Pardon Our Dust
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Yesterday, 2.3 million North Carolinians cast their ballots in the state’s primary elections. Along with the Presidential Primary, voters selectedprimary candidates for the N.C. General Assembly, Council of State and U.S. Senate. All 120 seats of the state House of Representatives, 50 seats ofthe state Senate, the Council of State, and the one U.S. Senate seat are up in 2016.
N.C.’s U.S. Congressional primaries will be held on June 7. The filing period for those races begins today and ends on Mach 25.
Full election results are available at theN.C. State Board of Elections website.
Presidential Primary
N.C. Republicans selected Donald Trump in the primary by a 40.24% vote and 29 delegates. Texas U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz trailed with 36.77% and 26 delegates,Ohio Gov. John Kasich landed in third with 12.68% and 9 delegates and Florida U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio – who made a concession speech late last night – with7.71% of the vote and 5 delegates.
Hillary Clinton was favored by N.C. Democrats with 54.6% of the vote and 59 delegates. Vermont U.S. Sen Bernie Sanders won 42 delegates with 40.8% of thevote.
Council of State
Governor
Governor Pat McCrory will face Attorney General Roy Cooper on the November ballot, as well as Libertarian Lon Cecil, in what is expected to be the mostexpensive and closely fought governor’s race in the country.
McCrory won the Republican primary with 81.76% of the vote. His opponents were Robert Brawley (10.59%) and Charles Kenneth Moss (7.65%).
Cooper, who was strongly favored to win the primary, secured 68.77% of the vote against primary opponent Ken Spaulding.
Lt. Governor
Republican Lt. Governor Dan Forrest will be running against Democrat Linda Coleman and Libertarian JJ Summerell in November.
Forrest did not have a primary yesterday.
Coleman surpassed her three primary opponents with 51.13% of the vote. This will be Coleman’s second campaign against Forrest for the office. Forrest andColeman campaigned against one another in 2012, when Forrest rose over Coleman by 7,000 votes.
Secretary of State
Democrat Elaine Marshall will face Republican Michael LaPaglia in November.
Marshall was the state’s first female Secretary of State after assuming office in 1997. She did not have a primary yesterday.
LaPalglia, an entrepreneur beat his primary opponent, A.J. Daoud with 61.57% of the vote.
State Auditor
Democrat Beth Wood is running for her third term as State Auditor. She faces a general election opponent, Republican Chuck Stuber, a former FBI agent. Thecandidates did not have primary elections yesterday.
State Treasurer
The State Treasurer seat is up for grabs after Democrat Janet Cowell announced earlier this year that she would be retiring at the end of her term.
Former state Representative Dale Folwell, a Republican from Winston-Salem, will be competing against Democrat, Dan Blue III.
Blue won against his primary opponent, Ron Elmer, with 58.46% of the vote. Folwell was not opposed in the primary.
Superintendent of Public Instruction
Democrat June Atkinson will face Republican Mark Johnson in November.
Atkinson secured 79.85% of the democratic vote in her primary election against Henry Pankey.
Johnson, an attorney and Winston-Salem/ Forsyth County School Board member, faced two primary opponents yesterday and secured roughly 54% of the vote.
Attorney General
When current Attorney General announced earlier this year that he would be running for Governor, it left this seat open for the 2016 election.
After close primary elections, Republican State Senator Buck Newton (Johnston, Nash, Wilson) will face State Senator Josh Stein, a Democrat from WakeCounty.
Newton faced District Attorney Jim O’Neill of Forsyth Countyin the Republican primary, where he secured 54.92% of the vote.
Stein had a similar 53.45% lead over his primary opponent, Marcus Williams, who practices law in Lumberton.
Commissioner of Agriculture
Republican Steve Troxler, a Yadkinville poultry farmer, is running for his fourth term as Commissioner of Agriculture, after winning his primary yesterday.Troxler had a strong 68.81% lead against his primary opponent, Andy Stevens, from Greensboro, yesterday.
Troxler will face Democrat Walter Smith, also from Yadkinville, who he defeated in the 2012 election.
