Ray Martin, The Differentiators’ Other Half

Before he became one half of The Differentiators, political operative Ray Martin was a journalist with a knack for covering the people and institutions that shape our local communities in NC. Ray got his start as a high school sports stringer for his hometown newspaper in Oklahoma. After college, he won a fellowship that gave him the opportunity to work in a newsroom, choosing The News & Observer, where he covered local government and developed an inside look at how decisions get made. In 2011, Ray made the jump from journalism to politics, going to work for Jim Blaine inside the General Assembly, who would become his business partner at The Differentiators. Ray reflects on the path from small-town sports reporting to North Carolina political consulting, the lessons he carried from journalism into politics, and the partnership behind one of the state's premiere political consulting firms. Often the more understated half of The Differentiators alongside the more publicly visible Blaine, Ray shares his own story and perspective on the business of politics and his passion for golf.   The Do Politics Better podcast is sponsored by New Frame, the NC Travel Industry Association, the NC Pork Council, NC REALTORS®, Heal the System NC, and the NC Healthcare Association.