Mark Walker’s political history is a drama in two acts.

In the first, a Greensboro pastor makes his debut by routing Phil Berger Jr., son of North Carolina’s most potent politician, on his way to a U.S. House seat. Six years later, Walker was the fourth-most-powerful Republican there.

In the second act, he abruptly comes home—his district redrawn from under him, his alliances paltry—to a barely disguised rivalry in his own party and deep suspicions from powerful politicians.

Yet he keeps at it, Eric Frederick writes. Walker’s newest act is as director of faith and minority outreach for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.

“There are some things you can control in life, and things you can’t,” Walker said in an interview. “I don’t know that you can stress or fret about them.”

Trump Snubbed Him Twice. Now Mark Walker Has New Life. 

The former minister was a rising star in Congress before he fell out of favor with top Republicans. But he’s back in Donald Trump’s good graces—and back in the game.

Have a news tip for our team? You can reach us at scoops@theassemblync.com.

Back in the News

A Buncombe County doctor pardoned two years ago for the murder of his father is finally out of prison, the Asheville Citizen Times reported.

The Assembly wrote last year about the case, chronicled in a book by Asheville-based physician Benjamin Gilmer. In The Other Dr. Gilmer, Gilmer wrote that Vince Gilmer—no relation and the founder of a clinic in Fletcher, North Carolina—was convicted of killing his own father but was denied a mental health evaluation that could have shown he has a neurologically and physically debilitating disease.

Benjamin Gilmer wrote about the process of trying to get him into a long-term psychiatric facility that could meet his needs, which happened just last week.

What We’re Reading

Quite a Story: East Carolina University’s Parker Byrd became the second-ever amputee to play in a Division I college baseball game, WUNC reports. Byrd lost his right leg below the knee after a boating accident.

Follow the Money: The state auditor’s office found that two former employees and one current staffer in Fayetteville State University’s communications office improperly spent nearly $700,000, CityView writes.

VinSlow: VinFast’s Chatham County plant was initially supposed to begin producing electric vehicles in 2024. Now, it’s postponed until 2026 or after. Never is also a possibility, per The N&O.

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Mayor For Life

Wilmington’s longest-serving mayor Bill Saffo has sailed through more than two decades in public office. Charisma and centrist politics have helped him maintain bipartisan support.

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