November 4, 2020

Amidst the coronavirus pandemic, economic uncertainty, and heightened sense of political polarization in our country, the 2020 election season has been unlike any other. North Carolinians and voters across the United States turned out in unprecedented numbers this year. In North Carolina, over 4.5 million voters- nearly 62% of the state’s registered voters- voted before Election Day. On Election Day, around 900,000 votes were cast, with close to 5.5 million votes total cast in N.C. It is expected that the state will beat voter turnout records, with nearly 75% of eligible voters turning out to vote this election cycle.

While many statewide races were called on Election Night, the nation still awaits results from the Presidential election as the race remains too close to call in several key battleground states. It’s possible that some tight races in N.C. could be subject to a recount or could shift once outstanding mail-in and provisional ballots are counted. Any races that are within a 1% margin are eligible for a recount. The Election Results Dashboard from the N.C. State Board of Elections will continue to be updated with the most accurate election results. County election boards will certify election results on November 13th, and the N.C. State Board of Elections will certify the entire election on November 24th.

Council of State

Democratic incumbent, Roy Cooper, was re-elected to serve a second term as Governor of North Carolina, beating his opponent, Republican Lieutenant Governor Dan Forest. Across the state, Republicans performed better than originally predicted in the North Carolina General Assembly, Council of State races, and judicial races. Council of State race results include:

  • Lieutenant Governor: Mark Robinson (R)
  • Attorney General: Josh Stein, incumbent (D), has a small lead but this race is too close to call.
  • Secretary of State: Elaine Marshall, incumbent (D)
  • State Treasurer: Dale Folwell, incumbent (R)
  • Superintendent of Public Instruction: Catherine Truitt (R)
  • State Auditor: Beth Wood, incumbent (D)
  • Commissioner of Agriculture: Steve Troxler, incumbent (R)
  • Commissioner of Labor: Josh Dobson (R)
  • Commissioner of Insurance: Mike Causey, incumbent (R)

North Carolina General Assembly

There were many hotly-contested races in the North Carolina General Assembly this election cycle, with the expectation that Democrats could pick up more seats to offset the Republican majority in the N.C. House of Representatives and N.C. Senate. Republicans ended the night by gaining 4 seats in the N.C. House and now hold a 69-51 majority. In the N.C. Senate, Democrats picked up one seat which gives Republicans a 28-22 majority. Although the House and Senate will maintain their Republican majorities, both chambers still lack the supermajority needed to easily override any vetoes from Democratic Governor Roy Cooper. In Durham County, all incumbent Democratic members of the N.C. General Assembly won re-election, including:

  • Senator Natalie Murdock (D), District 20
  • Senator Mike Woodard (D), District 22 
  • Representative Vernetta Alston (D), District 29
  • Representative Zack Hawkins (D), District 31
  • Representative Marcia Morey (D), District 30
  • Representative Robert Reives (D), District 54

North Carolina Supreme Court

Three seats on the North Carolina Supreme Court and five seats on the North Carolina Court of Appeals were on the ballot yesterday, with Republicans winning in all eight races. In the N.C. Supreme Court Chief Justice race, Senior Associate Justice Paul Newby (R) leads incumbent Chief Justice Cheri Beasley (D) by a small margin. Republicans Phil Berger, Jr. and Tamara Barringer won their races for the N.C. Supreme Court, resulting in a 4-3 Democratic majority for the N.C. Supreme Court.

N.C. Congressional Races

For an analysis of N.C.’s Congressional races, sign up to receive updates from Duke Government Relations and Duke Health Government Relations.

What’s Next?

Duke State Relations will continue to closely monitor election results and will provide additional updates as absentee and provisional ballots are counted and once the race is certified. In the aftermath of an eventful election season, there are a number of post-election resources available to members of the Duke community, including historical perspectives on presidential elections, events to discuss and contextualize election results, and mental health experts who can work with students, faculty and staff in need of support. 

Upcoming Events

Election 2020: The Morning After- Today at 12:15 p.m.

Duke University political experts will provide a post-election analysis for media and members of the Duke community today from 12:15 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. Watch the live stream on YouTube here. 

The Day After Election Day: Expert Recap- Today at 3:30 p.m.

A panel of faculty experts on constitutional and election law, political science, comparative politics and international election monitoring, and media will debrief what happened with the election and what to expect next today from 3:30 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. Register for the event here.

Duke Health Post-Election Briefing- November 10th at 12:00 p.m. Duke State Relations and Duke Health Government Relations will host a Duke Health Post-Election Briefing on Tuesday, November 10th from 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. to discuss outcomes of the 2020 Election, how that impacts Duke Health, and a preview of the 2021 legislative sessions. The Zoom viewing link can be found here.