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| Turnout | 68.98% [1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 County results Congressional district results Precinct results
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The2016 United States presidential election in North Carolina held on Tuesday, November 8, 2016, as part of the2016 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus theDistrict of Columbia participated.North Carolina voters chose electors to represent them in theElectoral College via a popular vote, pitting theRepublican Party's nominee, businessmanDonald Trump, and running mateIndiana GovernorMike Pence againstDemocratic Party nominee, formerSecretary of StateHillary Clinton, and her running mate VirginiaSenatorTim Kaine. North Carolina had 15 electoral votes in the Electoral College.[2]
Trump won the state with 49.83% of the vote, a small decrease fromMitt Romney's vote percentage in2012. However, he won by a margin of 3.66%, an increase of 1.62% compared to Romney's margin in 2012. In contrast, Clinton obtained 46.17% of the vote, a decrease of over 2% in 2012 when Obama won 48.35% of the vote. Although both candidates saw decreases in vote share compared to 2012, Trump and Clinton both obtained more votes than the previous election's candidates due to a higher voter turnout in this election. Trump flipped seven counties to the Republican column and was the first Republican to winRobeson,Richmond, andGates counties sinceRichard Nixon in1972. Clinton flipped just one county to the Democratic column,Watauga County, home toBoone.
Trump became the first Republican to win the White House without carrying Watauga County sinceJames A. Garfield in1880, as well as the first to do so without carryingBumcombe orForsyth counties sinceCalvin Coolidge in1924, the first to do so without carryingWake County sinceDwight D. Eisenhower in1956, and the first to do so without carryingPitt orWilson counties sinceRichard Nixon in1968. It was also the first time since1980 that North Carolina voted more Democratic thanOhio.
TheDemocratic,Republican, andLibertarianprimaries were on March 15, 2016. In North Carolina, registered members of each party only voted in their party's primary, while voters who were unaffiliated chose any one primary in which to vote.
Four candidates appeared on the Democratic presidential primary ballot:[3][4]
According to aWRAL-TV/SurveyUSA poll conducted the week before the primary: "[Hillary] Clinton holds a commanding lead of 57% to 34% among likely Democratic voters over U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont."[5]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Hillary Clinton | 616,758 | 54.59% | |
| Democratic | Bernie Sanders | 460,434 | 40.75% | |
| Democratic | No Preference | 37,200 | 3.29% | |
| Democratic | Others (total) | 15,375 | 1.37% | |
| Total votes | 1,129,767 | 100.00% | ||
Twelve candidates appeared on the Republican presidential primary ballot:[3][4][7]
According to aWRAL-TV/SurveyUSA poll conducted the week before the primary: "[Donald] Trump tops U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas 41% to 27% among likely GOP voters. U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida andOhio Gov. John Kasich trail far behind, at 14% and 11%, respectively."[5]
| Candidate | Votes | Percentage | Actual delegate count | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bound | Unbound | Total | |||
