{"id":2337725,"date":"2024-09-06T08:01:55","date_gmt":"2024-09-06T12:01:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/will-longtime-north-carolina-split-between-presidential-and-gubernatorial-races-hold-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-09-06T08:04:38","modified_gmt":"2024-09-06T12:04:38","slug":"will-longtime-north-carolina-split-between-presidential-and-gubernatorial-races-hold-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/will-longtime-north-carolina-split-between-presidential-and-gubernatorial-races-hold-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Will longtime \u2018North Carolina split\u2019 between presidential and gubernatorial races hold? &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fwill-longtime-north-carolina-split-between-presidential-and-gubernatorial-races-hold-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2337725&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses the unique political landscape in North Carolina,\u2064 where a consistent\u200c pattern has \u2064emerged:\u2064 every four \u200dyears, the Republican presidential nominee tends to\u200d win the state&#8217;s electoral\u200d votes while a Democrat secures the governorship. As \u2064North Carolina approaches elections on November 5, with absentee ballots already sent out, there is \u200bspeculation that this trend could change, potentially resulting in a \u201c10-pin strike\u201d for one\u200c party in both contests.<\/p>\n<p>Currently, the presidential race features\u200d Vice President Kamala Harris for the Democrats and former President Donald Trump for the\u200b Republicans, while the\u200d gubernatorial race pits Democratic state Attorney General Josh \u2062Stein against GOP nominee Mark Robinson. Historically, North Carolina has been a battleground state, with past elections \u2063showing a split between presidential and gubernatorial victories. For instance, since\u2064 1980, Republican\u2062 presidential candidates have won the state&#8217;s electoral votes\u200c in all elections\u2064 except for 2008.<\/p>\n<p>With President Biden&#8217;s\u200b exit from \u2062the race and\u200c his endorsement of \u200cHarris, the dynamics have shifted. Observers \u2062suggest that if \u200bDemocrats \u200bcan\u200c energize their base, especially in rapidly growing counties like Wake and Mecklenburg, they \u2063might have \u2064a viable shot at both the governorship and the presidency, which would \u2064complicate Trump&#8217;s path to victory.<\/p>\n<p>Given this competitive environment, both gubernatorial\u200c and\u2064 presidential candidates\u200c are\u2062 campaigning vigorously in the state, emphasizing the closeness of \u200dthe races. Polls indicate that excitement \u200cis building on \u2063both sides,\u2064 yet the outcome remains uncertain, making North Carolina a key state to watch in the upcoming elections.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-sacff-txt\">Magazine &#8211; Washington Briefing <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Will longtime &lsquo;North Carolina split&rsquo; between presidential and gubernatorial races hold?<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1573928\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>It&rsquo;s a truism of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/north-carolina\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>North Carolina&rsquo;s<\/a> politics that every four years, the Republican presidential nominee wins the state&rsquo;s electoral votes while a Democrat takes the governorship. For partisans, it&rsquo;s like a bowling split, when a player knocks down some pins in a set of 10 but leaves others standing &mdash; a decent score electorally but still somewhat unsatisfying.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>That could change this year, with the political version of a 10-pin strike, sweeping both contests. All in a campaign culminating in North Carolina on Nov. 5 &mdash; the election is already underway since the state began mailing absentee ballots on Sept. 6.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">From left: Gubernatorial candidate North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein; Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris; Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump; North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, the GOP nominee (Associated Press photos)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>After all, North Carolina has emerged as a battleground in the open White House race between <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/kamala-harris\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Vice President Kamala Harris<\/a> and her Republican rival, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>former President Donald Trump<\/a>. While the open governorship pits Democratic state Attorney General Josh Stein against North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, the GOP nominee.<\/p>\n<p>Electoral splits have been the norm for decades in North Carolina, one of 12 states to hold gubernatorial elections simultaneously with presidential races. In eight of 11 gubernatorial races, stretching back to 1980, Republicans won North Carolina&rsquo;s presidential Electoral College votes &mdash; while, at the same time, a Democrat won North Carolina&rsquo;s governorship.<\/p>\n<p>Ultra-politically competitive North Carolina in statewide races is &ldquo;as close as a toss-up as exists in American politics,&rdquo; said Christopher A. Cooper, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/a-look-back-on-court-packing-attempts-in-us-history\/\" title=\"A Look Back On \u2018Court Packing\u2019 Attempts in US History\">political science professor<\/a> at Western Carolina University.