Walmart continues to dominate among Raleigh-area grocery stores but Publix has made large strides in attracting customers since opening its first stores in the Triangle in 2014.

Why it matters: The fast-growing Raleigh area has become one of the most competitive grocery markets in the Southeast in recent years, with grocers like Wegmans, Publix, Trader Joe's and Lidl all expanding in the area.

• At the same time, grocers like Kroger, which also owns the Harris Teeter brand, have retreated from the region in the face of competition.

Driving the news: But it's the grocery stores known for low prices that are still leading the way in the Raleigh area, with Walmart capturing 21.3% of grocery spending and the North Carolina-born chain Food Lion getting 14.6%.

• Charlotte-based Harris Teeter was essentially tied with Food Lion, with 14.6% of the market.

Zoom in: The biggest gainer in the past year, however, was Florida-based Publix, which now has 11 stores in the Raleigh area.

• Publix has 6.9% of the market and leapfrogged both Target and Costco in market share.
• That market share is likely to keep growing, with Publix planning to open stores on Buffaloe Road in Raleigh, as well as Durham, Garner and Rolesville, according to the grocer.
• Wegmans, a popular grocery store from upstate New York, saw its market share stay relatively stable at 5.3%. The store has plans for a new Holly Springs store, though in 2021 it canceled plans for another Cary store.

Yes, but: Despite the influx of new grocery stores to the area, Raleigh has 16 census tracts with low access to nearby grocery stores — many of them in Southeast Raleigh — according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

• And the city also struggles to connect those living in food deserts to grocery stores via public transit, according to a 2023 study from researchers at the Environmental Protection Agency's Research Triangle Park office and the University of Tennessee.

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Senior Democrats are increasingly convinced the party will land former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper as a candidate to run for Senate next year, a potential coup for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

Why it matters: Both parties acknowledge their Senate success next year will largely rest upon their recruitment efforts this year.

• Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, the chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), has been personally involved in the effort to recruit Cooper, whom she's called a "formidable candidate," sources tell Axios.

Zoom in: Cooper is unlikely to make a decision until June, a source familiar with his thinking tells Axios. Until then it's 50/50, the source said.

• Cooper is convinced he's his party's best chance to beat Republican U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, the source said.

Meanwhile, Democratic leaders are also waiting for prominent candidates to make decisions in Maine, Ohio and Texas.

• A spokesperson for the DSCC said Democrats are in a "strong position" to pummel Republicans on the campaign trail over "their toxic threats to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid and the chaotic tariffs that will spike costs for families."

⛪️ The Department of Justice is throwing its support behind the Summit Church, alleging that Chatham County wrongly denied the church's rezoning application to build a new church campus. (ABC11)

• Chatham County Commissioners rejected the rezoning previously, saying a large church was inconsistent with the county's "rural character."

⚽️ Women's soccer legend Lauren Holiday and her husband, the NBA player Jrue Holiday, have joined the N.C. Courage's ownership group and plan to have an active voice in the team's future. (ESPN)

🏥 Wesley Burks, UNC Health's CEO and the dean of UNC School of Medicine, will step down from those roles to focus more on the development of a $2 billion children's hospital and spend time with family. (Business North Carolina)

✍️ Republicans in the state Senate have proposed eliminating the N.C. Innocence Inquiry Commission, which is the only one of its kind in the U.S. and has helped exonerate 16 people. (The Assembly)

🏀 UNC freshman basketball player Drake Powell is entering his name into the NBA Draft. (247 Sports)

Several players with ties to North Carolina are predicted to get picked in this year's NFL Draft — including Salisbury native and potential top 10 pick Jalon Walker and Johnston County native and former UNC player Omarion Hampton, who is one of the top running back prospects.

What to expect: The draft consists of seven rounds. The first round is Thursday and starts at 8pm. Rounds two and three start at 7pm Friday. Rounds four through seven begin at noon Saturday.

How to watch: ABC, ESPN and the NFL Network will broadcast the draft. You can also livestream it on their respective apps or on YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, FuboTV and Sling TV.

What we're watching: The Carolina Panthers have the eighth overall pick in the first round.

Here are some of the top prospects with local connections:

• 🔴 Jalon Walker: A versatile linebacker from Salisbury who was a standout at the University of Georgia. The Panthers have been linked with Walker at No. 8 repeatedly in mock drafts.
• 🐏 Omarion Hampton: A standout running back at UNC who went to Cleveland High in Clayton. Some analysts predict he'll get picked in the first round.
• 🐺 Anthony Belton: The N.C. State offensive tackle is considered an interesting prospect in the middle rounds.
• 🟠 James Pearce Jr.: A Charlotte native who played defensive edge at Tennessee is projected as a first round pick.
• 🏴‍☠️ Shavon Revel Jr.: A Winston-Salem native who played cornerback at ECU has received some buzz as a second round pick.

Keep reading fore more local ties