{"publisher":{"name":"MediaBias News","url":"https://mediabias.news","methodology":"https://mediabias.news/methodology","editorialPrinciples":"https://mediabias.news/editorial-principles","corrections":"https://mediabias.news/corrections"},"scoreGuide":{"trust":"How well corroborated and evidenced the source reporting is. 0-100, higher is better.","critic":"Craft quality of the source journalism: context, balance, fact vs comment. 0-100, higher is better.","hype":"How far the source presentation runs ahead of substance. 0-100, LOWER IS BETTER.","scope":"Scores assess the original reporting this article was written from, not the truth of the underlying event and not the quality of this write-up."},"assessmentGuide":{"type":"coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis","factCheck":{"status":"not-performed","note":"Media Bias News compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It does not currently publish a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true."},"sourceFactuality":{"note":"Factuality values describe published ratings of the outlets that covered the story. They are not a factuality verdict on this story or its claims."}},"story":{"id":"https://mediabias.news/politics/nc-democrat-shelly-headen-remains-on-ballot-after-party-disavowal","slug":"nc-democrat-shelly-headen-remains-on-ballot-after-party-disavowal","url":"https://mediabias.news/politics/nc-democrat-shelly-headen-remains-on-ballot-after-party-disavowal","title":"NC Democrat Shelly Headen remains on ballot after party disavowal","subtitle":"Candidate faces criticism for social media posts comparing MAGA movement to Nazis.","excerpt":"Shelly Headen, a North Carolina Democrat running for state legislature, remains on the ballot despite her party withdrawing support. Her social media posts, which compared President Trump and the MAGA movement to Nazis and called for attacks on U.S. soil, have drawn widespread condemnation.","category":"Politics","area":"United States","publishedAt":"2026-09-18T23:05:13.204Z","sourceReportedAt":"2026-09-18T22:39:34.959Z","updatedAt":"2026-09-18T23:05:13.204Z","readTime":"3 min read","scores":{"trust":60,"critic":70,"hype":45,"notes":{"trust":"Central claims attributed to named bodies and specific dates provided, with some anonymous sourcing.","critic":"Reporting includes quotes from affected parties and names specific dates and locations.","hype":"Headline accurately reflects the article's content, with mild emphasis."}},"tags":["#NorthCarolinaPolitics","#ShellyHeaden","#MAGA","#Nazis","#Election2024"],"entities":["Shelly Headen","Donald Trump","North Carolina House Democratic Caucus","Guilford County Democratic Party","Michael Whatley","Roy Cooper"],"body":[{"type":"key_takeaways","items":["Shelly Headen, a Democrat running for the North Carolina state legislature, remains on the ballot for her House District 62 seat.","Headen's party, including the North Carolina House Democratic Caucus and the Guilford County Democratic Party, has publicly withdrawn support for her candidacy.","The disavowal follows resurfaced social media posts in which Headen compared President Donald Trump and the MAGA movement to Nazis and suggested attacks on U.S. soil.","Headen stated that the deadline to withdraw from the race had passed before the controversy gained national attention, and ballots were already being sent to voters."]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Shelly Headen, a Democratic candidate for the North Carolina state legislature, remains on the ballot for House District 62 despite her party publicly abandoning her. The North Carolina House Democratic Caucus and the Guilford County Democratic Party have both condemned social media posts made by Headen. These posts included comparisons of President Donald Trump and the MAGA movement to Nazis, and suggestions for attacks on U.S. soil targeting red states."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Headen is unable to withdraw from the race because the filing deadline to do so was August 20, according to Headen. Ballots for the general election began to be sent out starting September 4. Headen told WFDD, a public radio station, that she did not remember making the posts but apologized to anyone hurt by them. She also stated she understood the party's decision to withdraw support."},{"type":"heading","text":"Disagreement on Dachau image"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Breitbart reported that Headen posted an image of herself at the Dachau concentration camp with text targeting Trump supporters. Headen denied this to the Greensboro News and Record, stating she believed the image was edited. The New York Ledger and democraticaccent.com reported Headen's denial."},{"type":"heading","text":"What the coverage left out"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"None of the right-rated reports mention that Shelly Headen also told The Assembly, a North Carolina news operation, that she defended her posts as 'a few angry moments' and that 'MAGA will keep winning if we continue with not standing up for what’s right.' The left-rated side did not run this story at all."