<\/p>\n<p>It is a situation compounded by President Joe Biden&rsquo;s exit from the race and quick endorsement of Harris. While Biden almost certainly would have lost North Carolina, Democrats now have a chance at winning its 16 electoral votes, with 270 nationally needed to secure victory. And that&rsquo;s likely to help Stein, as he and GOP rival Robinson fight to succeed Gov. Roy Cooper (D-NC), who is leaving office due to term limits.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;If Joe Biden were at the top of the ticket, we&rsquo;re having a different conversation,&rdquo; Cooper said in an interview.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Republican presidential race dominance in North Carolina<\/h2>\n<p>Republican presidential nominees have won North Carolina in each election since 1980 except for 2008. That year, future President Barack Obama prevailed over GOP rival John McCain 49.70% to 49.38%, a 14,177-vote difference out of more than 4.3 million cast.<\/p>\n<p>In 2020, Biden, the former two<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/washington-posts-philip-bump-embarrasses-himself-while-defending-joe-bidens-corruption\/\" title=\"Washington Post&#039;s Philip Bump defends Biden&#039;s alleged corruption, but falls short.\">-term vice president<\/a> and previously a 36-year Democratic senator from Delaware, lost in North Carolina by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/interactive\/2020\/11\/03\/us\/elections\/results-north-carolina.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">less than 2 percentage points<\/a>. That turned out to be Biden&rsquo;s narrowest defeat in a state as he deposed Trump from office after a single term.<\/p>\n<p>This year, a Democratic win in North Carolina would make a Trump presidential victory almost impossible. He&rsquo;d have to sweep a swath of other swing states, such as Arizona, Georgia, and Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n<p>North Carolina&rsquo;s presidential fight this year overlaps considerably with its heated gubernatorial race. Both parties hope that the gubernatorial contest will increase enthusiasm among their voting bases and flow upward to the presidential ballot line. In particular, Democratic nominee Stein, the state&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/breaking-ag-barr-authorizes-federal-prosecutors-to-pursue-substantial-allegations-of-voting-irregularities-before-2020-election-is-certified\/\" title=\"BREAKING: AG Barr Authorizes Federal Prosecutors to Pursue &quot;Substantial Allegations&quot; of Voting Irregularities Before 2020 Election is Certified\">attorney general<\/a>, aims to connect Trump with GOP gubernatorial nominee Robinson,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/03\/18\/us\/politics\/mark-robinson-north-carolina.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">who has a history of offensive and incendiary remarks<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>North Carolina is so hotly contested that the presidential candidates are regular visitors to the state, with a population of nearly 11 million people. The Democratic vice presidential nominee, Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN), and Trump&rsquo;s Republican understudy, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), also appear frequently in North Carolina. Candidate ads on television, radio, online, social media, and other spots are becoming ubiquitous with absentee balloting underway.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s neck and neck in North Carolina. I think it&rsquo;s the visits and the amount of advertising that indicates how close it really is,&rdquo; political science professor David McLennan at Raleigh-based Meredith College said in an interview.<\/p>\n<p>However, &ldquo;our governor&rsquo;s race is a slightly different animal than the presidential race,&rdquo; added McLennan, also director of the Meredith Poll. &ldquo;Even though the Democratic candidate is favored to win, it&rsquo;s going to be a lot closer&rdquo; than recent polls showing Stein with a sizable lead over Robinson.<\/p>\n<p>Most presidential polls at this point show the race could go either way, even though Democrats have been disappointed before. Obama&rsquo;s 2008 win, in a sense, provided Democrats a false sense of security in a state with arguably the most polarized political climate between rural and heavily concentrated population areas as any in the nation, with Republicans dominating the former and Democrats the latter.<\/p>\n<p>Democrats, to have a shot at winning, must turn out heavily in North Carolina&rsquo;s two fastest-growing counties, Wake, taking in the state capital of Raleigh and surrounding areas, and Charlotte-based Mecklenburg.<\/p>\n<p>In Wake County, &ldquo;once-rural roads to Raleigh are now clogged with commuters headed for jobs in new office parks,&rdquo; the<em> Almanac of American Politics<\/em> <em>2024<\/em> noted. About 17 miles northeast, in the nearby city of Rolesville, &ldquo;farmlands have been transformed into subdivisions and commercial developments.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Biden beat Trump in 2020 in Wake County 62.25% to 35.80%. While a 2 1\/2-hour drive south in the Charlotte area, Biden won 66.68% to 31.60%.<\/p>\n<p>Harris will have to do at least that well this time while running against Trump, Cooper said.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Democrats contend they can and point to their success in Georgia as an example. Biden&rsquo;s 2020 win in the Southern state was the first by a Democratic presidential candidate since Bill Clinton in 1992. But North Carolina&rsquo;s black population, a traditionally Democratic constituency, is a bit under 24%. That&rsquo;s helpful for Democrats, to be sure, but still well short of Georgia&rsquo;s 33%-plus black population. Moreover, North Carolina&rsquo;s level of professional class workers in its population is significant but also behind Georgia.