Tune in here to this ​Monday edition of Breaking With Brett Jensen!

Breaking Brett Jensen kicks off the show by discussing candidates running in the 2026 legislative races across Mecklenburg County. Last Friday at noon marked the deadline for candidates to file for office in North Carolina next year. Jensen then previews key state Senate and House contests in Mecklenburg County, which has historically leaned Democratic.

Several state legislative races in the county stand out. One is Senate District 98, where Democrat Beth Helfrich is set to face Republican John Rhodes. Jensen notes the district is unusual, as the seat has alternated between Democratic and Republican control in each of the past four election cycles. Another notable race is Senate District 105, where Republican Tricia Cotham is expected to face Kelly VanHorn, a former Democrat and former teacher who is part of a group of educators changing party affiliation to challenge Republicans.

County Commission races are also drawing attention, as no Republicans are running as at-large candidates. Jensen notes that Districts 5 and 6 were drawn in a way that makes it difficult for Republicans to win. He attributes the district boundaries to decisions made by the County Commission, which opted to draw its own maps.

Listen here for all of this and more on Breaking With Brett Jensen.

To be the first to hear about Breaking Brett Jensen's exclusives and more follow him on X @Brett_Jensen!

Tune in here to this ​Monday edition of Breaking With Brett Jensen!
Breaking Brett Jensen kicks off the show by discussing candidates running in the 2026 legislative races across Mecklenburg County. Last Friday at noon marked the deadline for candidates to file for office in North Carolina next year. Jensen then previews key state Senate and House contests in Mecklenburg County, which has historically leaned Democratic.
Several state legislative races in the county stand out. One is Senate District 98, where Democrat Beth Helfrich is set to face Republican John Rhodes. Jensen notes the district is unusual, as the seat has alternated between Democratic and Republican control in each of the past four election cycles. Another notable race is Senate District 105, where Republican Tricia Cotham is expected to face Kelly VanHorn, a former Democrat and former teacher who is part of a group of educators changing party affiliation to challenge Republicans.
County Commission races are also drawing attention, as no Republicans are running as at-large candidates. Jensen notes that Districts 5 and 6 were drawn in a way that makes it difficult for Republicans to win. He attributes the district boundaries to decisions made by the County Commission, which opted to draw its own maps.
Listen here for all of this and more on Breaking With Brett Jensen.
To be the first to hear about Breaking Brett Jensen's exclusives and more follow him on X&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/Brett_Jensen">@Brett_Jensen</a>!

Every weeknight from 7-8 PM, "Breaking Brett Jensen" comes off the beat for a deep dive into the day's top stories, and to answer your questions at 704-520-1110.

Every weeknight from 7-8 PM, "Breaking Brett Jensen" comes off the beat for a deep dive into the day's top stories, and to answer your questions at 704-520-1110.

Breaking With Brett Jensen

12-22-25: 2026 Candidates

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/78a347aa-3282-4ac5-837c-a72300032082/clips/fb9236da-e253-4395-9f01-b3bc000cd76d/transcript

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