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Live: 2020 North Carolina Election Night Coverage

This post will be updated frequently on Nov. 3, 2020 with the latest information and breaking news on election night in North Carolina. The latest updates will be entered at the top with timestamps. Scroll down for older updates.

Check out our 2020 Voter Guide for information on absentee ballots and more. Also read our Races to Watch stories in statewide and local legislative elections. Be sure to subscribe to WUNC's Politics Podcast for analysis.

12:20 p.m.

View a complete list of winners for the U.S. House of Representatives for North Carolina. Democrats flipped two seats, while two other closely contested races went in the GOP's favor. 

Credit Natalie Dudas-Thomas / WUNC
/
WUNC

More analysis from the Associated Press here. - Natalie Dudas-Thomas, WUNC

11:40 p.m.

The Associated Press has declared the following races:

  • Republican U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson has won reelection to U.S. House in North Carolina's 8th Congressional District.
  • Republican Dan Bishop has won reelection to U.S. House in North Carolina's 9th Congressional District.
  • Democrat Deborah Ross has won election to U.S. House in North Carolina's 2nd Congressional District.
    - Associated Press
10:43 p.m.

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper sits for an interview with WUNC in the Executive Mansion in Raleigh, N.C., Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2018. Cooper addressed the opiod crisis affecting the state.
Credit Ben McKeown / For WUNC
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For WUNC

Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper has been reelected, defeating Republican challenger Lt. Gov. Dan Forest.

The mild-mannered governor has often been reluctant to criticize President Donald Trump. He has been generally praised for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic. However, some complained he was slow to reopen K-12 public schools and certain parts of the economy.

Forest often criticized the shuttering of small businesses, including bars, bowling alleys and gyms.

Read more about the win here. - Associated Press

10:30 p.m.

North Carolina has hit a milestone for civic engagement. The state reached record voter turnout for the 2020 election with 71.66% ballots reported thus far. 

- Natalie Dudas-Thomas, WUNC

10:15 p.m.

A wave of election results are in from the Associated Press:

  • Democrat David Price has won reelection to U.S. House in North Carolina's 4th Congressional District.
  • Democrat G.K. Butterfield has won reelection to U.S. House in North Carolina's 1st Congressional District.
  • Republican Virginia Foxx has won reelection to U.S. House in North Carolina's 5th Congressional District.
  • Democrat Kathy Manning has won election to U.S. House in North Carolina's 6th Congressional District.
  • Republican David Rouzer has won reelection to U.S. House in North Carolina's 7th Congressional District.
  • Republican Greg Murphy has won reelection to U.S. House in North Carolina's 3rd Congressional District. - Associated Press
10 p.m.

The lead that Joe Biden held in North Carolina earlier tonight has now narrowed to less than a percentage point. Here is a quick look at the tight races across the state according to statistics from the Associated Press:

  • Biden has 2.507M votes while Trump has 2.462M votes
  • Tillis has 2.504M votes while Cunningham has 2.379M votes
  • Cooper has 2.602M votes while Forest has 2.295M votes

- Laura Pellicer, WUNC

9:28 p.m.

Credit MADISON CAWTHORN FOR CONGRESS

Republican Madison Cawthorn has been elected to represent a western North Carolina U.S. House district.

The rising GOP star’s win in the 11th Congressional District allows him to fill a vacant seat previously held by Republican Rep. Mark Meadows, who left to serve as President Donald Trump’s chief of staff. Cawthorn defeated Democrat and retired U.S. Air Force Col. Moe Davis.

The 25-year-old Cawthorn will be one of the youngest people to ever serve in the U.S. Congress. He first drew attention after defeating Trump’s preferred candidate in an upset in the June GOP primary runoff.

Cawthorn, who was left partially paralyzed from a car accident, delivered a speech at the Republican National Convention in August during which he stood up from his wheelchair with the help of a walker. - Associated Press

9 p.m.

North Carolina's first results are now being reported. 

According to results from The Associated Press, Republican Ted Budd has won reelection to the U.S. House in North Carolina's 13th Congressional District. 

Republican Patrick McHenry has won reelection to U.S. House in North Carolina's 10th Congressional District.

8:50 p.m.

As election results trickle in, here is a look at the numbers and the money behind state races.

Of the 170 North Carolina legislative races, at least 100 will be easy to call — and that’s a conservative read.

It’s likely that control of the Senate could come down to just four races. Right now, Republicans have 29 seats and Democrats have 21. But redrawn maps almost certainly mean two pickups for Democrats. That means Democrats have to net three more seats to reach Senate control.

When it comes to campaign costs, since July candidates in the four most competitive state Senate races have raised a combined total of more than $9.2 million, more than 20% of the total of all legislative campaigns. In the third quarter of 2018, the most expensive Senate races brought in less than half that.

Democrats outraised Republicans in North Carolina legislative races this year about $27 million to $24 million.

Gov. Roy Cooper had been outraising challenger Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Forest early in the year. Cooper spent much of those funds in the third quarter — Cooper spent $30 million in that time and Forest spent just $5 million. - Jason deBruyn and Jeff Tiberii, WUNC

 
 

8:15 p.m.

Several hundred protesters returned this afternoon to downtown Graham, N.C., for an Election Day "March to the Polls." The demonstrators engaged in a largely "silent" march, and were encouraged to stay on sidewalks and not engage with law enforcement.

On Saturday, sheriff's deputies and police pepper-sprayed marchers in the same location. - Dave DeWitt, WUNC

 

7:35 p.m.

Polls closed across most North Carolina precints at 7:30 p.m. Anyone who was in line at that time will be allowed to cast a vote.

The North Carolina State Board of Election decided to extend voting time past the standard 7:30 p.m. closure at six precincts. These six extensions come in addition to the four granted at an emergency Elections Board meeting earlier today.

The longest extension was 45 minutes for a site in Sampson County. That means the state can’t publicly report any statewide results until 8:15 p.m.

State elections officials said in a news release last week that if hours are extended at any polls, they wouldn’t publicly post any results until all polls are closed.

If 1 million people vote Tuesday, that would establish a new all-time turnout high for an election in North Carolina.

Celeste Gracia, Laura Pellicer, WUNC and Associated Press

Stories, features and more by WUNC News Staff. Also, features and commentary not by any one reporter.
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