AP Decision Notes: What to expect in North Carolina on Election Day
North Carolina voters will cast ballots for president and governor in the Nov. 5 general election while many in the state are still dealing with the aftermath and massive destruction caused by Hurricane Helene
WASHINGTON (AP) — North Carolina voters will cast ballots for president and governor in the Nov. 5 general election while many in the state are still dealing with the aftermath and massive destruction caused by Hurricane Helene.
The Tarheel State is one of a handful of competitive presidential battlegrounds that will likely determine the race for the White House. Polls there have tightened considerably since President Joe Biden dropped out of the race in July, making the state a popular destination for both campaigns. Since the storm, Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican former President Donald Trump and their running mates have all visited North Carolina.
Since 1968, Democratic presidential candidates have carried North Carolina only twice: in 1976 and 2008. Nonetheless, the state has been competitive in recent years. Trump carried North Carolina twice but with less than 50% of the vote each time. He edged Biden in 2020 by about one percentage point, his smallest winning margin in any state.
In the race for governor, Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson and Democratic state Attorney General Josh Stein are the nominees to replace Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, who is term-limited. Robinson has denied a CNN report that he posted explicit messages on a pornography web site more than a decade ago. Since the allegations surfaced, many of his campaign staff members have resigned and he was excluded from a Trump campaign event in Wilmington.
