President Donald Trump has won the presidential battleground state of North Carolina over Democratic nominee Joe Biden.

Trump campaigned aggressively in North Carolina with in-person rallies at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, including gatherings in Fayetteville, Winston-Salem and Greenville. Biden had largely kept off the physical campaign trail and did not personally visit the state in the last 16 days of the election.

Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper fared much better than Biden, winning his race against Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Forest on election night Nov. 3 by more than 4 percentage points.

Biden’s campaign hoped the counting of as many as 116,000 mail-in absentee ballots in subsequent days would overwhelmingly swing in his favor, but he fell short of surpassing Trump. Regardless, Biden’s victory in Pennsylvania on Saturday propelled him past the 270 electoral votes necessary to win the presidential election. Trump’s win in North Carolina gives him 15 electoral votes, reducing his deficit to 290-232.

Biden holds a slim lead in Georgia, where 16 electoral votes are up for grabs. The race remains too close to call and is undergoing an audit.

The former vice president frequently criticized Trump’s handling of the virus and his decision to hold in-person rallies with minimal mask wearing. Trump sought to convince voters he would be better equipped to restore the economy to its pre-pandemic strength.

Trump carried North Carolina in 2016 over then-Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. Former President Barack Obama was the most recent Democrat to win the presidential race in North Carolina, in 2008.

Photo via AP Photo/Evan Vucci.

Related Stories
‹
Progressive Democrats of Orange County, INDY Week Share 2021 Candidate Endorsements
EDITOR’S NOTE: An earlier version of the Progressive Democrats of Orange County’s endorsements listed support for Randee Haven-O’Donnell in the Carrboro Town Council race. An updated version now has removed that support. This article has been updated to reflect that. With early voting around the corner, the Progressive Democrats of Orange County (PDOC) and INDY […]
Beasley Concedes Defeat in N. Carolina Chief Justice Race
North Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Cheri Beasley conceded on Saturday to Republican Paul Newby in their extremely close election after two rounds of recounts saw little change in the vote margin between them. Beasley, a Democrat, said she called Newby, the senior associate justice, to congratulate him on winning their election. “I offer my […]
Hand Recount in NC Chief Justice Race Set To Begin Next Week
Hand recounts of a small portion of ballots cast statewide in the extremely close race for North Carolina Supreme Court chief justice will begin next week in the counties, the State Board of Elections announced on Thursday. Democratic incumbent Cheri Beasley asked for the partial hand-to-eye recount immediately after the machine recount of nearly 5.4 […]
North Carolina Supreme Court Recount Extended Into Next Week
It will take a little longer for a winner to be named in North Carolina’s state Supreme Court chief justice race, the State Board of Elections announced on Wednesday. According to the board, three large counties, Forsyth, Guilford and Mecklenburg, were unable to complete their recounts as anticipated by the end of Wednesday. As a […]
North Carolina Certifies November General Election Results
The North Carolina State Board of Elections certified the results of the November general election on Tuesday, awarding the state’s 15 electoral votes to President Donald Trump. The certification does not formalize the results in the statewide race for state Supreme Court chief justice between Republican Paul Newby and Democrat Cheri Beasley. Out of nearly […]
Close Race for North Carolina Chief Justice Going to Recount
The extremely close race for North Carolina Supreme Court chief justice will have a recount, as incumbent Cheri Beasley on Tuesday formally asked for one. Challenger Paul Newby holds a narrow lead with final tallies posted from all 100 counties. Newby, the senior associate justice, had 406 more votes than Beasley from nearly 5.4 million […]
Moore Poised to Win Record-Tying Fourth Term as N.C. Speaker
Incoming North Carolina House Republicans in a meeting Monday formally backed Speaker Tim Moore to lead their chamber for another two years, a result of the GOP expanding their majority in the Nov. 3 election. Moore, a Kings Mountain attorney, will be the nominee of the House Republican Caucus when the new General Assembly session […]
N.C. Chief Justice Race Still Tight as Counties Finish Count
Candidates in North Carolina’s still-undecided races for Supreme Court chief justice and attorney general on Monday awaited final official results from several counties
Close Race for N.C. Chief Justice Likely Headed to Recount
The election to lead North Carolina’s judicial branch was likely headed for a recount after county tallies reported Friday showed an extremely close race between current state Supreme Court Chief Justice Cheri Beasley and challenger Paul Newby. The canvassed results from nearly all counties show the Democrat Beasley and Newby — a Republican and current […]
Donald Trump Wins Battleground State of North Carolina
President Donald Trump has won the presidential battleground state of North Carolina over Democratic nominee Joe Biden. Trump campaigned aggressively in North Carolina with in-person rallies at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, including gatherings in Fayetteville, Winston-Salem and Greenville. Biden had largely kept off the physical campaign trail and did not personally visit the […]
›