Veteran NC political consultant Thomas Mills on the shifting energy in the presidential race

Thomas Mills (Courtesy photo)

It seemed almost unimaginable less than a month ago, but as they head into their national convention this week, U.S. Democrats are riding a wave of voter enthusiasm for presidential nominee – Vice President Kamala Harris – and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. Indeed, polls in key swing states that showed Republican nominee Donald Trump leading just weeks ago have now flipped.

So why have things shifted so quickly and dramatically? Will it last? And does it mean that Trump is now vulnerable in North Carolina? These are just some of the questions that veteran North Carolina political consultant and observer Thomas Millis discussed with NC Newsline during an extended recent conversation. In Part One of our chat Mills explained, among other things, why he believes that Harris’s rise is, ultimately, a reflection of what American voters – particularly younger voters – want.

In Part Two of our chat, we continued our discussion of national politics, while also turning our attention to some high-profile North Carolina races.

Read more of Mills’ analysis at the substack PoliticsNC .