Split Decision: Trump and Stein Win North Carolina, While Republicans Lose Legislative Supermajority in the N.C. House

By Chandler Spaulding

North Carolina voters delivered a split decision on Tuesday, electing Republican Donald Trump for President and Democrat Josh Stein for Governor. With nearly 5.7 million voters participating in the election, Republicans and Democrats also split races for the Council of State. Republicans maintained their supermajority in the state Senate but lost their veto-proof majority in the state House of Representatives. Republicans now have a majority of the state’s newly drawn congressional districts and expanded their majorities on the N.C. Supreme Court and Court of Appeals. 
 
Details for each of these elections is included below. Results for all federal and state elections can be found by visiting the N.C. State Board of Elections website here.
 
The following election results are as of Wednesday, November 6 at 6am.

U.S. President

Vice President Kamala Harris (D) and former President Donald Trump (R) were in a dead heat the final week before Election Day in North Carolina. After a constant presence in the state by both candidates and their running mates, Trump won a majority of the vote. 
 

Donald Trump (R)	2,875,538	50.95%
Kamala Harris (D)	2,683,911	47.56%

U.S. House of Representatives

This election the political makeup of the 14-member congressional delegation has changed based upon new districts that were redrawn in 2023. North Carolina is shifting from a 7-7 split between Democrats and Republicans to a Republican majority of 10 Republicans and 4 Democrats. 
 
The 1^st Congressional district race was the only competitive one in November as all others were determined in the primaries. Incumbent Congressman Don Davis (D) narrowly clenched a win to represent an expansive district in the eastern part of the state that covers 22 counties. 

1^st District

U.S. House – 1^st Congressional District (* for incumbent)

Don Davis (D)*	184,993	49.46%
Laurie Buckhout	179,167	47.90%

Election results for North Carolina’s other 13 congressional districts can be found here.

N.C. Council of State

The Council of State is comprised of 10 elected officials that includes the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor and others elected in statewide races. All members of the Council of State and the agencies that they lead are a part of the executive branch.
 
As a result of Tuesday’s election, there will be five Democrats and five Republicans on the Council of State. The results of the Council of State races can be found below.

Governor

North Carolina is one of the few states that elects its Governor in a presidential election year, and this year’s race was one that gained national attention. Attorney General Josh Stein (D) easily secured a win against Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson (R), a candidate who gained notoriety with his incendiary comments. Stein will become the 76th Governor of the Tar Heel state. Governor-elect Stein is expected to name his transition team in the next few days and will take office from Governor Roy Cooper in early January.
 
N.C. Governor

Josh Stein (D)	3,036,034	54.82%
Mark Robinson (R)	2,224,955	40.18%

Lieutenant Governor

State Senator Rachel Hunt (D-Mecklenburg) won her race against Republican candidate Hal Weatherman (R), who previously served as the Chief of Staff to a former Lieutenant Governor. 
 
N.C. Lieutenant Governor

Rachel Hunt (D)	2,737,528	49.44%
Hal Weatherman (R)	2,643,943	47.75%

Agriculture Commissioner

Incumbent Steve Troxler (R) won re-election to an office that he originally assumed in 2005. 
 
N.C. Agriculture Commissioner (* for incumbent)

Steve Troxler (R)*	2,901,019	52.72%
Sarah Taber (D)	2,467,944	44.85%

Attorney General

This highly competitive race was between two former members of Congress, who also previously served as state Senators. Jeff Jackson (D) won to become the state’s highest-ranked law enforcement officer.
 
N.C. Attorney General

Jeff Jackson (D)	2,842,292	51.33%
Dan Bishop (R)	2,695,167	48.67%

Insurance Commissioner

Incumbent Mike Causey (R) was re-elected to a post that he was first elected to in 2016, as he defeated former state Sen. Natasha Marcus (D-Mecklenburg).
 
N.C. Insurance Commissioner (* for incumbent)

Mike Causey (R)*	2,862,557	52.22%
Natasha Marcus (D)	2,618,904	47.78%

Labor Commissioner

The majority of the state’s voters elected Republican candidate Luke Farley to replace retiring Commissioner Josh Dobson (R). Although this will be Farley’s first elected office, he has served as a workplace safety attorney.
 
N.C. Labor Commissioner

Luke Farley (R)	2,882,169	52,85%
Braxton Winston (D)	2,571,772	47.15%

Secretary of State

Incumbent Elaine Marshall (D), who has served in this role since 1997, won her re-election against challenger Chad Brown (R), a former Chairman of the Gaston County Board of Commissioners.
 
N.C. Secretary of State (* for incumbent)

Elaine Marshall (D)*	2,806,239	50.94%
Chad Brown (R)	2,702,057	49.06%

State Auditor

At the end of last year, Governor Roy Cooper appointed attorney Jessica Holmes (D) to finish former State Auditor Beth Wood’s term. Holmes ran against Republican candidate Dave Boliek (R), a former Chair of the UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees who received the endorsement of former State Auditor Wood (D). As a result of Tuesday’s election, Boliek will serve as Auditor for the next four years. 
 