Commissioner of Labor
Republican Cherie Berry, a Catawba County native, who has held the office since 2001, will face Democrat Charles Meeker, former Mayor of Raleigh inNovember.
Berry did not have a primary opponent yesterday. Meeker secured 56.62% of the Democratic vote against Mazie Ferguson, of Guilford County.
Commissioner of Insurance
Democrat Wayne Goodwin, will face his 2012 opponent, Republican Mike Causey, of Greensboro, for a second time in November.
Causey defeated Joe McLaughlin of Jacksonville, and Ronald Pierce of Charlotte; he received 42.21% of the vote. Causey will run for the post for the fifthtime. The insurance commissioner’s office has been held by a Democrat since 1899, when the first commissioner took the post.
N.C. General Assembly
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Twenty-five sitting House members faced primary opposition in yesterday’s election. 10 incumbents won their primaries, while 2 lost. 12 of these membershave a general election opponent in November. 62 of the 120 districts will have elections in November.
Click here for a full list of N.C. House of Representative November elections.
Incumbent wins:
Democratic incumbents Kelly Alexander (Mecklenburg), Jean Farmer-Butterfield (Pitt, Wilson), Larry Bell (Duplin, Sampson, Wayne), William Brisson (Bladen,Johnston Sampson), Rosa Gill (Wake), and Charles Graham (Robeson) and will retain their seats without opposition in November after winning their primaryelections.
Republican incumbents Jamie Boles (Moore), John Fraley (Iredell), Harry Warren (Rowan), and Lee Zachary (Alexander, Wilkes, Yadkin) have also won theirprimaries and face no primary opposition in November.
The following representatives won primary races and face opposition in November: Nelson Dollar (R-Wake), Beverly Earle (D-Mecklenburg), Jonothan Jordan(R-Ashe, Watuga), David Lewis (R-Harnett), Larry Pittman (R-Cabarrus), Bobbie Richardson (D-Cumberland) and Rena Turner (R-Iredell).
Representative Justin Burr (R-Stanly, Montgomery), seeking his fifth term, narrowly won his primary against Lane Burris by 242 votes, according tounofficial results. Burr will face Democrat Carson Snyder in November.
Incumbent Republican Charles Jeter, of Mecklenburg County, is 28 votes ahead of opponent, Tom Davis, according to the unofficial results. The State Boardof Elections will confirm absentee ballots and perform a recount to secure the results. The winner of the primary will face Democrat Chaz Beasley inNovember.
Incumbent Losses:
Rep. Ralph Johnson (D-Guilford), who suffered a stroke earlier this month passed away last night. His primary opponent, Amos Quick, won 71.53% of the voteand does not face opposition in November. Johnson’s campaign has made no announcements concerning the late Representative’s death.
Rep. George Robinson (R-Caldwell) also lost his seat to his primary opponent, Destin Hall, who won 59.74% of the vote. Hall does not face Democraticopposition in November.
Open Seat Primaries:
District 6:Rep. Paul Tine (U-Beaufort, Dare, Hyde, Washington), retiring.
After winning their respective primary elections, Republican Beverly Boswell will face Democrat Warren Judge in November.
District 20:Rep. Rick Catlin (R-New Hanover), retiring.
Republican Holly Grange will likely replace Rep. Catlin after defeating her primary opponent, Tammy Covil by 62%. Grange is a business woman and realtorwho presently serves on the N.C. State Ports Authority Board of Directors.
District 26:Rep. Leo Daughtry (R-Johnston), retiring.
Democrat Rich Nixon will face Republican Donna McDowell White in November. White defeated her primary opponent Dennis Nielsen, securing 59.57% of the vote.
District 32:Rep. Nathan Baskerville (D-Graville, Vance, Warren), retiring.
Democrat Terry Garrison, after receiving 67.32% of the vote, defeated Gary Lamont Miles. Garrison does not face opposition in November.
District 81:Rep. Rayne Brown (R-Davidson), retiring.
Democrat Andy Hedrick will face Republican Larry Potts, who won his primary race by 52.3%.
District 100:Rep. Tricia Cotham (D-Mecklenburg), retiring.
