Mitch Kokai

Senior Political Analyst
Mitch Kokai is senior political analyst for the John Locke Foundation. He joined JLF in December 2005 as director of communications. That followed more than four years as chief state government reporter for News 14 Carolina, now known as Spectrum News. The job included extensive coverage of the General Assembly for the 24-hour local regional television news channel.

Before News 14 Carolina, Kokai worked as a radio news reporter for seven years. He started a radio news department at WENC-AM in Whiteville, then led Chapel Hill’s award-winning radio news team at WCHL-AM. He spent two-and-one-half years as news director and assignment editor for Raleigh’s WPTF-AM.

Mitch is a Columbus, Ohio, native, and a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill graduate. He has lived in North Carolina since 1989.

Posts by Mitch Kokai (page 1)

  • Martin Center staffers highlight current reading lists

    The Martin Center highlights the books its staffers have been reading. Jenna A. Robinson, President Jacques Barzun’s magnum opus, From Dawn to Decadence: 500 Years of Western Cultural Life, has been a revelation—of my own inadequate history education. As the title says, the book covers 500 years of Western…
    Mitch Kokai, September 20, 2019

  • Democratic senator’s moderate approach held against her

    Erielle Davidson writes for the Federalist about the impact of an attack from the Democratic Party’s left wing on a freshman U.S. senator. Arizona Republic reported that Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) “is facing a censure vote from the Arizona Democratic Party,” whose farthest left members feel Sinema has…
    Mitch Kokai, September 20, 2019

  • Impeachment and Democratic unity

    Susan Ferrechio of the Washington Examiner explores the impact of presidential impeachment discussions on the U.S. House’s Democratic caucus. Impeachment fatigue is beginning to fracture the House Democratic Caucus. Tuesday’s circus-like atmosphere in the House Judiciary Committee, where Democrats conducted a raucous “impeachment” hearing featuring former Trump 2016…
    Mitch Kokai, September 20, 2019

  • A view of competing Democratic presidential campaigns

    Michael Brendan Dougherty of National Review Online focuses on two contrasting Democratic presidential candidates. Beto O’Rourke and Pete Buttigieg at first glance might seem to appeal to the same type of voter. A congressman and a mayor — younger, energetic men who aren’t longtime political insiders. But it…
    Mitch Kokai, September 20, 2019

  • National Review endorses plan to drop California auto waiver

    Editors at National Review Online support the Trump administration’s approach to California auto emissions standards. The Trump administration is pushing ahead with a plan we endorsed previously. It will revoke California’s ability to set separate greenhouse-gas standards for cars — so that a single policy will apply to the…
    Mitch Kokai, September 20, 2019

  • This weekend on Carolina Journal Radio

    Voters recently selected two new Republican representatives for North Carolina’s 3rd and 9th congressional districts. Rick Henderson analyzes the special elections’ significance during the next edition of Carolina Journal Radio. Terry Stoops assesses key trends from the latest batch of N.C. public school standardized test scores. Wellesley College sociology…
    Mitch Kokai, September 20, 2019

  • New Carolina Journal Online features

    Brooke Conrad reports for Carolina Journal Online on expert reaction to North Carolina’s new legislative election maps. Donald van der Vaart’s Daily Journal questions a planned “global climate strike.”…
    Mitch Kokai, September 20, 2019

  • Martin Center highlights college mergers, closings

    David Waugh writes for the Martin Center about 86 recent higher education mergers and closings. Since 2016, colleges and universities have fought to stay open as enrollments fall, especially liberal arts colleges. Many colleges are adding more certificate programs in technology fields and dropping low-enrollment humanities programs. The threat…
    Mitch Kokai, September 19, 2019