N.C. State Auditor (* for incumbent)

Dave Boliek (R)	2,710,129	49.46%
Jessica Holmes (D)*	2,603,916	47.52%

State Treasurer

State Representative Wesley Harris (D-Mecklenburg), an economist, ran against Brad Briner (R), a financier who previously managed the philanthropic assets for former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Briner has been elected to serve as the next State Treasurer and will lead the management of the State Health Plan and other state employee and retiree benefits.
 
N.C. State Treasurer

Brad Briner (R)	2,877,789	52.54%
Wesley Harris (D)	2,599,883	47.46%

Superintendent of Dept. of Public Instruction

Mo Green (D), a former Guilford County Schools superintendent, and Michele Morrow (R), a controversial political newcomer who unseated incumbent Superintendent Catherine Truitt (R) in the primary, were neck in neck in the weeks leading up to the election. Green won this closely watched race to lead the state’s K-12 public school system. 
 
N.C. Dept. of Public Instruction Superintendent

Maurice (Mo) Green (D)	2,805,973	51.09%
Michele Morrow (R)	2,686,458	48.91%

N.C. General Assembly

This year’s legislative races were key to whether Republicans were able to maintain supermajorities in both chambers of the North Carolina General Assembly. Democrats only needed to gain one seat in the House and one in the Senate to break the supermajorities. Based on preliminary election results, Senate Republicans expanded their supermajority to 31 Republicans in the upper chamber. In contrast, House Republicans lost their supermajority by one vote but maintain a solid majority of 71 Republicans in the lower chamber.

State Senate

There were three key races this election cycle that determined the balance of the state Senate, two of which included incumbent Senators and two open seats. 
 
Sen. Michael Lee (R-New Hanover), a budget writer and a leader in the Senate, faced off in what is considered to be a slight Republican leaning district. Sen. Lee was able to hold onto his seat against challenger Dr. David Hill, a pediatrician and political newcomer. 
 
Sen. Lisa Stone Barnes (R-Nash) was re-elected in a district that has traditionally elected Democrats and has been trending Republican. Her opponent was James Mercer, a retired veteran. 
 
For one of the open seats, Rep. Terence Everitt (D-Wake) ran to replace Sen. Mary Wills Bode (D-Wake), a one-term Senator who chose not to seek re-election. His opponent was Republican candidate Ashlee Adams. Adams was so close with 38 votes that they are expected to have a recount. 
 
(* for incumbent)

NC SD 7	Michael Lee (R)*	62,344	52.35%
	David Hill	51,935	43.61%
NC SD 11	Lisa Stone Barnes (R)*	57,461	51.35%
	James Mercer (D)	54,439	48.65%
NC SD 18	Ashlee Adams (R)	59,089	48.44%
	Terence Everitt (D)	59,051	48.41%

A full list of election results of all 50 state Senate races can be found here.

State House of Representatives

This year’s state House races included incumbents who fought to keep their seats, with some returning for the next biennium and others losing to their challengers.
 
There were seven Republican incumbents who faced competitive races, with five of them winning their races.

• Rep. Tricia Cotham (R-Mecklenburg), who switched political parties last year and provided House Republicans with a supermajority, faced a tough challenge by Democratic candidate Nicole Sidman. Rep. Cotham emerged as the winner in this toss-up district. 
• Rep. Allen Chesser (R-Nash), a freshman House member, ran against Democratic candidate Lorenza Wilkins in a competitive district that has shifted between the two political parties. Rep. Chesser was able to fend off his challenger.
• Vulnerable incumbent Rep. Ken Fontenot (R-Wilson) faced a strong opponent in Dante Pittman, a native of Wilson and a member of the National Guard. Despite a competitive race, Rep. Fontenot lost his re-election to House District 24.
• Rep. Erin Paré (R-Wake), who is the only Republican in the Wake County delegation, faced Democratic challenger Safiyah Jackson in her re-election for a third term. Rep. Pare was successful in her latest legislative bid. 
• Rep. Frank Sossamon (R-Granville), who has only served one term, lost his race to Democratic candidate Bryan Cohn, who serves on the Oxford Board of Commissioners.
• Rep. Bill Ward (R-Pasquotank) and former Democratic House member Howard Hunter III faced off again in this year’s general election, with Rep. Ward returning for another term.
• Rep. Jeff Zenger (R-Forsyth), a general contractor and developer, had a competitive race against Democratic candidate Amy Taylor North, a small business owner. Ultimately, Rep. Zenger defeated North.

 Three Democratic incumbents also faced competitive races, with two of them returning to Raleigh next year.

