Recent Political History of North Carolina
The U.S. Senate race to fill the seat previously held by John Edwards in North Carolina continues to be one of the most hotly contentious races this election cycle. Richard Burr and Erskine Bowles are battling for what may turn out to be the swing seat that could make or break the slim majority that Republicans now hold in the U.S. Senate. One key to succeeding in this election is understanding the the political history and landscape of North Carolina on both the local and federal level in an attempt to make ones campaign as effective as possible.
Local Trends
Local politics in North Carolina’s past has been dominated by the Democratic Party and its candidates. Democrats held 102 House seats in the North Carolina General Assembly in 1983, while the Republicans only managed to secure a mere 18 seats. For years Democrats have maintained their iron clasp grip on local and state government. Yet, in recent years the gap between the parties has been closing, and closing fast. Republicans actually managed to take control of the House in 1995 but lost it shortly thereafter. The general hisotrical trend over the past century indicates that North Carolinians seemed to favor Democrats over Republicans in local and state elections. However, the General Assembly is currently evenly split 60/60 (NC Legislative Library.com). Republicans hope that the reign of Democrats at in the General Assmebly is coming to an end, while Democrats are fighting to maintain what has previously been solid Democratic terrortory.
Presidential Trends
It would be a gross injustice to use the previous information as the sole basis for each party’s successes and shortcummings in their quest to control the state. While Democrats have been incredibly successful on the local level, they have been utterly decimated when it comes to Presidential elections. A Democrat last won the state of North Carolina in 1976, when the party ran the southern Jimmy Carter. Since 1976, the Republican Presidential candidate has carried the state each and every time (National Journal.com).
The political history of North Carolina suggests that Democrats tend to flourish at the local level, while Republicans maintain their advantage in Presidential elections.
Senatatorial Elections
Neither party has proven more capable than the other at winning in Senatorial races. Senators deal with both local and national issues, and it appears that North Carolinians have been unable or unwilling to favor one party over the other in these positions of leadership. While Democrats have had a slight edge in overall numbers in the past 100 years, Republicans have begun balancing the scales in recent years with the elections of Launch Faircloth, Jesse Helms, and Elizabeth Dole (www.senate.gov). The political history of Senate elections and the voters trends suggest that North Carolina is up for grabs, with neither party having a clear advantage.
© Davidson College, 2004, Davidson College, Davidson, NC 28035
Created By Jack Hubbard
Created: 9/10/2004. Last updated: 9/10/2004.