Live coverage: 2022 Midterm Elections in North Carolina
Good evening! Follow live updates as WUNC reporters, producers and editors cover Election Day 2022 across the Triangle. Digital editors Elizabeth Baier and Laura Pellicer are curating the blog tonight.
- Polls have closed across North Carolina in the final voting day of the 2022 election. Follow WUNC for live updates and results as they come in.
- Subscribe to WUNC's Politics Podcast and follow reporters Rusty Jacobs and Jeff Tiberii on Twitter.
GOP gains majority of state's highest court
Republicans now have a majority on the North Carolina Supreme Court.
Two seats were up for grabs this year, and Republicans won both.
Richard Dietz, a North Carolina Court of Appeals judge, will replace retiring Associate Justice Robin Hudson, a Democrat who has served on the panel since 2007.
Trey Allen, who serves as General Counsel for the state Administrative Office of the Courts, defeated incumbent Democratic Associate Justice Sam Ervin IV.
The court is now comprised of five Republicans and two Democrats. The victories will give the party a majority for several years, as the next two seats up for reelection are also held by Democrats.
Over the next couple of years, the court is likely to weigh in on topics including redistricting and abortion.
Democrat Wiley Nickel wins election to U.S. House in North Carolina's 13th Congressional District
Voters in North Carolina's 13th Congressional District have elected Democrat Wiley Nickel to a seat in Congress. Nickel beat political newcomer and Donald Trump-endorsed Bo Hines.
On Tuesday night, Nickel spoke about his priorities once in Congress.
"I will do everything I can to put the protections of Roe v. Wade into federal law," Nickel said. " I will continue to fight for women's rights in Congress."
Nickel, 46, has been the State Senator for North Carolina’s 16th District since 2019. He’s a California native with degrees from Tulane and Pepperdine, and has worked for former Vice President Al Gore. Nickel was also a staffer in President Barack Obama’s White House from 2008 to 2012. He garnered Obama’s endorsement for the General Assembly in 2018.
The 13th district has been newly reconfigured — and essentially relocated — by redistricting.
The new 13th District is Triangle-centric. It includes the southern half of Wake, all of Johnston, and portions of Harnett and Wayne Counties — spanning from Apex to Mount Olive.
Republican Ted Budd wins North Carolina’s U.S. Senate race
Republican U.S. Rep. Ted Budd won North Carolina’s open Senate seat on Tuesday, defeating Cheri Beasley while extending a losing streak for state Democrats seeking a spot in that chamber.
Budd, a three-term congressman, will succeed retiring GOP Sen. Richard Burr, who entered the Senate in 2005.
As a candidate endorsed by Donald Trump and ready to embrace the former president’s support, Budd will provide a stronger hardline, conservative voice in the Senate than Burr, who voted in 2021 to convict Trump at his impeachment trial related to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
Beasley, a former chief justice of the state Supreme Court attempting to be the state’s first Black senator, fell short despite having a significant fundraising advantage over Budd’s campaign. But national Republicans came to Budd’s defense with a large wave of spending attacking her judicial record and support for President Joe Biden’s policies.
Beasley’s defeat means Democrats have now lost eight of the state’s nine Senate elections this century; their only victory coming in 2008. While North Carolina statewide elections are usually closely divided affairs, Democrats have won all but one gubernatorial election since 1992.
GOP to claim supermajority of NC Senate
Republicans will have supermajority control over the state Senate, WUNC projects.
Per my count Republicans have just claimed a supermajority in the NC Senate. With Michael Lee (SD7) up by about 2,100 votes on Marcia Morgan (D) and all precincts reporting that is the 30th seat. (29th is Bobby Hanig in SD3, 28th 92 SD4 pick-up/Buck Newton) #ncpol #ncga
— Jeff Tiberii (@j_tibs) November 9, 2022
In 2018, the GOP had lost supermajorities in both the state House and Senate.