| Donald Trump | 462,413 | 40.23% | 29 | 0 | 29 |
| Ted Cruz | 422,621 | 36.76% | 27 | 0 | 27 |
| John Kasich | 145,659 | 12.67% | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Marco Rubio | 88,907 | 7.73% | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Ben Carson(withdrawn) | 11,019 | 0.96% | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| No Preference | 6,081 | 0.53% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jeb Bush(withdrawn) | 3,893 | 0.34% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mike Huckabee(withdrawn) | 3,071 | 0.27% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rand Paul(withdrawn) | 2,753 | 0.24% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chris Christie(withdrawn) | 1,256 | 0.11% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Carly Fiorina(withdrawn) | 929 | 0.08% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rick Santorum(withdrawn) | 663 | 0.06% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jim Gilmore(withdrawn) | 265 | 0.02% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unprojected delegates: | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total: | 1,149,530 | 100.00% | 72 | 0 | 72 |
| Source:The Green Papers | |||||
Trump managed to pull off a closer than expected win due to both Cruz and his campaigns performances in different metropolitan areas. Trump was strongest in theCharlotte,Fayetteville andWilmington areas. Cruz did best inGreensboro,Asheville and theResearch Triangle region, where North Carolina's major colleges and capital ofRaleigh are located.[8]
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 North Carolina results by county Gary Johnson No Preference Tie | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Eleven candidates appeared on the Libertarian presidential primary ballot:[3][4]
| Candidate | Votes | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Gary Johnson | 2,414 | 41.48% |
| No Preference | 2,067 | 35.52% |
| John David Hale | 329 | 5.65% |
| Joy Waymire | 268 | 4.61% |
| Austin Petersen | 189 | 3.25% |
| Darryl Perry | 118 | 2.03% |
| Steve Kerbel | 109 | 1.87% |
| Derrick Michael Reid | 74 | 1.27% |
| Cecil Ince | 72 | 1% |
| Jack Robinson Jr. | 70 | 1.20% |
| Marc Allan Feldman | 66 | 1.13% |
| Rhett Smith | 43 | 0.74% |
| Total | 5,739 | 100% |
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| CNN[10] | Tossup | November 4, 2016 |
| Cook Political Report[11] | Tossup | November 7, 2016 |
| Electoral-vote.com[12] | Lean D(flip) | November 8, 2016 |
| NBC[13] | Tossup | November 7, 2016 |
| RealClearPolitics[14] | Tossup | November 8, 2016 |
| Rothenberg Political Report[15] | Tilt D(flip) | November 7, 2016 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[16] | Lean D(flip) | November 7, 2016 |
Up until the summer of 2016, both Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump were each winning polls, with Trump leading slightly. From late June 2016 to mid September 2016, Clinton gained momentum and had won most polls conducted in the summer. From mid September 2016 to late October, Clinton's momentum increased as she won every poll but one. The latest polls showed a near tie, with both almost evenly matched. The average of the final 3 polls showed Clinton ahead 46% to 45%.[17] While she had a head-to-head lead in the last polls against Trump, polls with Gary Johnson showed the race a lot closer. The last New York Times poll conducted showed Trump and Clinton tied with 44% for each.[17]
