North Carolinians Hit Back at the Ballot Box
In the midst of this difficult year, a year where it would be much easier to resign from politics, to withdraw from community, to simply stay home– North Carolinians turned out to send a resounding message to MAGA: enough is enough.
North Carolinians have endured one punch after another this year. And that’s why Tuesday’s response by the voters was so, so uplifting. Voters in every corner of the state stood up and said “we’re done”– done with higher costs, done with leaders who embolden authoritarians, done with politicians who don’t listen to their constituents.
In an off-year election, North Carolina broke modern turnout records. 25% of voters cast ballots– the most in any comparable election in decades. And they overwhelmingly voted for Democrats, who ended up winning 631 races and flipped over 150 seats all across the state.
Their reasoning was clear– Republicans are making things too difficult for North Carolinians, and they’re looking for local leaders who can fight back.
We’re living through an affordability crisis. Health care premiums have increased by 30%. Grocery prices have continued to rise. Tariffs have further squeezed families’ budgets, increasing costs of everything from clothing to furniture to car parts. And Republicans in DC and Raleigh have responded by taking every possible opportunity to further alienate working families.
Your health care costs are increasing? NCGA Republicans have refused to pass a budget that funds Medicaid.
Your premiums are skyrocketing? Congressional Republicans shut down the government to lock in those cost increases.
Your grocery bill is spiking? Trump is going to double down on tariffs on the staples– like coffee, fruits, and vegetables.
You’re feeling unheard? Trump is building a White House ballroom while people are losing their jobs and throwing a Gatsby party in Mar-a-Lago the day before he cuts off food assistance for hungry families.
You’re feeling frustrated? Trump is going to march troops down your street and send masked agents to kidnap American citizens. Oh, and the NCGA will also gerrymander the Congressional maps so that the President can’t be held accountable for the chaos he’s creating.
On Tuesday, North Carolinians fearlessly channeled their frustration into action, turning out in record numbers to elect Democrats all across the state.
In Wilmington, Democrats swept the city council and mayoral races.
In Wake County, 25 of 27 candidates endorsed by the Democratic Party won.
In Charlotte, Democrat Kimberly Owens flipped a city council seat that had been held by Republicans for more than a decade.
In Wake Forest, Democrat Ben Clapsaddle earned twice as many votes as longtime Mayor Vivian Jones, a conservative who has been mayor since 2002. Clapsaddle won all 13 of the town’s precincts. Trump won 10 of those precincts in 2024.
We saw a similar trend in Fuquay-Varina, where a Republican mayor won just four of the town’s 15 precincts, losing to Democrat Bill Harris. Trump won all 15 of those precincts in 2024.
And in Holly Springs, Democratic newcomer Mike Kondratick won 7 of the town’s 12 precincts to unseat a Republican mayor. Trump won 10 of the 12 precincts in 2024.
Down Home NC also highlighted some other great wins in rural areas and small towns. In an upset, progressive Chelsea Glen Dickey won the Graham mayoral race by 14 points, ousting a long-time incumbent. Now, a grassroots, working class candidate will be running the second-largest city in Alamance County.
Other North Carolina towns saw some historic firsts. In Salisbury, Gemale Black was the first African American to be elected to the town’s city council. And in Wilson, Eduardo Herrera-Picasso won his seat by a huge margin, becoming the first Latino on the Wilson City Council. Many North Carolinians now have local leaders who represent them and understand their experiences.
Our fight is long from over, but wow is this an encouraging start. Whenever that doubt begins to creep in, when the frustration begins to build, when the hope begins to fade, know that there are North Carolinians ready to stand up and fight alongside you. There are so many people who are just as fed up as you, who still have hope in a better future and are ready to take action to make that hope a reality.
