Bringing The World Home To You

© 2024 WUNC North Carolina Public Radio
120 Friday Center Dr
Chapel Hill, NC 27517
919.445.9150 | 800.962.9862
91.5 Chapel Hill 88.9 Manteo 90.9 Rocky Mount 91.1 Welcome 91.9 Fayetteville 90.5 Buxton 94.1 Lumberton 99.9 Southern Pines 89.9 Chadbourn
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Follow live coverage of the 2018 midterm elections, including results and analysis. Get caught up on the latest news.

Republicans Lose Supermajorities In North Carolina General Assembly

In this July 24, 2018 file photo, members of the North Carolina House gather for a special session at the General Assembly in Raleigh, N.C.
Gerry Broome, file
/
AP

Democrats made significant gains in both chambers of the North Carolina General Assembly Tuesday night, in a wave that upended both Republican supermajorities and saw urban GOP incumbents ousted from public office.Republican supermajorities were broken in the House and the Senate, where Democrats picked up nine and six seats, respectively. The GOP will still hold majorities of 66-55 and 29-21 come January.

Legislative Democrats raised more than $15 million this election cycle as part of a statewide effort to break the supermajorities. Republicans won in 2012, and provide Governor Roy Cooper a veto with some leverage. Since Cooper took office in 2017, he has vetoed 25 pieces of legislation, 20 of which Republicans have voted to override.

On the House side, Democrats picked off all but one Republican incumbent in Wake and Mecklenburg Counties, a total of six. Meanwhile in the Senate, Republican incumbents Tamara Barringer (Wake), Jeff Tarte (Mecklenburg) and Trudy Wade (Guilford) were all denied another term. Two GOP Senators Dan Bishop (Meck) and John Alexander (Wake) won re-election.

The legislative gains give Democrats more secure footing to pursue teacher raises and Medicaid expansion in 2019, although it is unclear whether the diminished minorities will lead to gridlock or greater consensus at the legislature.

More than 52 percent of registered voters cast ballots, marking the highest mid-term turnout in North Carolina since 1990. 

Jeff Tiberii is the co-host of WUNC's "Due South." Jeff joined WUNC in 2011. During his 20 years in public radio, he was Morning Edition Host at WFDD and WUNC’s Greensboro Bureau Chief and later, the Capitol Bureau Chief. Jeff has covered state and federal politics, produced the radio documentary “Right Turn,” launched a podcast, and was named North Carolina Radio Reporter of the Year four times.
More Stories