In addition to Clinton, Johnson and Trump, Green Party nomineeJill Stein was granted write-in status by the North Carolina State Board of Elections, the only write-in candidate to qualify.[18][19]
| Trump 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | Clinton 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Donald Trump | 2,362,631 | 49.83% | |
| Democratic | Hillary Clinton | 2,189,316 | 46.17% | |
| Libertarian | Gary Johnson | 130,126 | 2.74% | |
| Write-in | 47,386 | 1.00% | ||
| Green | Jill Stein (write-in) | 12,105 | 0.26% | |
| Total votes | 4,741,564 | 100.00% | ||
| County | Donald Trump Republican | Hillary Clinton Democratic | Various candidates Other parties | Margin | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Alamance | 38,815 | 54.55% | 29,833 | 41.93% | 2,509 | 3.52% | 8,982 | 12.62% | 71,157 |
| Alexander | 13,893 | 76.04% | 3,767 | 20.62% | 611 | 3.34% | 10,126 | 55.42% | 18,271 |
| Alleghany | 3,814 | 71.76% | 1,306 | 24.57% | 195 | 3.67% | 2,508 | 47.19% | 5,315 |
| Anson | 4,506 | 42.73% | 5,859 | 55.56% | 180 | 1.71% | -1,353 | -12.83% | 10,545 |
| Ashe | 9,412 | 70.11% | 3,500 | 26.07% | 512 | 3.82% | 5,912 | 44.04% | 13,424 |
| Avery | 6,298 | 76.35% | 1,689 | 20.48% | 262 | 3.17% | 4,609 | 55.87% | 8,249 |
| Beaufort | 14,543 | 60.75% | 8,764 | 36.61% | 631 | 2.64% | 5,779 | 24.14% | 23,938 |
| Bertie | 3,456 | 36.97% | 5,778 | 61.82% | 113 | 1.21% | -2,322 | -24.85% | 9,347 |
| Bladen | 8,550 | 53.78% | 7,058 | 44.40% | 289 | 1.82% | 1,492 | 9.38% | 15,897 |
| Brunswick | 42,720 | 62.50% | 23,282 | 34.06% | 2,349 | 3.44% | 19,438 | 28.44% | 68,351 |
| Buncombe | 55,716 | 40.10% | 75,452 | 54.30% | 7,779 | 5.60% | -19,736 | -14.20% | 138,947 |
| Burke | 26,238 | 67.42% | 11,251 | 28.91% | 1,431 | 3.67% | 14,987 | 38.51% | 38,920 |
| Cabarrus | 53,819 | 57.69% | 35,521 | 38.08% | 3,949 | 4.23% | 18,298 | 19.61% | 93,289 |
| Caldwell | 26,621 | 73.30% | 8,425 | 23.20% | 1,274 | 3.50% | 18,196 | 50.10% | 36,320 |
| Camden | 3,546 | 70.83% | 1,274 | 25.45% | 186 | 3.72% | 2,272 | 45.38% | 5,006 |
| Carteret | 26,569 | 70.32% | 9,939 | 26.31% | 1,273 | 3.37% | 16,630 | 44.01% | 37,781 |
| Caswell | 6,026 | 54.44% | 4,792 | 43.29% | 252 | 2.27% | 1,234 | 11.15% | 11,070 |
| Catawba | 48,324 | 66.79% | 21,216 | 29.32% | 2,811 | 3.89% | 27,108 | 37.47% | 72,351 |
| Chatham | 17,105 | 42.92% | 21,065 | 52.86% | 1,679 | 4.22% | -3,960 | -9.94% | 39,849 |
| Cherokee | 10,844 | 76.47% | 2,860 | 20.17% | 477 | 3.36% | 7,984 | 56.30% | 14,181 |
| Chowan | 4,014 | 55.53% | 2,992 | 41.39% | 222 | 3.08% | 1,022 | 14.14% | 7,228 |
| Clay | 4,437 | 73.83% | 1,367 | 22.75% | 206 | 3.42% | 3,070 | 51.08% | 6,010 |
| Cleveland | 28,479 | 63.75% | 14,964 | 33.50% | 1,230 | 2.75% | 13,515 | 30.25% | 44,673 |
| Columbus | 14,272 | 60.14% | 9,063 | 38.19% | 397 | 1.67% | 5,209 | 21.95% | 23,732 |
| Craven | 27,731 | 59.00% | 17,630 | 37.51% | 1,640 | 3.49% | 10,101 | 21.49% | 47,001 |
| Cumberland | 51,265 | 40.21% | 71,605 | 56.16% | 4,636 | 3.63% | -20,340 | -15.95% | 127,506 |
| Currituck | 9,163 | 72.33% | 2,913 | 22.99% | 593 | 4.68% | 6,250 | 49.34% | 12,669 |
| Dare | 11,460 | 58.44% | 7,222 | 36.83% | 927 | 4.73% | 4,238 | 21.61% | 19,609 |
| Davidson | 54,317 | 72.56% | 18,109 | 24.19% | 2,430 | 3.25% | 36,208 | 48.37% | 74,856 |