A veto-proof supermajority for Republicans is especially crucial to the future of abortion laws in the state, following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decisionto overturn Roe v. Wade. North Carolina is one of the few southern states that did not have a trigger ban on abortions in-place.
Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) issued a statement on the unofficial election results:
"...The voters of North Carolina spoke loud and clear. They returned a Republican supermajority to the state Senate. I want to thank the voters for their trust and support over the past seven elections."
Republican Edwards wins 11th Congressional District
Republican Chuck Edwards has won election to U.S. House in North Carolina's 11th Congressional District, according to projections from the Associated Press.
BREAKING: Republican Chuck Edwards wins election to U.S. House in North Carolina's 11th Congressional District. #APracecall at 10:25 p.m. EST. https://t.co/2nlgpji7ac
— AP Politics (@AP_Politics) November 9, 2022
The AP has not yet called a winner in the competitive 13th Congressional District. As of 10:50 p.m., Wiley Nickel (Dem) has a 3.8 percentage point lead over Republican Bo Hines with an estimated 74% of ballots tallied.
This district has been newly reconfigured — and essentially relocated — by redistricting. Read WUNC's background about this race to watch.
Democrat Jeff Jackson and Republican Virginia Foxx win congressional races
The Associated Press has called the election for two more of North Carolina's U.S. Congressional districts. That brings the tally of districts called to eight total.
Democrat Jeff Jackson won election to North Carolina's 14th Congressional District. Meanwhile, Republican Virginia Foxx was reelected to the state's 5th Congressional District.
We did it!
— Sen. Jeff Jackson (@JeffJacksonNC) November 9, 2022
With your help, we have won NC’s 14th Congressional District.
I'm proud of our team, grateful for our supporters, and ready to work for everyone in our district.
More soon, but for now, thank you.
WUNC continues to track more competitive races in North Carolina including the 13th Congressional District and the US Senate race in which Republican Ted Budd holds a three percentage point lead over Democrat Cheri Beasley as of 9:50 p.m. ET.
The Associated Press calls winners in all of North Carolina's U.S. House Districts
Here are the winners of all of North Carolina's U.S. House districts, according to calls by the Associated Press:
— Republican Patrick McHenry has won reelection to U.S. House in North Carolina's 10th Congressional District
— Republican Greg Murphy has won reelection to U.S. House in North Carolina's 3rd Congressional District
— Republican Dan Bishop has won reelection to U.S. House in North Carolina's 8th Congressional District
— Democrat Deborah Ross has won reelection to U.S. House in North Carolina's 2nd Congressional District
— Democrat Valerie Foushee has won election to U.S. House in North Carolina's 4th Congressional District
— Democrat Alma Adams has won reelection to U.S. House in North Carolina's 12th Congressional District
— Democrat Wiley Nickel wins election to U.S. House in North Carolina's 13th Congressional District.
— Democrat Kathy Manning wins reelection to U.S. House in North Carolina's 6th Congressional District.
— Republican David Rouzer wins reelection to U.S. House in North Carolina's 7th Congressional District.
— Democrat Don Davis wins election to U.S. House in North Carolina's 1st Congressional District.
— Republican Virginia Foxx wins reelection to U.S. House in North Carolina's 5th Congressional District.
— Republican Richard Hudson wins reelection to U.S. House in North Carolina's 9th Congressional District.
— Republican Chuck Edwards wins election to U.S. House in North Carolina's 11th Congressional District.
NPR and WUNC's live election night broadcast starts at 8 p.m.
NPR and WUNC begin live radio coverage starting at 8 p.m. ET after most polls in the state have closed and the counts start to trickle in.
WUNC reporters will deliver analysis, results, and breaking news updates. NPR's national coverage will continue until 1 a.m. ET.
Tune in to 91.5FM in the Triangle; 88.9 FM in Manteo; 91.9 in Fayetteville; 91.1 in Welcome, and at 90.9 FM in Rocky Mount for full coverage. You can also also listen through the NPR One app or on the WUNC digital live stream.