• Rep. Lindsey Prather (D-Buncombe) fought to keep her seat in one of the hardest hit areas by Hurricane Helene, with Rep. Prather defeating her opponent Ruth Smith. 
• Rep. Diamond Staton-Williams (D-Cabarrus), a freshman legislator, will not return for another term after a loss to Jonathan Almond, a controller for a restaurant management group.
• Rep. Garland Pierce (D-Hoke), who has served in the state House for 20 years, sought re-election against newcomer Dr. Ralph Carter, an orthopedic surgeon. Rep. Pierce was re-elected to return to the House by his constituents. 

There were two open seats that were of consequence because of their impact on the political makeup of the House. Two first-time candidates, Evonne Hopkins (D) and Mike Schietzelt (R), ran to represent House District 35. Schietzelt emerged as the winner to represent the seat that had previously been occupied by Rep. Terence Everitt (D-Wake).
 
The other open seat had been occupied by Rep. John Bradford (R-Mecklenburg), who lost a congressional primary. Republican candidate Melinda Bales and Democratic candidate Beth Helfrich sought to represent House District 98. However, Helfrich won the majority of the vote and will represent constituents from Northern Mecklenburg County.
 
(* for incumbent)

NC HD 5	Bill Ward (R)*	22,231	54.21%
	Howard Hunter III	18,780	45.79%
NC HD 24	Dante Pittman (D)	21,223	51.05%
	Ken Fontenot (R)*	20,352	48.95%
NC HD 25	Allen Chesser (R)*	23,760	48.88%
	Lorenza Wilkins (D)	23,234	47.80%
NC HD 32	Bryan Cohn (D)	21,054	48.90%
	Frank Sossamon (R)*	20,872	48.48%
NC HD 35	Mike Schietzelt (R)	28,434	50.37%
	Evonne Hopkins (D)	26,532	47.00%
NC HD 37	Erin Paré (R)*	30,557	51.51%
	Safiyah Jackson (D)	26,835	45.23%
NC HD 48	Garland Pierce (D)*	18,630	51.85%
	Ralph Carter (R)	17,298	48.15%
NC HD 73	Jonathan Almond (R)	23,234	53.50%
	Diamond Staton-Williams (D)*	20,320	46.65%
NC HD 74	Jeff Zenger (R)*	26,995	51.92%
	Amy Taylor North (D)	24,719	48.08%
NC HD 98	Beth Helfrich (D)	26,809	52.13%
	Melinda Bales (R)	24,616	47.87%
NC HD 105	Tricia Cotham (R)*	27,093	50.26%
	Nicole Sidman (D)	26,818	49.74%
NC HD 115	Lindsey Prather (D)*	25,994	51.42%
	Ruth Smith (R)	24,554	48.58%

A full list of election results for all 120 state House races can be found here.

N.C. Supreme Court

Only one Associate Justice seat for the state’s highest court was up for election this year. The consequential election was between Justice Allison Riggs (D), who was appointed by Governor Roy Cooper to the state Supreme Court in 2023, and Judge Jefferson Griffin (R), who has been serving on the state Court of Appeals. As a result of Tuesday’s election, Griffin narrowly won this seat, and the N.C. Supreme Court will now have a 6-1 Republican majority. However, this race could qualify for a recount.
 
Supreme Court Associate Justice—Seat 6 (* for incumbent)

Jefferson Griffin (R)	2,749,073	50.09%
Allison Riggs (D)*	2,739,222	49.91%

N.C. Court of Appeals

This year three of the 15 seats on the state Court of Appeals were up for election. Two current Court of Appeals judges were seeking to return to the bench for another term, while the third one was an open seat. 
 
For seat 12, Judge Carolyn Thompson (D) was originally appointed to the Court of Appeals by Governor Roy Cooper to finish serving Justice Allison Riggs’ term. Her opponent was Tom Murry (R), a lawyer and pharmacist who previously served as a state legislator, a local prosecutor and as a part of the executive leadership team with the state’s Chief Justice. Murry was elected to replace Judge Thompson on the Court of Appeals.
 
Court of Appeals Judge—Seat 12 (* for incumbent)

Tom Murry (R)	2,788,556	50.99%
Carolyn Jennings Thompson (D)*	2,680,061	49.01%

For seat 14, Judge Valerie Zachary (R) ran for another term on the state’s appellate court and defeated attorney Ed Eldred (D), who has spent his entire career practicing appellate law. 
 
Court of Appeals Judge—Seat 14 (* for incumbent)

Valerie Zachary (R)*	2,857,089	52.37%
Ed Elred (D)	2,598,872	47,63%

The race for seat 15 was between Chris Freeman, a third-term district court judge, and Martin Moore, an attorney with experience working on criminal and civil cases in state and federal courts. With a majority of the votes, Freeman will ascend to the Court of Appeals. 
 
Court of Appeals Judge—Seat 15

Chris Freeman (R)	2,822,964	51.82%
Martin E. Moore (D)	2,624,698	48.18%

Going into November, Republicans held a majority of the appellate court with 11-4. As a result of the general election, the Court of Appeals will now be comprised of 12 Republicans and three Democrats