November 8, 2016 2020 → 15 0 49.84% 46.17% | Turnout 68.98% 2,362,631 2,189,316 Date 8 November 2016 | |
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Trump
40-50%
50-60%
60-70%
70-80% Clinton
40-50%
50-60%
60-70%
70-80% | ||
The 2016 United States presidential election in North Carolina was won by Republican nominee Donald Trump on November 8, 2016, as part of the 2016 general election. North Carolina voters chose 15 electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote.
Contents
Primary elections
The Democratic, Republican, and Libertarian primaries 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.
Democratic primary
Four candidates appeared on the Democratic presidential primary ballot:
Polling
According to a WRAL-TV/SurveyUSA poll conducted the week before the primary: "[Hillary] Clinton holds a commanding lead of 57 percent to 34 percent among likely Democratic voters over U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont."
Republican primary
Twelve candidates appeared on the Republican presidential primary ballot:
Polling
According to a WRAL-TV/SurveyUSA poll conducted the week before the primary: "[Donald] Trump tops U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas 41 percent to 27 percent among likely GOP voters. U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida and Ohio Gov. John Kasich trail far behind, at 14 and 11 percent, respectively."
Results
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 the Charlotte, Fayetteville and Wilmington areas. Cruz did best in Greensboro, Asheville and the Research Triangle region, where North Carolina's major colleges and capitol of Raleigh are located.
Libertarian primary
Eleven candidates appeared on the Libertarian presidential primary ballot:
Candidates
In addition to Clinton, Johnson and Trump, Green Party nominee Jill Stein was granted write-in status by the North Carolina State Board of Elections, the only write-in candidate to qualify.
Predictions
The following were final 2016 predictions from various organizations for North Carolina as of Election Day.
- Los Angeles Times: Leans Clinton
- CNN: Tossup
- Sabato's Crystal Ball: Leans Clinton
- NBC: Tossup
- Electoral-vote.com: Leans Clinton
- RealClearPolitics: Tossup
- Fox News: Tossup
- ABC: Tossup
North Carolina was considered by most a tossup state, the outcome going into election night was heavily debated. The state had been a republican stronghold going back to the 1970s until President Obama carried the state in 2008, however, he lost it in 2012 to republican nominee Mitt Romney. Trump's margin of victory increased from Romney's and made it a state that has voted republican in 9 of the last 10 elections and therefore leans more Republican. Given the change in demographics and very close margins, the state will remain a "battleground state".