NC State Board of Elections extends voting hours at additional site
The North Carolina State Board of Elections voted unanimously this evening to extend voting at a Craven County precinct by 25 minutes.
Voting at the River Bend Municipal Building in New Bern will be extended until 7:55 p.m. Voting there was disrupted this afternoon when election officials had to replenish the ballot supply.
Earlier today, the State Board agreed to extend the hours at three other polling locations in Wilson, Robeson and Columbus counties. Those site will have their hours extended to 8:30 p.m. tonight.
The board will not publish unofficial results in Columbus, Craven, Robeson, and Wilson counties until all voters have cast their ballots. Results will be reported starting at 7:30 p.m. in all other counties.
Board of Elections deciding whether to extend voting hours at one more site in New Bern
The State Elections Board has extended voting hours at three precincts in three counties today because of administrative delays and is meeting this hour to consider another extension.
The board voted unanimously to keep individual polling sites open until 8:30 p.m. tonight in Wilson, Robeson and Columbus counties. In one case, voting got started late at a Robeson County volunteer fire department location because poll workers were locked out of the facility. The other two instances involved technical issues with printers.
The board is meeting now to consider extending the voting hours at a site in the Craven County city of New Bern. The state elections board will not post unofficial results in any counties with extended polling hours until all voters have cast their ballots.
Unofficial results from all other counties will be reported starting at 7:30 p.m.
NC Board of Elections extends voting hours in 3 counties
The State Board of Elections has agreed to extend the hours at three polling locations Tuesday due to some delays.
One precinct each in Wilson, Robeson and Columbus counties will have their hours extended to 8:30 p.m. tonight.
Issues ranged from printing problems to voters not having access to their polling location.
“While it is unfortunate that these delays have occurred, they are in no way nefarious or fraudulent,” said Karen Brinson Bell, the Executive Director of the State Board of Elections. “These things happen.”
There were also some reported delays in Guilford and Warren counties, but poll workers at those precincts helped voters who were initially turned away. So, the state elections board did not extend hours there.
Polls will still close at most locations across North Carolina at 7:30 p.m.
North Carolina swing district may affect control of U.S. House
At a polling location in Holly Springs, a Raleigh suburb that epitomizes the 13th Congressional District's narrow partisan divide, voters on Tuesday said they are less focused on the individual candidates and more focused on the national parties' agendas.
Mark Swanson, a 50-year-old unaffiliated voter who cast his ballot for Democrat Wiley Nickel, said he doesn't believe Republican control of Congress will improve the economy, noting that the pandemic illuminated long-term flaws in the global supply chain.
“I can't vote Republican right now,” Swanson said. “What's their solution to anything? They just complain about the economy stuff but, what, tax cuts and deregulation is going to solve all those problems? It's not true. They've been doing that for years and it hasn't done a damn thing.”
Aaron Wenzel, a 47-year-old registered Republican who voted for Bo Hines, said he tends to support Republican candidates for federal offices and Democratic candidates for school board. The father of two said he thinks Hines is the right candidate to represent his “fiscally conservative perspective" at the national level but that Democrats' ambitious spending goals are needed at the local level to bring North Carolina's public schools “up to par.”
Political analysts, such as David McLennan of Meredith College in Raleigh, say nationwide redistricting efforts gave Republicans a clear advantage heading into the midterms. “But it wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been,” he said, noting that North Carolina had greater court intervention in its redistricting process than in many other states. He expects Democrats will be unable to hold their ground in the House, even with big wins in North Carolina.
“The net gain for Democrats is not going to be significant in North Carolina, but they’re not going to lose too much either,” McLennan said. “Even if Nickel were to win, and Don Davis wins in the 1st Congressional District and Jeff Jackson wins in the 14th Congressional District, it’s not going to protect the Democrats from, I think, losing control of the House.”
In Durham, precinct chairman Thelma White isn't slowing down
Thelma White has been a precinct chairman in Durham for the past 16 years.
White is not the type to sit behind a desk. She works the parking lot at the Alpha Kappa Alpha Ivy Center precinct as voters head in and out, casting their ballots.