| Davie | 15,602 | 71.71% | 5,270 | 24.22% | 884 | 4.07% | 10,332 | 47.49% | 21,756 |
| Duplin | 12,217 | 58.58% | 8,283 | 39.72% | 356 | 1.70% | 3,934 | 18.86% | 20,856 |
| Durham | 28,350 | 18.16% | 121,250 | 77.66% | 6,534 | 4.18% | -92,900 | -59.50% | 156,134 |
| Edgecombe | 8,261 | 33.20% | 16,224 | 65.19% | 401 | 1.61% | -7,963 | -31.99% | 24,886 |
| Forsyth | 75,975 | 42.61% | 94,464 | 52.98% | 7,873 | 4.41% | -18,489 | -10.37% | 178,312 |
| Franklin | 16,368 | 53.90% | 12,874 | 42.39% | 1,126 | 3.71% | 3,494 | 11.51% | 30,368 |
| Gaston | 61,798 | 64.09% | 31,177 | 32.33% | 3,456 | 3.58% | 30,621 | 31.76% | 96,431 |
| Gates | 2,874 | 53.30% | 2,385 | 44.23% | 133 | 2.47% | 489 | 9.07% | 5,392 |
| Graham | 3,283 | 78.77% | 768 | 18.43% | 117 | 2.80% | 2,515 | 60.34% | 4,168 |
| Granville | 13,591 | 49.69% | 12,909 | 47.19% | 853 | 3.12% | 682 | 2.50% | 27,353 |
| Greene | 4,374 | 54.03% | 3,605 | 44.53% | 116 | 1.44% | 769 | 9.50% | 8,095 |
| Guilford | 98,062 | 38.10% | 149,248 | 57.98% | 10,095 | 3.92% | -51,186 | -19.88% | 257,405 |
| Halifax | 9,031 | 35.88% | 15,748 | 62.57% | 388 | 1.55% | -6,717 | -26.69% | 25,167 |
| Harnett | 27,614 | 59.95% | 16,737 | 36.33% | 1,714 | 3.72% | 10,877 | 23.62% | 46,065 |
| Haywood | 18,929 | 61.60% | 10,473 | 34.08% | 1,325 | 4.32% | 8,456 | 27.52% | 30,727 |
| Henderson | 35,809 | 61.55% | 19,827 | 34.08% | 2,540 | 4.37% | 15,982 | 27.47% | 58,176 |
| Hertford | 3,099 | 30.42% | 6,910 | 67.84% | 177 | 1.74% | -3,811 | -37.42% | 10,186 |
| Hoke | 7,760 | 42.57% | 9,726 | 53.35% | 744 | 4.08% | -1,966 | -10.78% | 18,230 |
| Hyde | 1,288 | 55.90% | 965 | 41.88% | 51 | 2.22% | 323 | 14.02% | 2,304 |
| Iredell | 54,754 | 66.31% | 24,734 | 29.96% | 3,079 | 3.73% | 30,020 | 36.35% | 82,567 |
| Jackson | 9,870 | 52.74% | 7,713 | 41.22% | 1,130 | 6.04% | 2,157 | 11.52% | 18,713 |
| Johnston | 54,372 | 63.29% | 28,362 | 33.01% | 3,175 | 3.70% | 26,010 | 30.28% | 85,909 |
| Jones | 2,974 | 57.92% | 2,065 | 40.21% | 96 | 1.87% | 909 | 17.71% | 5,135 |
| Lee | 13,712 | 54.66% | 10,469 | 41.74% | 903 | 3.60% | 3,243 | 12.92% | 25,084 |
| Lenoir | 13,613 | 50.78% | 12,634 | 47.13% | 560 | 2.09% | 979 | 3.65% | 26,807 |
| Lincoln | 28,806 | 71.97% | 9,897 | 24.73% | 1,320 | 3.30% | 18,909 | 47.24% | 40,023 |
| Macon | 12,127 | 68.38% | 4,876 | 27.50% | 731 | 4.12% | 7,251 | 40.88% | 17,734 |
| Madison | 6,783 | 60.19% | 3,926 | 34.84% | 560 | 4.97% | 2,857 | 25.35% | 11,269 |
| Martin | 5,897 | 49.29% | 5,846 | 48.86% | 221 | 1.85% | 51 | 0.43% | 11,964 |
| McDowell | 14,568 | 73.30% | 4,667 | 23.48% | 640 | 3.22% | 9,901 | 49.82% | 19,875 |
| Mecklenburg | 155,518 | 32.89% | 294,562 | 62.29% | 22,777 | 4.82% | -139,044 | -29.40% | 472,857 |
| Mitchell | 6,282 | 77.59% | 1,596 | 19.71% | 218 | 2.70% | 4,686 | 57.88% | 8,096 |
| Montgomery | 7,130 | 61.79% | 4,150 | 35.96% | 260 | 2.25% | 2,980 | 25.83% | 11,540 |
| Moore | 30,490 | 62.62% | 16,329 | 33.54% | 1,873 | 3.84% | 14,161 | 29.08% | 48,692 |
| Nash | 23,319 | 48.92% | 23,235 | 48.75% | 1,111 | 2.33% | 84 | 0.17% | 47,665 |
| New Hanover | 55,344 | 49.46% | 50,979 | 45.56% | 5,582 | 4.98% | 4,365 | 3.90% | 111,905 |
| Northampton | 3,582 | 36.37% | 6,144 | 62.39% | 122 | 1.24% | -2,562 | -26.02% | 9,848 |
| Onslow | 37,122 | 64.97% | 17,514 | 30.65% | 2,499 | 4.38% | 19,608 | 34.32% | 57,135 |
