3 things happening in NC this week: Iryna’s Law and the 2026 election begins now

Our picks for 3 things happening this week in NC: Iryna’s Law takes effect, despite concerns. The 2026 election officially begins, and the chance to be a viking in Oxford.

Welcome to December! The post-Thanksgiving lethargy will be strong this week, and I understand if all you’re interested in is where you can find some Christmas lights and forget about work or what’s happening in the news. 

Alas, we are actually entering a busy news week in North Carolina, as a major new law takes effect and candidate filing opens for the 2026 elections. We’ll fill you in on all you need to know below, plus a Viking holiday celebration to wrap up the week in Oxford. 

And as for those Christmas light displays and holiday celebrations, there is certainly no shortage of awe-inspiring displays and other festivities. Visit NC’s event calendar is always a great resource to find such happenings taking place throughout the state.

Iryna’s Law Takes Effect

Created in response to the tragic murder of Iryna Zarutska on a light rail train car in Charlotte in August, the NC General Assembly in September approved a sweeping criminal justice reform bill called “Iryna’s Law” that will eliminate cashless bail, restrict pretrial releases, require defendants to undergo mental health evaluations and could potentially restart capital punishment in North Carolina.

Signed into law by Gov. Josh Stein in October, the law goes into effect on Monday, Dec. 1. 

The bill is meant, in part, to ensure that violent criminals and repeat offenders aren’t released back onto the streets prematurely, but critics say it was hurried through without providing sufficient funding for implementation. 

Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden, who oversees the jail system in the county where Zarutska’s murder occurred, has voiced his concerns that the law will likely push his facility in Uptown Charlotte past its capacity with no additional funding to help bolster staff at what could become a dangerously overcrowded jail. 

Video: The Republican manipulation of the Charlotte light rail murder

Candidate Filing Begins for 2026 Elections

It’s never too early to start thinking about the 2026 elections. In fact, Monday marks the beginning of the candidate filing period for the 2026 primaries, scheduled to take place on March 3, 2026, with the general election scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026. 

Aspiring candidates can review the Filing for Candidacy page at the NC State Board of Elections website to find information including candidacy requirements, filing fees and more. The NC BOE has also put together this helpful candidate’s guide to the 2026 elections in PDF form.

But what about us simple voters with no desire to run for office but all the interest in staying civically engaged? It’s important to know what we’ll be voting for next year.

Statewide, all the eyes will be on the midterm Senate race, as former Gov. Roy Cooper is likely to face Republican Michael Whatley to fill Thom Tillis’ seat. 

All 14 of North Carolina’s seats in the US House of Representatives are also up for election, plus all the seats in each house of the NC General Assembly. One seat on the NC Supreme Court is up for election, as well, with incumbent Justice Anita Earls facing Republican challenger Sarah Stevens.  

Senate Candidate Roy Cooper speaking at the North Carolina Democratic Party’s Unity Dinner. July 26, 2025. Photo: Dylan Rhoney/Cardinal & Pine

The Viking Yuletide Experience in Oxford

Dec. 6, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. & Dec. 7, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; 1045 Walnut Grove Road, Oxford

There are many holiday celebrations scheduled across the state over the next month, and none of them are quite like this one. The Viking Experience NC holds historically inspired performances and camps throughout the year, but perhaps their most special annual experience comes in early December as they mark Yuletide, a Viking celebration observing the Winter Solstice. 

Visit Drekheim Village, complete with a vendor market, mead, games, axe throwing, a children’s tent, and more. Saturday ends with a processional (read: parade) while Sunday features a number of entertaining competitions.

 

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