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Charlotte, Raleigh, these are big cities. But they&rsquo;re not Atlanta,&rdquo; Cooper said. &nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1573928\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1573928\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>**Magazine &#8211; Washington Briefing: Will the Longstanding &#8216;North Carolina Split&#8217; Between Presidential and Gubernatorial Races Continue?**<\/p>\n<p>In North Carolina politics, it has become a well-known pattern that every four years, the Republican presidential candidate secures the state&#8217;s electoral votes while a Democrat wins the governorship. This phenomenon is akin to a bowling split, where some pins are knocked down but others remain standing\u2014resulting in an acceptable yet somewhat unfulfilling outcome. However, this year could see a shift towards a more unified result with both contests potentially being won by one party. The campaign is building up to November 5, with absentee voting already in progress since September 6.<\/p>\n<p>The state has become a key battleground in the presidential race between Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris and her Republican opponent, former President Donald Trump. Meanwhile, in the gubernatorial race, Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein faces off against GOP nominee Mark Robinson, North Carolina&#8217;s Lieutenant Governor. Historically, North Carolina has experienced electoral splits; it is one of twelve states that hold gubernatorial elections concurrently with presidential ones. Since 1980, Republicans have claimed victory in eight out of eleven gubernatorial races while Democrats have secured the governorship during those same years.<\/p>\n<p>Christopher A. Cooper from Western Carolina University describes North Carolina as highly competitive and nearly evenly matched politically. The situation has been further complicated by President Joe Biden&#8217;s withdrawal from running and his swift endorsement of Harris; although Biden likely would not have won North Carolina himself, his absence gives Democrats an opportunity to capture its 16 electoral votes\u2014critical for reaching the necessary 270 nationwide for victory.<\/p>\n<p>Republicans have dominated presidential elections in North Carolina since 1980 except for Obama\u2019s win in 2008 by just over 14 thousand votes against John McCain\u2014a narrow margin among millions cast. In contrast to Biden\u2019s close loss there in 2020 after defeating Trump nationally after one term as president.<\/p>\n<p>A Democratic win this year could significantly hinder Trump&#8217;s chances at reelection as he would need to secure victories across other swing states like Arizona and Georgia alongside Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n<p>The ongoing presidential contest closely aligns with an intense gubernatorial race where both parties aim to energize their bases through their respective candidates\u2019 campaigns\u2014Stein seeks to link Trump with Robinson due to Robinson&#8217;s controversial remarks.<\/p>\n<p>With nearly eleven million residents making up its population\u2014and given how fiercely contested it is\u2014presidential candidates frequently visit North Carolina along with prominent figures like Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) and Ohio Senator J.D. Vance (R). Advertising efforts are rampant across various media platforms now that absentee voting has commenced.<\/p>\n<p>Political science professor David McLennan notes that while polls indicate tight competition for presidency within state lines\u2014with significant advertising efforts reflecting this closeness\u2014the dynamics differ slightly when considering governor races where Stein appears favored despite recent polling suggesting otherwise regarding his lead over Robinson.<\/p>\n<p>Democrats must mobilize voters heavily from rapidly growing counties such as Wake\u2014which includes Raleigh\u2014and Mecklenburg around Charlotte if they hope for success; these areas have seen substantial demographic shifts recently favoring urban development over rural landscapes which traditionally lean Republican.<br \/>\nBiden previously achieved notable margins here during his campaign against Trump but replicating such results will be crucial for Harris moving forward according to Cooper who also highlights differences between demographics compared to Georgia\u2014a state where Democrats recently found success under similar circumstances despite having higher percentages of black voters than those present within North Carolinian populations<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2695,"featured_media":2337726,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/WB.Campaign-091124.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[6571,40275,32258,5894,32378],"class_list":["post-2337725","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-elections","tag-gubernatorial-race","tag-north-carolina","tag-politics","tag-presidential-race"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/WB.Campaign-091124.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2337725","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2695"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2337725"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2337725\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2337726"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2337725"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2337725"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2337725"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}