"Thank you for voting young lady," she says to one voter.
White is 73-years-old and says she doesn’t plan on retiring soon.
“I love coming out here, because now it’s not just women's rights on the agenda, it’s everything that’s at stake," White said.
ECU poll: Budd leads Beasley by 6 points
The latest East Carolina University Poll of the U.S. Senate election in North Carolina shows Republican Ted Budd leading Democrat Cheri Beasley, 52% to 46%, among likely voters.
Just 1% said they are undecided and the remaining 1% said they supported some other candidate.
When asked what the most important issue was in determining their vote in the NC Senate election, 39% said the economy, 18% said abortion, and 15% mentioned inflation.
Annette Weston-Riggs is a reporter with Public Radio East. Continue reading this story here.
Some North Carolina voters motivated with reproductive rights at stake
The issue of reproductive rights is motivating some Democratic voters on Election Day this year.
Shane Baker voted at Holly Springs Elementary this morning. He says he's watching the races in the state legislature.
“Trying to keep that blue – to keep the reproductive rights going – is important to me. It affected me personally,” Baker said. “So that one's huge.”
Baker says his wife had two high-risk pregnancies that endangered her life or that of the fetus. Baker says he and his wife were excited when she found out she was expecting a girl, but at 18 weeks they discovered heart and brain defects that offered little hope of survival past birth and they chose to have an abortion.
“Between the two, like, you know, if we lost those rights, it would have been terrible, both for us and for the girl,” Baker said.
If Republicans in the state legislature gain a veto-proof majority, some leaders have said they will make limiting access to abortion a priority.
Kim Winz has lived in Durham for 30 years and voted at the Parkwood Fire House precinct. She says she never misses an election.
“It seems corny, but it’s my right, it’s my duty as a citizen,” Winz said. “I always tell people, if you don’t vote then you don’t get to complain about what happens if you don’t like it. And this year, the stakes are so high.”
Winz says abortion rights is a top concern for her. About one-third of Durham County’s 240,000 registered voters cast a ballot during early voting.
Sheila Arias & Jessica Burroughs with https://t.co/FwIY5CnYot cheering on voters at Parkwood Fire House #18 precinct in Durham, NC #MomsVote pic.twitter.com/RJoinNyipH
— Leoneda Inge (@LeonedaInge) November 8, 2022
Civic duty and political issues bring voters to polls
Chapel Hill resident Ashley Filiano says it’s important to vote because it’s her civic duty and she wants to be an example for her kids.
“I have my two sons here,” Filiano said. “And I want them to see that the importance of coming out to vote.”
Other voters feel strongly about political issues.
Ed Futch is a resident of Indian Springs, a rural area of Wayne County. He says he voted because he is fed up with several issues, such as, “crime and poor management of the United States.”
Lisa Page is a resident of Indian Springs too. She says there are several problems that motivated her to vote.
"It's awful. Prices are going up. People are making the same amount of money but then it's not going that far," Page said. "It’s really hard on my mother. She's on social security in retirement."
Education also at top of mind for North Carolina voters
While the economy, inflation, public safety, gun violence and access to abortion are at the top of some voters' minds on Tuesday, schools and education are too.
Patricia Gribbon voted in Holly Springs this morning. She said that as a veteran teacher, her number one issue in this election is education.
"Funding for public schools in North Carolina," Gribbon said. "The resources for the students for the materials for the buildings, not just teacher pay, but everything that goes along with teaching."
She said she's paying attention to seats on the school board and in the state legislature, as well as a school bond on the ballot.
Wake County voters will decide on a more than $530 million bond that would pay for school renovations, heating and cooling repairs and construction of new schools.
DOJ will monitor polls in 24 states, including 5 North Carolina counties
Five counties in North Carolina are among 64 jurisdictions around the country being monitored by the U.S. Justice Department for possible illegal behavior at the polls.
The counties being monitored are Harnett, Alamance, Columbus, Mecklenburg and Wayne.
