North Carolina Election Results: What Do We Know So Far?

Voters walk past campaign signs at the Graham Civic Center polling location in Graham, N.C., Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020. Source.

North Carolina has a long history as a swing state, awarding electoral votes to Obama, Romney, and Trump only through slim victories in the last three elections. Its distinction as a “purple state” held true throughout another presidential election, with Democrats and Republicans winning many important races statewide. The final results of the 2020 presidential and senatorial races in North Carolina have not yet been announced, though President Donald Trump and incumbent Senator Thom Tillis (R) are ahead. According to the NC State Board of Elections, Trump leads Biden by 75,371 votes and Tillis leads Democratic challenger Cal Cunningham by 95,739 votes at the time of writing. The state Board of Elections has reported that provisional ballots are still being researched to determine if they meet the voter eligibility requirements, which is the reason why these races have not yet been called.

Though the fate of North Carolina’s senate race has not been decided, the 13 races for seats in the U.S. House of Representatives have been called. Republicans won reelection in eight of the state’s congressional districts, Democrats won reelection in three and flipped two seats previously held by Republicans. Deborah Ross (D) will succeed retiring Rep. George Holding (R) in the second district and Kathy Manning (D) will defeat challenger Lee Haywood (R) in the sixth district. In district eleven, Republican Madison Cawthorn will take the seat vacated by his mentor Mark Meadows, the current White House Chief of Staff. At 25 years old, he will become the youngest person elected to Congress in modern history, a title previously held by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D-NY) who was elected in 2018.

While the nation waits anxiously to see if President Trump wins North Carolina a second time or if President-elect Biden expands his victory with the state’s 15 electoral votes, voters in the state were given some results on other races rather quickly on election night. One closely watched race between incumbent Governor Roy Cooper (D) and challenger Lieutenant Governor Dan Forest (R) was among the first to be decided on Tuesday night. Cooper led Forest in the polls and ultimately claimed victory with a 51.49%-47.05% margin, securing a second term as North Carolina’s head of state. His victory is attributed, in large part, to public approval of his handling of the Coronavirus pandemic. Some analysts have even suggested that many NC voters who cast their votes for President Trump also voted for Governor Cooper, providing him with significant bipartisan support.

Another North Carolina Council of State race yielded a historic result. The race for NC Lieutenant Governor saw factory worker Mark Robinson (R) run against four-term State Representative Yvonne Lewis Holley (D). Either individual would be the first African-American to serve in the position, and Robinson will be the one to succeed Dan Forest as Lieutenant Governor, defeating Holley with a margin of 51.65%-48.35%. Tuesday also saw Elaine Marshall (D) secure her seventh term as Secretary of State, Steve Troxler (R) enter his fifth term as Commissioner of Agriculture, Catherine Truitt (R) succeed Mark Johnson as Superintendent of Public Schools, and Josh Dobson (R) succeed the recent pop culture icon (due to her ubiquitous presence in elevators across the state) Cherie Berry (R), as Commissioner of Labor. Thus voters have established a bipartisan Council of State which reflects the state’s bipartisan General Assembly.

The North Carolina GOP retained their control of the state House and Senate, though they did not procure enough seats to ensure a veto-proof majority. Senate leader Phil Berger (R) and Speaker of the House Tim Moore (R) will seek to hold their positions in the leadership when the Legislature convenes on January 13. Democrats had hoped to take control of the legislature in order to pass key items on Gov. Cooper’s legislative agenda such as Medicaid expansion. While that goal may not immediately be achieved, our elected officials must find a way to work together to pass important policies regardless of party. North Carolina politics will now enter another term with a Democratic Governor, Republican Lieutenant Governor, and a Republican Legislature, making compromise and cooperation essential for the future of the state.

For updates on the uncalled presidential, senatorial, and judicial races and other North Carolina election results please visit https://er.ncsbe.gov/.