Democrat and Mecklenburg City Council member John Autry, defeated Billy Madalon after receiving 53.2% of the vote. Autry does not face opposition inNovember.
District 105:Rep. Jacqueline Schaffer (R-Mecklenburg), retiring.
Democrat Connie Green-Johnson will face Republican Scott Stone, who won in his primary by 52.21%.
District 120:Rep. Roger West (Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Macon), retiring.
Democrat Randy Hogseed will face Republican Kevin Corbin, who won in his primary by 73.85%.
SENATE:
Seven sitting Senate members faced primary opposition in yesterday’s election. All of the incumbents won their primary races and two will not faceopposition in November, while five have opposition. Additionally, six primary races for open seats were held.
Click here for a full list of N.C. Senate November elections.
Incumbent Wins:
Democratic incumbent Senators Angela Bryant (Halifax, Nash, Vance, Warren, Wilson), Ben Clark (Cumberland, Hoke), Joel Ford (Mecklenburg) and Joyce Waddell(Mecklenburg) all won their primary races. The four democratic senators all face Republican opponents in November.
On the Republican side, Senators Joyce Krawiec (Forsyth, Yadkin) and Tommy Tucker (Union) both won their primaries and face no Democratic opposition inNovember. They join 14 other senators who are uncontested in this election cycle.
Additionally, Sen. David Curtis (R-Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln) won his primary by a 51.08% lead. Curtis will face Libertarian opponent, Nic Haag, inNovember.
Open Seat Primaries:
These candidates will face one-another on the November ballots. Six Senators will retire at the end of their term. Primaries were held in each of thesedistricts and were all very closely watched races.
District 11:Senator Buck Newton (R-Johnston, Nash, Wilson), running for Attorney General.
Republican primary winner Rick Horner will face Democrat Albert Pace.
District 16:Senator Josh Stein (D-Wake), running for Attorney General.
Democratic primary winner Jay Chaudhuri will face Republican Eric Weaver.
District 33:Senator Stan Bingham (R-Davidson, Montgomery), retiring.
Republican primary winner Cathy Dunn will face Democrat Jim Beall Graham.
District 36: Senator Fletcher Harstell (R-Cabarrus, Union), retiring.
Republican primary winner Paul Newton will face Democratic primary winner Robert Brown.
District 45: Senator Dan Soucek (R-Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Caldwell, Watuga), retiring.
Republican primary winner Deanna Ballard will face Democrat Art Sherwood.
District 48:Senator Tom Apodaca (R-Buncombe, Henderson, Transylvania), retiring.
Democrat Norman Bossert will face Republican primary winner Chuck Edwards.
U.S. Congress
U.S. House of Representatives:Due to the Congressional redistricting that occurred in February, the U.S. House of Representative primaries were delayed in N.C. Stand-alone primarieswill be held on June 7. Filing for the primaries opened today and close on March 25.
U.S. Senate: U.S. Senator Richard Burr, a Republican, will face Democrat Deborah Ross and Libertarian Sean Haugh in the general election.
Ross, a former N.C. State House representative, surpassed her primary opponents by 46 points. Senator Burr, who faced three primary opponents, won by a 37point lead.
Connect N.C. Bond Referendum
The Connect N.C. Public Improvement Bond passed by a 65.56% vote according to poll results late last night.
The $2 billion bond will fund infrastructure projects in 76 counties across the state. The bond will finance repairs and new buildings at UNC system andcommunity college campuses as well as local government water and sewer projects, construction money for parks, the N.C Zoo, the National Guard and theDepartment of Agriculture.
CONTACT US
HarryKaplan
Senior Vice President
hkaplan@mwcllc.com
JeffBarnhart
Senior Vice President
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Franklin Freeman
Senior Vice President
ffreeman@mwcllc.com
Bo Heath
Senior Vice President
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John Merritt
Senior Vice President
jmerritt@mwcllc.com
JohnnyTillett
Senior Vice President
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Kerri Burke
Vice President
kburke@mwcllc.com
JillianTotman
Assistant Vice President
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Sarah Wolfe
Assistant Vice President
swolfe@mwcllc.com