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Many long months ago, North Carolina’s gubernatorial race was supposed to be among the closest and most intense races in the nation this cycle. With popular Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper term-limited, Republicans had an opportunity to claim the Executive Mansion for only the second time in 30 years.
They believed Cooper’s heir apparent, Attorney General Josh Stein, was vulnerable. And they hoped an outsider candidate whom President Donald Trump once called “better than Martin Luther King” would carry the day.
Instead, Mark Robinson, the state’s first Black lieutenant governor, suffered the biggest landslide in a governor’s race here since 1980, losing to Stein 55 percent to 40 percent. Fox News called the race at 7:36 p.m., just six minutes after polls closed on Tuesday. Robinson finished the night 18 points behind Trump, who won the state by 3.4 points.
Jeffrey Billman peels back the curtain on the final days of Robinson’s bid for governor.
Mark Robinson’s Predictable Implosion
North Carolina’s governor’s race was supposed to be among the closest elections in the country. Here’s how Republicans blew it—and why it might happen again.
As the dust continues to settle, Democrats have reasons to celebrate in North Carolina including their gubernatorial win, victories in several council of state races, and wins in the state house that appear to have broken the Republican supermajority.
But Republicans lodged a resounding victory in the presidential race and what appears to be a sweep of statewide judicial races in North Carolina.
We’ll have more coverage over the days ahead, but this morning we’ve got three dives into the big stories of Election Day, plus the outcome of key state races.
In Her Shoes
As the youngest state party chair in the nation, Anderson Clayton has lived in a sometimes blinding spotlight for nearly two years.
When she took the job, she said, she was focused on winning the gubernatorial and council of state races, doing everything she could to break the Republican supermajority in the legislature, showing Democrats they could be competitive anywhere they were willing to fight. Flipping North Carolina blue for the first time since 2008 was a dream.
Heading into Election Day, she worried she would be seen as a failure if she did all that but still couldn’t deliver North Carolina for Kamala Harris. Reporter Joe Killian and photographer Julia Wall spent the day with Clayton as she grappled with the weight of expectations.
“I’m 26, leading an entire political party in a country that right now is on the precipice of either disaster or joy and hope,” Clayton said. “And I’m like, ‘Oh God, I hope we go the right way.’”
And So the Balance Shifts
When state House Republicans redrew district lines last year, they moved Democratic Rep. Lindsey Prather from a Buncombe County district that was safely Democratic to one that leans Republican.
After Helene hit, Prather said, residents wanted to talk to her about building codes, education funding for school psychologists, and how unemployment programs don’t support some small businesses and gig workers. She won with 51.4 percent of the vote.
“When you’re in a disaster, it matters who your leaders are,” Prather said.
First-term Republican Rep. Ken Fontenot lost to Dante Pittman in Nash and Wilson counties. Democrats also picked up seats in north Mecklenburg County and in Granville and Vance counties. But Republicans flipped some seats.
When it all shook out, Democrats won one additional seat in the state House, breaking the Republican supermajority. In the Senate, Republicans hardened their supermajority. Ren Larson writes about what that means for Democratic Gov.-elect Josh Stein.
Have a news tip for our team? You can reach us at scoops@theassemblync.com.
Catch Up on Other Key Races
Lieutenant Governor: Democrat Rachel Hunt led Republican Hal Weatherman and appears likely to be the next lieutenant governor, an office her father once held.
Attorney General: U.S. Rep. Jeff Jackson maintained Democrats’ hold on the office, beating Republican Rep. Dan Bishop.
Insurance Commissioner: Incumbent Republican Mike Causey won a third term, heading off a challenge from Democrat Natasha Marcus.
Labor Commissioner: Luke Farley defeated Democrat Braxton Winston in the race for a position that Republicans have held since 2000.
Superintendent of Public Instruction: Democrat Mo Green beat out Republican Michele Morrow, a public school critic.
Auditor: Republican Dave Boliek was leading over incumbent Democrat Jessica Holmes, WRAL reports. Both candidates had expressed interest in scrutinizing earmarks.
U.S. House District 1: Democrat Don Davis claimed victory after a tight race with Republican Laurie Buckhout in the southeast’s only tossup congressional race.
Supreme Court and Court of Appeals: Democrat Allison Riggs and Republican Jefferson Griffin are in a tight race for a state Supreme Court seat that may head to a recount. Republicans widened their margin on the Court of Appeals.
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Catch Up On Yesterday’s Election Coverage
All Election News and Updates
Updates and results from our reporters across North Carolina.
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