A small number of Black communities across America have garnered the title of being a “Black Wall Street”. In the early decades of the 1900s, Durham was one of those cities propelled by Black entrepreneurship.

Much tougher times came to Durham, especially with the decline of tobacco.

In 2023, there is no doubt that Durham, NC is on the rise again, and we don’t need to wait for Apple and Meta to make their influence felt in the state.

NC Democratic Party leadership Anderson Clayton, Jonah Garson, Kimberly Hardy and Elijah King are on the move.