RALEIGH – In an unprecedented election with many twists, both nationally and in North Carolina, the Tar Heel State voted for Donald Trump for the third time, and this year by a larger margin than in 2020, according to unofficial election results from the North Board of Elections the state of Carolina.
North Carolinians rejected far-right candidates in statewide races, such as Michele Morrow and Mark Robinson, but still voted to return Trump to the White House.
Here’s a look at how Trump and Democratic-elect Josh Stein’s victories were distributed by county.
78 out of 100 counties voted for Donald Trump
Three counties moved from 2020 to 2024: Anson, Nash and Pasquotank.
Most NC counties saw a Republican margin shift starting in 2020
This map shows how most counties saw a positive shift in Republican support in 2024 compared to 2020, although some still voted for Harris overall. Robeson (8.83%), Gates (7.97%), Sampson (7.42%) and Hertford (7.36%) saw some of the largest shifts to the Republican margins. Henderson (4.2%), Buncombe (3.67%) and Transylvania (3.57%) counties saw some of the largest shifts toward a Democratic candidate between 2020 and 2024.
It is striking that the largest Democratic shifts are several percentage points lower than the largest Republican shifts.
The presidential race: How Donald Trump won North Carolina for the third time
Map splitting provinces
It’s no secret that North Carolina residents will elect a Republican at the top and vote for the opposing party in a down ballot, and this year was no different. Although Trump captured the state, Stein also won a landslide victory by nearly 15 percentage points and 14 counties voted for Trump and Stein, allowing him to claim the executive mansion against Robinson whose campaign was highly controversial.
These results are unofficial until an investigation takes place, a process that ensures the accuracy of ballot counting, and results will be certified by county boards on Friday, November 15 for local races and on November 26 for all other races.
Sarah Gleason is the North Carolina Reporting Fellow for the USA TODAY Network. Email her at SGleason@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: How North Carolina Counties Voted for President and Governor in 2024