| Orange | 18,557 | 22.54% | 59,923 | 72.78% | 3,860 | 4.68% | -41,366 | -50.24% | 82,340 |
| Pamlico | 4,258 | 61.98% | 2,448 | 35.63% | 164 | 2.39% | 1,810 | 26.35% | 6,870 |
| Pasquotank | 8,180 | 47.04% | 8,615 | 49.54% | 596 | 3.42% | -435 | -2.50% | 17,391 |
| Pender | 17,639 | 63.26% | 9,354 | 33.54% | 892 | 3.20% | 8,285 | 29.72% | 27,885 |
| Perquimans | 4,177 | 62.27% | 2,319 | 34.57% | 212 | 3.16% | 1,858 | 27.70% | 6,708 |
| Person | 11,185 | 57.02% | 7,833 | 39.93% | 597 | 3.05% | 3,352 | 17.09% | 19,615 |
| Pitt | 35,691 | 44.32% | 41,824 | 51.94% | 3,012 | 3.74% | -6,133 | -7.62% | 80,527 |
| Polk | 6,768 | 61.90% | 3,735 | 34.16% | 431 | 3.94% | 3,033 | 27.74% | 10,934 |
| Randolph | 49,430 | 76.55% | 13,194 | 20.43% | 1,951 | 3.02% | 36,236 | 56.12% | 64,575 |
| Richmond | 10,383 | 53.72% | 8,501 | 43.98% | 444 | 2.30% | 1,882 | 9.74% | 19,328 |
| Robeson | 20,762 | 50.82% | 19,016 | 46.54% | 1,080 | 2.64% | 1,746 | 4.28% | 40,858 |
| Rockingham | 26,830 | 63.46% | 14,228 | 33.65% | 1,220 | 2.89% | 12,602 | 29.81% | 42,278 |
| Rowan | 42,810 | 66.51% | 19,400 | 30.14% | 2,159 | 3.35% | 23,410 | 36.37% | 64,369 |
| Rutherford | 21,871 | 72.16% | 7,512 | 24.79% | 924 | 3.05% | 14,359 | 47.37% | 30,307 |
| Sampson | 14,838 | 57.23% | 10,547 | 40.68% | 543 | 2.09% | 4,291 | 16.55% | 25,928 |
| Scotland | 6,256 | 44.92% | 7,319 | 52.55% | 353 | 2.53% | -1,063 | -7.63% | 13,928 |
| Stanly | 21,964 | 73.42% | 7,094 | 23.71% | 859 | 2.87% | 14,870 | 49.71% | 29,917 |
| Stokes | 17,116 | 75.90% | 4,665 | 20.69% | 769 | 3.41% | 12,451 | 55.21% | 22,550 |
| Surry | 23,671 | 73.52% | 7,488 | 23.26% | 1,037 | 3.22% | 16,183 | 50.26% | 32,196 |
| Swain | 3,565 | 58.21% | 2,196 | 35.86% | 363 | 5.93% | 1,369 | 22.35% | 6,124 |
| Transylvania | 10,520 | 58.87% | 6,558 | 36.70% | 791 | 4.43% | 3,962 | 22.17% | 17,869 |
| Tyrrell | 975 | 56.07% | 720 | 41.40% | 44 | 2.53% | 255 | 14.67% | 1,739 |
| Union | 66,707 | 63.10% | 34,337 | 32.48% | 4,666 | 4.42% | 32,370 | 30.62% | 105,710 |
| Vance | 7,332 | 36.70% | 12,229 | 61.22% | 416 | 2.08% | -4,897 | -24.52% | 19,977 |
| Wake | 196,082 | 37.16% | 302,736 | 57.38% | 28,806 | 5.46% | -106,654 | -20.22% | 527,624 |
| Warren | 3,214 | 32.66% | 6,413 | 65.16% | 215 | 2.18% | -3,199 | -32.50% | 9,842 |
| Washington | 2,564 | 41.59% | 3,510 | 56.93% | 91 | 1.48% | -946 | -15.34% | 6,165 |
| Watauga | 13,697 | 45.68% | 14,138 | 47.15% | 2,150 | 7.17% | -441 | -1.47% | 29,985 |
| Wayne | 27,540 | 54.33% | 21,770 | 42.95% | 1,379 | 2.72% | 5,770 | 11.38% | 50,689 |
| Wilkes | 23,752 | 75.89% | 6,638 | 21.21% | 906 | 2.90% | 17,114 | 54.68% | 31,296 |
| Wilson | 17,531 | 45.97% | 19,663 | 51.56% | 941 | 2.47% | -2,132 | -5.59% | 38,135 |
| Yadkin | 13,880 | 78.76% | 3,160 | 17.93% | 584 | 3.31% | 10,720 | 60.83% | 17,624 |
| Yancey | 6,385 | 64.11% | 3,196 | 32.09% | 379 | 3.80% | 3,189 | 32.02% | 9,960 |
| Totals | 2,362,631 | 49.83% | 2,189,316 | 46.17% | 189,617 | 4.00% | 173,315 | 3.66% | 4,741,564 |
Swing by county
Trend relative to the state by county
County flipsDemocratic Hold Gain from Republican | Republican Hold Gain from Democratic
|
Trump won ten of North Carolina's 13 congressional districts.[21]
| District | Trump | Clinton | Representative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 30% | 68% | G. K. Butterfield |
| 2nd | 53% | 44% | Renee Ellmers |
| George Holding | |||
| 3rd | 61% | 37% | Walter B. Jones |