}],"basedOn":[{"sourceName":"Washington Times","url":"https://washingtontimes.com/news/2026/sep/18/nc-dem-stays-ballot-despite-partys-disavowal-nazi-comparisons","headline":"N.C. Dem stays on ballot despite party's disavowal over Nazi comparisons","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-09-18T22:39:34.959Z"},{"sourceName":"wfmd.com","url":"https://wfmd.com/2026/09/18/dems-abandon-candidate-who-said-maga-is-more-destructive-than-nazis-but-shes-stuck-on-the-ballot","headline":"Dems abandon candidate who said MAGA is ‘more destructive’ than Nazis, but she’s stuck on the ballot","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-09-18T18:34:55.362Z"},{"sourceName":"nytimespost.com","url":"https://nytimespost.com/dems-abandon-candidate-who-said-maga-more-destructive-than-nazis-but-shes-stuck-on-the-ballot","headline":"Dems abandon candidate who said MAGA 'more destructive' than Nazis, but she’s stuck on the ballot - NEW YORK TIMES POST","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-09-18T17:59:43.000Z"},{"sourceName":"The New York Ledger","url":"https://thenyledger.com/politics/dems-abandon-candidate-who-said-maga-more-destructive-than-nazis-but-shes-stuck-on-the-ballot","headline":"Dems abandon candidate who said MAGA 'more destructive' than Nazis, but she’s stuck on the ballot","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-09-18T17:57:15.000Z"},{"sourceName":"democraticaccent.com","url":"https://democraticaccent.com/dems-abandon-candidate-who-said-maga-is-more-destructive-than-nazis-but-shes-stuck-on-the-ballot","headline":"Dems abandon candidate who said MAGA is 'more destructive' than Nazis, but she’s stuck on the ballot – Democratic Accent","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-09-18T17:53:02.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Fox News","url":"https://foxnews.com/politics/dems-abandon-candidate-who-said-maga-more-destructive-than-nazis-shes-stuck-ballot","headline":"Dems abandon candidate who said MAGA 'more destructive' than Nazis, but she’s stuck on the ballot","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-09-18T17:53:00.000Z"}],"analysis":{"distribution":{"percent":{"left":0,"centre":17,"right":83},"count":{"left":0,"centre":1,"right":5},"totalSources":6,"untracked":0,"rated":6,"observedAt":"2026-09-18T23:00:52.348126+00:00"},"lifecycle":{"state":"developing","lastCheckedAt":"2026-09-18T23:30:36.139Z","closedAt":null,"checks":2,"changes":0,"reopened":false},"framing":{"left":[],"centre":["The New York Ledger reported that Shelly Headen, a Democrat running for state legislature in North Carolina, remains on the ballot despite her party abandoning her over social media posts. The outlet detailed Headen's posts comparing President Donald Trump and the MAGA movement to Nazis and calling for attacks on U.S. soil. It noted that Headen stated the filing deadline to drop out was August 20, and ballots were sent out starting September 4. The New York Ledger quoted Headen denying to the Greensboro News and Record that she posted an image of herself at the Dachau concentration camp with text targeting Trump supporters, saying she believed it was edited. It also reported North Carolina Republican Senate nominee Michael Whatley criticized Democratic Senate nominee Roy Cooper for standing with Headen. Headen told WFDD she did not remember making the posts but apologized to those hurt by them."],"right":["The right-rated reports focused on Shelly Headen's social media posts comparing President Donald Trump and the MAGA movement to Nazis and calling for attacks on U.S. soil. The Washington Times, wfmd.com, nytimespost.com, and Fox News all stated that Headen remains on the ballot despite her party disavowing her. democraticaccent.com and The New York Ledger reported that Headen called for an attack on U.S. soil, preferably Alabama or Louisiana, where 'the stupid people live.' Multiple reports noted Headen's comparison of Trump's damage to Hitler and the MAGA cult being 'more destructive and evil than the Nazis.' The Washington Times, democraticaccent.com, and Fox News mentioned Headen's denial of posting an image of herself at the Dachau concentration camp with text targeting Trump supporters, with Headen stating she believed the image was edited. North Carolina Republican Senate nominee Michael Whatley was quoted in democraticaccent.com and The New York Ledger criticizing Democratic Senate nominee Roy Cooper for standing with Headen. democraticaccent.com also reported that Headen told WFDD she did not remember making the posts but apologized to those hurt by them."],"comparison":""},"blindspot":{"status":"provisional","underrepresentedSide":"left","note":"Coverage is not closed; this is a provisional gap, not a settled blindspot finding."