North Carolina’s ongoing descent into authoritarianism

by Melissa Price Kromm, NC Newsline

March 19, 2025

North Carolina stands at a precipice. Our state government is no longer a part of a functioning democratic system—rather, it is becoming an electoral autocracy and falling prey to fascism. Since 2010, our state’s Republican-controlled legislature has aggressively consolidated power, deploying a range of calculated maneuvers designed to undermine the freedoms of everyday, working-class people. The state’s descent into authoritarianism is alarming—it’s a case study in how democracy can erode in plain sight under the cover of law.

At the heart of this erosion is extreme partisan gerrymandering. Corrupt lawmakers have rigged electoral maps to maintain control despite shifting voter demographics. By manipulating district boundaries, they’ve ensured their political dominance, rendering the people’s will almost irrelevant. This is no longer a representative democracy; it’s a system that distorts the will of voters to secure political power for a select few.

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The assault on democracy doesn’t stop there. Our state lawmakers have used the guise of “election integrity” to pass restrictive voter ID laws and impose unnecessary barriers that disenfranchise millions of North Carolinians, mainly Black, Latine, Asian & Pacific Islander, LGBTQ, and Indigenous communities. These laws are not about safeguarding the ballot—they’re designed to limit access, particularly for those who historically lean toward progressive values. The Republican-controlled legislature is more focused on retaining power than protecting voter freedoms.

Yet perhaps the most brazen attack on democratic principles comes from the legislature’s attempts to strip power from the executive branch. By limiting the governor’s powers and manipulating the judiciary, the lawmakers we elected are working to secure absolute control. They’ve introduced policies threatening judicial independence and undermining the state’s checks and balances system. The legislature is not just limiting the role of the governor—they’re aiming to control who sits on the courts and how they are selected. This move, if unchecked, could lay the groundwork for a future where the judicial branch no longer serves as a check on power but as a tool of the state’s political elite.

And now they are trying to steal an election, not through ballots, but through political legal maneuvers. In an unprecedented assault on the North Carolina Supreme Court election, they are attempting to strip the votes of those who legitimately cast their ballots. Today, this is the only race in the entire country that has yet to be certified for the 2024 General Election. It is a disgrace to the voters who elected their candidate of choice, verified by multiple recounts and a certified election audit. This is a corrupt, cynical attack that undermines the promise of our democracy.

But the attack on democracy doesn’t end there. These lawmakers have also introduced Senate Bill 58, a bill that would strip power from the Attorney General and prevent them from taking legal action against any executive order issued by the President. This bill, which is nothing short of unconstitutional, is an open attempt to put political loyalty over the interests of the people of North Carolina. The language used by Sen. Moffitt in the rules committee was chilling—he suggested that if the Attorney General refused to comply with Senate Bill 58, the North Carolina General Assembly would turn the elected position into a “feckless empty shell.” This is the language of authoritarianism—an attempt to silence dissent and eliminate checks on power.

History is clear: when governments restrict speech, curb and capture democratic institutions, and persecute marginalized groups, despite those who bravely rise up in defiance, they are signaling a descent into authoritarianism. A recent poll shows that more than half of Americans (51%) agree that the United States is in a constitutional crisis, including 74% of Democrats and 32% of Republicans. North Carolina, once a model of progressive change, is now a harbinger of what can happen when democratic safeguards break down. If this trend is left unchecked, it could easily spread to other states, further tipping the balance of power in favor of the powerful few.

The situation in North Carolina is not just about one state or one election. It is a warning to the entire nation. As democracy advocates, we must rise to defend our institutions, ensuring that the checks and balances that are meant to protect us are not captured or weaponized for political gain. North Carolina is a test case, and if we fail to act now, we risk the further erosion of our constitutional freedoms that protect all Americans. North Carolina’s experiment in authoritarianism is a clear warning: hold those in power accountable before it’s too late.

NC Newsline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. NC Newsline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Rob Schofield for questions: info@ncnewsline.com.