North Carolina voters head to the polls on Tuesday to cast their ballots in primaries for the Senate, House of Representatives and state legislature. Polls close at 7:30 p.m.
Due to redistricting litigation, the primaries were pushed back from March 8 to May 17. To become the party’s nominee, a candidate must receive more than 30% of the votes. If no candidate reaches that threshold, a second primary will be held on July 26.
Some of the changes to make voting easier during the pandemic have been reversed, but turnout seems promising.
As of Monday, North Carolina had reported over 577,000 absentee ballots cast, many more than just under 300,000 absentee ballots counted in 2018.
State Significance
North Carolina is a battleground state that Democrats hope to recapture.
In 2020, President Joe Biden lost North Carolina to former President Donald Trump by less than two percentage points. In the Senate race that year, Democrat Cal Cunningham lost to Republican Sen. Thom Tillis -- also by less than two percentage points.
Although there are several candidates running in the GOP Senate primary, there are three competitive to watch. Trump-endorsed candidate Rep. Ted Budd is leading the pack and is expected to win after dropping in the polls earlier this year. Other candidates in the race include former North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory and former Rep. Mark Walker.
The winner will most likely face off against the leading Democratic candidate, former Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court Cheri Beasley.
Other competitive races include North Carolina's 11th Congressional District, where Rep. Madison Cawthorn is running for reelection. Cawthorn has had a wild freshman year in Congress and now Republican voters will decide if they want to keep him around despite multiple scandals. Among those who want him ousted are both of the state's Republican senators.
In North Carolina's 13th Congressional District, Republican Bo Hines is a Trump-endorsed candidate running in an area he has no connection to and does not live in. Many people have criticized Hines for using this campaign to launch his political career. He has said his ultimate goal is to become president.
North Carolina's 4th Congressional District is filled with star power. Eight Democrats filed their candidacy paperwork, including musician Clay Aiken, Durham County Commissioner Democrat Nida Allam and Democratic state Sen. Valerie Foushee. An Aiken victory in the primary could demonstrate the power of celebrity in politics. But no matter who wins the primary, the district is solidly blue and will likely remain that way.