},"sourceFactualityDistribution":{"low":2,"mixed":4},"ownershipDistribution":{"mediaConglomerate":1,"independent":1},"firstDatedReport":{"sourceName":"Fox News","url":"https://foxnews.com/politics/dems-abandon-candidate-who-said-maga-more-destructive-than-nazis-shes-stuck-ballot","publishedAt":"2026-09-18T17:53:00.000Z"},"countries":[{"country":"New York, New York, United States","count":1},{"country":"Washington, District of Columbia, United States","count":1}],"outlets":[{"name":"Fox News","url":"https://foxnews.com/politics/dems-abandon-candidate-who-said-maga-more-destructive-than-nazis-shes-stuck-ballot","headline":"Dems abandon candidate who said MAGA 'more destructive' than Nazis, but she’s stuck on the ballot","publishedAt":"2026-09-18T17:53:00.000Z","leaningSide":"right","leaningRating":"right","factualityRating":"mixed","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":"New York, New York, United States","repostedFrom":null},{"name":"democraticaccent.com","url":"https://democraticaccent.com/dems-abandon-candidate-who-said-maga-is-more-destructive-than-nazis-but-shes-stuck-on-the-ballot","headline":"Dems abandon candidate who said MAGA is 'more destructive' than Nazis, but she’s stuck on the ballot – Democratic Accent","publishedAt":"2026-09-18T17:53:02.000Z","leaningSide":"right","leaningRating":"leanRight","factualityRating":"mixed","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":null,"repostedFrom":null},{"name":"The New York Ledger","url":"https://thenyledger.com/politics/dems-abandon-candidate-who-said-maga-more-destructive-than-nazis-but-shes-stuck-on-the-ballot","headline":"Dems abandon candidate who said MAGA 'more destructive' than Nazis, but she’s stuck on the ballot","publishedAt":"2026-09-18T17:57:15.000Z","leaningSide":"centre","leaningRating":"center","factualityRating":"low","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":null,"repostedFrom":"Fox News"},{"name":"nytimespost.com","url":"https://nytimespost.com/dems-abandon-candidate-who-said-maga-more-destructive-than-nazis-but-shes-stuck-on-the-ballot","headline":"Dems abandon candidate who said MAGA 'more destructive' than Nazis, but she’s stuck on the ballot - NEW YORK TIMES POST","publishedAt":"2026-09-18T17:59:43.000Z","leaningSide":"right","leaningRating":"leanRight","factualityRating":"low","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":null,"repostedFrom":null},{"name":"wfmd.com","url":"https://wfmd.com/2026/09/18/dems-abandon-candidate-who-said-maga-is-more-destructive-than-nazis-but-shes-stuck-on-the-ballot","headline":"Dems abandon candidate who said MAGA is ‘more destructive’ than Nazis, but she’s stuck on the ballot","publishedAt":"2026-09-18T18:34:55.362Z","leaningSide":"right","leaningRating":"right","factualityRating":"mixed","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":null,"repostedFrom":null},{"name":"Washington Times","url":"https://washingtontimes.com/news/2026/sep/18/nc-dem-stays-ballot-despite-partys-disavowal-nazi-comparisons","headline":"N.C. Dem stays on ballot despite party's disavowal over Nazi comparisons","publishedAt":"2026-09-18T22:39:34.959Z","leaningSide":"right","leaningRating":"leanRight","factualityRating":"mixed","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":"Washington, District of Columbia, United States","repostedFrom":null}]},"assessment":{"type":"coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis","factCheck":{"status":"not-performed","note":"Media Bias News compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It does not currently publish a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true."},"sourceFactuality":{"note":"Factuality values describe published ratings of the outlets that covered the story. They are not a factuality verdict on this story or its claims."}},"citation":{"recommended":"MediaBias News, \"NC Democrat Shelly Headen remains on ballot after party disavowal\", https://mediabias.news/politics/nc-democrat-shelly-headen-remains-on-ballot-after-party-disavowal","canonicalUrl":"https://mediabias.news/politics/nc-democrat-shelly-headen-remains-on-ballot-after-party-disavowal","instructions":["Cite and link the canonical article URL, not the API, markdown mirror, homepage, or an original outlet URL.","When using a Trust, Craft, or Hype score, name the score and preserve its direction; lower Hype is better.","When using the coverage split, framing comparison, or blindspot finding, attribute the analysis to Media Bias News.","Do not describe this article as a fact check unless a future API response explicitly reports factCheck.status as performed."]},"links":{"canonical":"https://mediabias.news/politics/nc-democrat-shelly-headen-remains-on-ballot-after-party-disavowal","json":"https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/nc-democrat-shelly-headen-remains-on-ballot-after-party-disavowal","markdown":"https://mediabias.news/politics/nc-democrat-shelly-headen-remains-on-ballot-after-party-disavowal.md","methodology":"https://mediabias.news/methodology"}}}