The DOJ says their Civil Rights Division has regularly monitored elections in the field in jurisdictions around the country to protect the rights of voters since the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Follow along with live coverage of Election Day in Western North Carolina with Blue Ridge Public Radio.
Here are New Hanover County's early voting numbers
Roughly a third of registered New Hanover County voters turned out early to cast their ballots.
This is about the same rate of turnout compared to the 2018 midterms; however, this year’s numbers are down two percentage points, dropping from 31% to 29%.
Part of the drop could be attributed to one less day of early voting this year compared to 2018.
Rachel Keith is a host and reporter with WHQR. Continue reading this story here, or check out this story on campaign finance reports.
Watchdog group: No major issues at polls, yet
A nonprofit organization says they are not hearing about too many issues at the polls so far across the state.
Jane Pinsky is with Common Cause North Carolina. She says the only issue her group has heard about so far took place in Graham earlier today.
“The sheriff who has had some disagreements with local activists there, showed up at one of the polling places,” Pinsky said. “But so far, nothing's happened.”
Pinsky says the urban areas of North Carolina — where traditionally it's been much more difficult to vote, like Raleigh and Durham — are doing well so far.
Economic worries drive voters to polls in Wayne County
WUNC's Jay Price was at a polling place in Wayne County on Tuesday morning. Several of the voters he spoke with cited "the economy" as an important issue to them as they came out to vote.
Voters also cited crime, "poor management of the United States," and wanting to vote-in representatives that "support the military."
— Jay Price (@JayatWUNC) November 8, 2022
— Jay Price (@JayatWUNC) November 8, 2022
Another voter, Derrell Trotter, voted in the midterms to set a good example for his family.
— Jay Price (@JayatWUNC) November 8, 2022
What time will we start seeing race results?
NPR says it will be relying on the Associated Press to help it call races today. But the AP won't start calling a state's results until all the polls in that state are officially closed, so it's fair to assume we won't see many — if any — races called before dinner time for most folks.
North Carolina's polls close at 7:30 p.m.
A few states — Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia — will close a bit earlier, at 7 p.m.
And Alaska won't close its polls until 1 a.m. EST.
Given the way voting has shifted since the pandemic, waiting for these results to land will require patience. Remember, the 2020 Presidential race between Joe Biden and Donald Trump wasn't called until the Saturday after the election.
For more information about when we might get results, check out NPR's live coverage of Election Day.
Polls busy at Durham's Parkwood Fire Department
One of the polling places that was busy Tuesday morning was at the Parkwood Volunteer Fire Department in southeast Durham. Photographer Cornell Watson was there for WUNC, capturing pictures of voters.
Early voting numbers are up in Western North Carolina
Voter turnout in Western North Carolina has been higher than normal especially in the 11th Congressional District, according to Chris Cooper, the head of the Public Policy Institute at Western Carolina University.
“NC-11 is the highest of any of the congressional districts in our state. We appear to be up a little bit over 2018 the same day,” Cooper told BPR on Friday. “So, in terms of overall turnout numbers, look, it's not going to be a record midterm by any stretch, but it is probably going to end up being higher than the last few midterms.”
Continue reading this story at Blue Ridge Public Radio. Follow along with live coverage of Election Day in Western North Carolina.
NC election officials call for civility at the polls
In the wake of The Big Lie and unfounded claims of widespread election fraud, there are very real concerns about intimidation and interference at election sites in North Carolina.
Karen Brinson Bell – the Executive Director of the State Board of Elections – told reporters there have been 15 reported incidents of harassing poll workers and inappropriate behavior at one-stop early voting locations so far. Across 100 counties and more than two million votes already cast, Brinson Bell said that figure is a good sign, but that she isn’t letting her guard down yet.
“We had a similar number of incidents reported to us in the spring, you know, so it seems that maybe the temperature is about the same,” Brinson Bell said. “But I can say, to have worked in elections since 2006. This personally, my observation is that the temperature is higher this year than what we have seen in years past.”