| 4th | 28% | 68% | David Price |
| 5th | 57% | 40% | Virginia Foxx |
| 6th | 56% | 41% | Mark Walker |
| 7th | 58% | 40% | David Rouzer |
| 8th | 56% | 41% | Richard Hudson |
| 9th | 54% | 43% | Robert Pittenger |
| 10th | 61% | 36% | Patrick McHenry |
| 11th | 63% | 34% | Mark Meadows |
| 12th | 28% | 68% | Alma Adams |
| 13th | 53% | 44% | Ted Budd |
North Carolina shifted slightly rightward from 2012 in this election, with Clinton's gains with white college-educated voters largely but not entirely cancelling out Trump's gains among white voters without college degrees. By contrast, the fellow Southern states of Georgia and Virginia outright shifted leftward. Trump's gains outside of theResearch Triangle andMecklenburg County, particularly inWestern North Carolina, were enough to win the state.[22]
Prior to the 2016 election, North Carolina had been a Republican stronghold since1968 with the state voting Democratic onlyonce between then and 2008. In2008, North Carolina voted Democratic for only the second time in 40 years. Although the state returned to the Republican column in 2012, when the party's nominee, Mitt Romney, carried the state, it did so only narrowly, cementing its new status as a battleground state. Throughout the 2016 campaign, North Carolina was considered by most a tossup state, with the outcome going into election night heavily debated. The Trump campaign saw winning North Carolina as crucial in order for Trump to win the Electoral College; conversely, the Clinton campaign felt that it was vital for them to win the state to block Trump's path to an Electoral College win. Both Trump and Clinton campaigned in the state shortly before the general election.[23][24]
Despite winning the state, Trump, in some ways, under-performed in comparison to Romney in 2012. Romney won a majority of the vote in 2012 with 50.4% while Trump only managed a plurality of 49.8%. Similarly, Clinton also under-performed in comparison to Obama, with Clinton winning only 46.2% in comparison to Obama's 48.35%. This situation was the result of the spike in votes for third party candidates in the state as 4% of North Carolinians voted for a candidate other than the Democratic and Republican nominees in 2016 as opposed to just 1.26% in 2012.
An increase in turnout in North Carolina allowed both Trump and Clinton to out-perform Romney and Obama in terms of the total votes each candidate received. In 2016 Trump won around 92,000 more votes than Romney did in 2012 while Clinton won around 10,000 more than Obama. Furthermore, Trump also outperformed Romney by winning North Carolina by a greater margin than Romney was able to as Trump won the state over Clinton by 3.7% compared to the 2% margin Romney won over Obama.
Trump never lost the state in any of this three runs (winning it by 1.34% in 2020), highlighting the state's slightly red lean in presidential elections. Obama won the state by just 0.32% in 2008, even as he won nationwide by 7.2%.
As of 2024, this is the last time the Democratic candidate wonScotland County, part of a trio of formerly solidly Democratic rural counties in southern North Carolina (adjacent Robeson and Richmond counties would flip in this election). It is also the most recent election whereNew Hanover County voted Republican.
State and district results of the2016 United States presidential election | ||
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