iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Southey Blanton @southey4senate.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Knocking doors is how you connect with voters. It is how you increase turnout. It is how you connect with the people you want to represent. We have special canvassing opportunities coming up and I want you to join us. #southey4senate #fundpublicschools #payteachersmore #expandthemap #canvassing

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Southey Blanton @southey4senate.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

As of April last year there were almost 25k SNAP recipients in Alamance County alone. The shortfalls mean the county picks up the tab, and instead of assisting, the NC GOP in Raleigh is attempting to block the ability to raise revenue in multiple ways via these ridiculous constitutional amendments.

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Carolina Forward @carolinaforward.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

There are three proposed amendments to our North Carolina state constitution on the ballot this year, and this week, we're talking about each of them. Today is Part 3: the income tax amendment. Our recommendation: vote against all 3. 🙅‍♂️

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Southey Blanton @southey4senate.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

35 days until Election Day. The mailers are ready. The ads are ready. What’s holding us up? Donations. Every dollar helps me reach more of the 121,000 registered voters in NC Senate District 25 through mail and digital ads.

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Southey Blanton @southey4senate.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Read yet another story today about Flock cameras being abused by law enforcement.

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Southey Blanton @southey4senate.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

In honor of Taylor Swift announcing new music coming out this Friday, it's good to know she also is putting out clues about how important early voting in North Carolina is. #taylorswift #encore

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Southey Blanton @southey4senate.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

It’s hilarious that Michael Whatley also is not included. They have given up on that guy.

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Southey Blanton @southey4senate.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Got to sit in the same chair that an actual genius (and fellow October Libra) sat in. Really excited about the next 45 days of this campaign. @tressiemcphd.bsky.social

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taylr @taylordahlin.com · 15/09/2026

a new study shows that closing schools does not save money in the end, as students withdraw from the district entirely to attend school elsewhere www.edweek.org/leadership/c...

edweek.org

Closing a School? Don't Expect to Save Money, a New Study Warns

The hope is that closing schools can reduce fixed costs. A new study looks into whether that happens.

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Southey Blanton @southey4senate.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Schools buses run on diesel too. Car rider lines idle and burn fuel. This affects schools, teachers, teams, and families across the state. #ncpol

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Tressie McMillan Cottom @tressiemcphd.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

$500, some highlighters, and ten days to wrap it up. Treat candidates like we treat teachers.

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Southey Blanton @southey4senate.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

It also works well to the tune of “Knuck if you buck”

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Southey Blanton @southey4senate.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

It’s National Voter Registration Day and in honor of that I have decided the Easter eggs left by Taylor Swift last night during the Emmys. #ncpol #vote

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Carolina Forward @carolinaforward.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Want a sneak peak into the future of North Carolina? Take a look at what's happening right now in Wisconsin. More: www.nytimes.com/2026/09/07/us/polit…

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Solomon @solomonrmissouri.com · 15/09/2026

No polls all gas no brakes!!!!!!!!

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Southey Blanton @southey4senate.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Whenever I heard NC GOP candidates trying to tell people that the amendments on the ballot in November are going to cut taxes or make anything more affordable. #southey4senate #ncpol

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Tressie McMillan Cottom @tressiemcphd.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

We woke up thinking about the long shadow of all the workers’ wins and even their losses. We made it free to watch the short documentary that dominated my life this year. Happy Labor Day. vimeo.com/1224659811/7...

vimeo.com

Power to the People, Y'all [Happy Labor Day]

Power to the People, Y’all is a character-driven documentary that explores aging, legacy, and resistance through interviews with five founding members of the Winston-Salem Chapter of the Black Panther...

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Southey Blanton @southey4senate.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Happy Labor Day. I took my kids to a park to celebrate because they no longer work in factories thanks to labor unions.