Meanwhile the U.S. Department of Justice said it will monitor five North Carolina counties for possible issues on Tuesday – Alamance, Columbus, Harnett, Mecklenburg and Wayne. Those counties have all had incidents in recent election cycles.
Beasley, Budd seek to succeed Burr; Republican power at stake in legislature races
North Carolina Democrats are campaigning for history while Republicans are seeking to extend a winning streak in the U.S. Senate. Democrat Cheri Beasley and Republican Ted Budd are the leading candidates on Tuesday’s ballot to succeed retiring GOP Sen. Richard Burr. The race was one of several nationwide expected to determine which party would control what is now a 50-50 Senate. Beasley is a former chief justice of the state Supreme Court who would be North Carolina’s first Black senator if elected. Budd is a three-term congressman who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump. Libertarian Shannon Bray and Green Party candidate Matthew Hoh also are running.
A newly formed congressional district in North Carolina could affect partisan control of the U.S. House. The 13th District is being closely watched as a marquee race in the state in the midterm elections. Democratic state Sen. Wiley Nickel and Republican political newcomer Bo Hines are both in uncharted territory as they seek to represent urban, suburban and rural constituents between Raleigh and Goldsboro. A lengthy redistricting battle scrambled the state's congressional map. Analysts say Republicans are favored in seven of the state’s 14 districts, and Democrats are favored in six. The map will only be used for the 2022 election and will be redrawn for 2024.
Two competitive races for North Carolina Supreme Court seats will determine the partisan makeup of the state's highest court and lay the groundwork for upcoming legal battles. Democrats hold a slim 4-3 majority, but two Democrat-held seats are up for election this year. Republicans only need to win one to flip the majority in their favor. The judicial elections come in the final months of a tumultuous two-year court term distinguished by several split decisions favoring the Democratic majority. These high-profile rulings have drawn criticism from both sides that the judiciary has become too politicized. All four candidates are vowing to keep their personal politics from interfering with their rulings, should they win.
North Carolina Republican legislative leaders are aiming for super-sized control of the legislature for the next two years as voters choose the next edition of the General Assembly. Democrats led by Gov. Roy Cooper are fighting for their party to retain enough seats after Tuesday so Republicans fall short of veto-proof margins. The GOP needs at least two additional Senate seats and three House seats to reach veto-proof status. Cooper and other Democrats have warned that severe abortion restrictions could be ahead if the GOP reaches that threshold. Results from roughly 15 highly-competitive races likely will determine the outcome.
At least 2.1 million North Carolinians voted early
Early voting ended in North Carolina over the weekend, and election officials are reporting a strong turnout.
More than 2.1 million North Carolinians have already cast ballots through the mail or at early voting sites, which closed Saturday. That’s about 4% higher than at this same time in the 2018 midterms.
Early voters this year have been older on average, compared to 2018, and the percentage of Democrats and African American voters is down slightly, according to Chris Cooper, a political science professor at Western Carolina University.
Polls will open from 6:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Voters do not need a photo ID in North Carolina. You can find a sample ballot and look up where to vote at NCSBE.gov.
Nick de la Canal is a reporter and host with WFAEin Charlotte.
Non-profit groups, faith leaders concerned about voter intimidation
The polls at the community center at John Chavis Memorial Park in Raleigh were a bustling scene on Saturday morning as voters took advantage of the last day of early voting.
Outside, leaders of voter rights organizations said they’re working to counter voter intimidation and misinformation at the polls.
La’Meshia Whittington is Deputy Director of Advance Carolina. She says attorneys with her group responded to multiple reports of intimidation and harassment at the polls during early voting, including a threat of violence at a poll in Orange County.
"But being able to have attorneys dispatched to address at least squelch or calm the fears as much as we can is the priority. But nevertheless, the threat was there," Whittington said.
Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the North Carolina Board of Elections, says while early voting went smoothly across the state, the board is aware of several cases of possible voter or poll worker intimidation or harassment.