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Southey Blanton @southey4senate.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

I love being a dad. Running for office and sharing it with my kids has been a really great experience. 58 days to go. #southey4senate #ncpol

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Carolina Forward @carolinaforward.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

Can your household afford an extra $1,967 in extra costs? According to the National Taxpayers Union Foundation, that's exactly how much Donald Trump's tariffs have cost every single North Carolina household since January 2025. Full report: tariffs.org/north-carolina

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Southey Blanton @southey4senate.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Interesting to see UNC trying to get out ahead and separate themselves from the cast of characters about to roll up to the Carolina Inn next week. @edzitron.com

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Southey Blanton @southey4senate.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

I remember getting books from the Imagination Library for our kids, and the letter we got before they started Kindergarten. Rest in peace to a legend. #dollyparton

Image of dolly Parton reading that says she created the imagination library to honor her father who couldn’t read or write.

Image of dolly that states that she gave away over 300 milllion books since 1995

Image of the letter sent to all kindergartners from dolly

An image of the line item in the NC GOP budget where they removed one million dollars from imagination library program

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Southey Blanton @southey4senate.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

4 kids here, and they are all awesome.

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Southey Blanton @southey4senate.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Tonight in Graham, NC there will be a public hearing regarding a moratorium on data centers here in Alamance County. If you can’t attend you can watch the live stream. Speaking out and showing up is where the power of a community lies. #ncpol

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Carolina Forward @carolinaforward.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Flock cameras are one of those things where, in a perfect world, maybe they'd be just fine. But in the real world, Flock cameras are enabling a massive surveillance state that shrinks our privacy and gives bad actors huge new powers, mostly without any meaningful oversight.

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INDY Week @indyweek.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

A small group of lawyers, real estate brokers, and registered nonprofits are profiting from a tax break designed to support affordable housing, some raking in hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, an INDY investigation found.

ift.tt

The Million-Dollar Industry Built Around NC’s Affordable Housing Tax Break

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Southey Blanton @southey4senate.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

We have 86 days left. I’m doing this for voters. I’m doing this for my mom. I’m doing this for my kids. I’m doing this for other amazing candidates. Let’s go. #southey4senate #fundpublicschools #payteachersmore #expandthemap #fannypack

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Southey Blanton @southey4senate.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Re-sharing in case anyone knows someone local to Alamance/Randolph county who might be interested. A paid fellowship, 15 hours a week canvassing and helping me with voter outreach, $250 a week until November. Please share with anyone who might be interested.

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Southey Blanton @southey4senate.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

I got to speak at the Randolph County Commissioners meeting last night in support of public libraries. Their livestream was a little wonky but I was able to grab a bit of audio. #fundpubliclibraries @prisonculture.bsky.social

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Southey Blanton @southey4senate.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

NC Senate District 25 has been redrawn so much, many people don't know if they live in the district or who represents them. This is their current state senator. I plan on replacing her in November to ensure everybody in the district actually gets a voice in Raleigh. #ncpol

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Southey Blanton @southey4senate.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

"Data Centers are the New York of Wisconsin."

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Southey Blanton @southey4senate.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

One of the best parts of running for office is meeting the people who I hope to represent in the General Assembly. Below is information about events I’ll be attending over the next week, feel free to share and join if you like! #southey4senate #fundpublicschools #payteachersmore #ncpol

Image of Southey 4 Senate with graphics showing "Upcoming Events"

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Southey Blanton @southey4senate.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Had a really wonderful time last night in Raleigh for the @ncdp.org Unity Dinner. Got to hang out with current senate rockstars and future senate rockstars. Every event like this makes me push a little harder to flip a seat gerrymandered to be unwinnable.

Nc SD 25 candidate at the nc democrat unity dinner alongside senators Lisa Grafstein and Sydney Batch and senate candidate Jessica Bichler and Senator Haseeb Fatmi

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Sue Sturgis @suesturgis.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

Amazon is planning to build a data center on a property next to an existing Duke Energy gas plant in Hamlet, NC. But until the interconnection is built, power would come from 57 diesel generators proposed to be built next to the data center.

newsobserver.com

An Amazon data center in NC wants to use diesel power. Why there’s pushback

In Richmond County, residents say they’re overburdened by air pollution. Would a diesel-powered data center worsen the problem?

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Southey Blanton @southey4senate.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

Earning the endorsements of both Randolph County and Alamance Burlington Association of Educators is an incredible honor. I'm working hard to flip this district because there are incredible public schools and teachers all across NC Senate District 25. #ncpol

Flyer announcing the endorsement of Southey Blanton, candidate for NC Senate District 25 from the Randolph County Association of Educators and the Alamance Burlington Association of Educators.

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Colin Campbell @raleighreporter.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Less than a month after the #ncga passed a long-overdue budget, they're making changes to the spending plan. Highlights include money for a PGA event, restoring some job cuts and a change to the confirmation rules for the governor's cabinet: www.wunc.org/politics/202... #ncpol

wunc.org

NC legislature changing budget provisions, restoring some cuts

Less than a month after state lawmakers passed a long-overdue budget, they're making changes to the spending plan.

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Southey Blanton @southey4senate.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

Just want to tell anyone who is nervous about canvassing for a candidate you believe in, that my six year old loved it. He did tell people his birthday and his favorite restaurants but he had a great time. Sharing this whole adventure with my kids has been pretty great. www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8tXDMYm/

tiktok.com

If you’ve ever been nervous about canvassing, I’m here to tell you that my six year old loved it. Now he may have also given out random personal info like his birthday and his favorite restaurants bu...

TikTok video by southey4senate

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Southey Blanton @southey4senate.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

Met a sweet dog named Cake Pop today while canvassing. Then had a twenty minute convo with a voter about how difficult he found America’s 250th to celebrate. We are officially 100 days from Election Day, let’s go.

A sweet girl dog named Cake Pop that rumbled up to NC SD 25 candidate Southey Blanton while he was canvassing today.

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Cory Vaillancourt @coryvaillancourt.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

I was just denied entry into a Michael Whatley campaign event at the Waynesville Rec Center — a non-ticketed, free event advertised publicly for weeks with no mention of RSVP in online promo materials.

citizen-times.com

Haywood GOP officials bar Citizen Times reporter from Whatley event

Local Republican officials denied entry to a publicly advertised event despite a warning from Waynesville’s town attorney.

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Public Schools First NC @publicschoolsfirstnc.org · 16/07/2026

Did you miss our webinar? Catch the replay featuring NC Senator Lisa Grafstein and NC Representative Phil Rubin as they break down two key constitutional amendments on the November 3 ballot. Watch now on our YouTube channel! #nced #ncpublicschools youtu.be/gQjgkx0gXWg?si=5ksskmsHx27…

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Southey Blanton @southey4senate.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

Here in Alamance County moratoriums are being discussed. The looming specter of data centers especially in counties like ours with no zoning combined with Duke Energy further increasing energy rates has people pissed.

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Southey Blanton @southey4senate.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

I beg everyone here in North Carolina. Do not let Thom Tillis and his career of enabling this administration ever be forgotten. He has used the fact that he is retiring as a means to try and score points but in a just world he would be shunned from polite society the instant he leaves Washington.

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Southey Blanton @southey4senate.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

This reminds me of when our oldest was around 1 year old. We went to the NC State Fair. A day or so later he became super ill, doctor visits, his diapers were the stuff of nightmares. It was Salmonella. The apparatus that kicked in after his diagnosis was wild.

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Southey Blanton @southey4senate.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Very excited to announce that I have been informed I can hire people to work on my campaign! I can hire paid fellows, thanks to the Progressive Turnout Project. Do you want to get paid to knock doors from August to November? Want to get training on working on a campaign? Then apply today!

Interested? apply by sending an email to southey4senate@gmail.com with the subject line "Fellowship"

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Southey Blanton @southey4senate.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Running for office means lots of “firsts”. Such as my first town hall where I got to talk to voters from a ridiculously comfortable chair. And my first time trying to recruit Socksquatch to help me knock doors. #ncpol #southey4senate #NCSD25

Southey Blanton speaking at a town hall with Alamance county sherriff candidate Shannon long and nc house district 64 candidate Levon Barnes.

Southey speaking next to Levon Barnes, and Alamance county commissioner candidates Ramona Allen and Sean Ewing

Southey Blanton and his kids and Socksquatch.

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Southey Blanton @southey4senate.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

The budget that was a year late just passed, with a paltry 3% salary increase for state employees, and like clockwork, we are all going to pay even more for health insurance next year. #ncpol

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