North State Journal Vol. 5, Issue 38

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VOLUME 5 ISSUE 38

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WWW.NSJONLINE.COM

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2020

Thank you to our Veterans across NC RESULTS 2020 PRESIDENT (NC)

Donald Trump 49.96% Republican

Joe Biden Democrat

48.58%

U.S. SENATE

Thom Tillis Republican

48.72%

Cal Cunningham Democrat 46.95% GOVERNOR

Roy Cooper

51.49%

Dan Forest

47.05%

Democrat

Republican

Republicans hold on to both chambers of NC General Assembly

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

Mark Robinson 51.65% Republican

By David Larson North State Journal RALEIGH — After all the votes were counted and dollars spent, the results in North Carolina’s state legislative races were a disappointment to Democrats, who had hoped to flip at least one of the two General Assembly chambers, both of which have been held by Republicans for a decade. Republicans now hold a 27-22 advantage in the Senate and 69-51 advantage in the House. Democrats did gain one seat in the Senate, which had been a 29-21 Republican majority, but they actually lost four

net seats in the House, which had been a 65-55 Republican majority. One Senate race is a 2018 rematch featuring Republican Michael Lee, who leads Democratic state Sen. Harper Peterson by less than 1,500 votes. Absentee by-mail votes have the potential of swaying the race in either direction. “Every excuse for the Democratic Party’s failure to secure the state legislature, from maps to money to false and offensive charges of ‘voter suppression,’ has been dispelled by tonight’s clear result amid record-breaking turnout,” said Senate Rules Chair Bill Rabon, the chamber’s second in command, in

NORTH

STATE

JOURNaL ELEVATE THE CONVERSATION

a press release after the results. Senate Leader Phil Berger struck a more conciliatory tone, signaling to Democrats that Republicans wanted to set aside partisanship in a state that will continue to have executive and legislative leadership from opposing parties: “Congratulations to tonight’s other North Carolina victors, including Gov. Roy Cooper and Mark Robinson. I consider my relationship

with Minority Leader Dan Blue to be among the most cordial and productive between opposing leaders in any state in the country. I look forward to continuing that warm relationship in spite of our political differences.” Senate Minority Leader Dan Blue (D-Wake) had tweeted Nov. 2. “Make no mistake, @NCSenatSee NCGA page A2

Yvonne Holley 48.35% Democrat

SECRETARY OF STATE

Elaine Marshall 51.15% Democrat

E.C. Sykes Republican

48.85%

ATTORNEY GENERAL

Josh Stein

50.11%

Jim O’Neill

49.89%

Republican

Democrat *race has not been called

AUDITOR

Beth Wood Democrat

50.86%

Anthony Street Republican

49.14%

COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE

CHRIS CARLSON | AP PHOTO

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., celebrates with his wife Susan, at a election night rally Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020, in Mooresville, N.C.

Steve Troxler 53.88% Republican

Jenna Wadsworth Democrat 46.12% COMMISSIONER OF INSURANCE

Mike Causey 51.77% Republican

Wayne Goodwin Democrat

48.23%

COMMISSIONER OF LABOR

Josh Dobson 50.85% Republican

Jessica Holmes Democrat

49.15%

SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION

Catherine Truitt Republican

51.39%

Jen Mangrum 48.61% Democrat

TREASURER

Dale Folwell Republican

52.59%

Ronnie Chatterji Democrat 47.41% 5

20177 52016 $2.00

8

Tillis secures second Cooper wins second term in U.S. Senate term as governor By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

ting the message out. Letting everybody know that the truth still does matter, letting everybody know that RALEIGH — Republican Sen. character still matters and letting Thom Tillis defeated Democrat- everybody know that keeping your ic challenger Cal Cunningham to promises still matters.” “The State Board of Elections is win a second term in the U.S. Sencontinuing to count balate, with a margin of lots, and we plan to allow over 95,000 votes in unthat process to be carried official election night re“What we out, so every voter can sults. have their voice heard,” Tillis, who first was accomplished said a statement from elected to the Senate in 2014, trailed Cunning- was a stunning the Cunningham campaign. ham throughout the victory.” A seven-day stretch general election — but a altered the course of the seven-day stretch in earcampaign in early Octoly October flipped mo- Sen. Thom Tillis ber. mentum in the race. First, Tillis confirmed An extramarital affair with a disabled fellow-veteran’s a COVID-19 positive test on Friwife, that included sexually charged day, Oct. 2, less than 24 hours after text messages, plagued Cunning- President Donald Trump and first ham throughout the final month lady Melania Trump announced of the campaign. Cunningham they had both tested positive. Late that night, Cunningham spent most of October dodging media questions and limiting his pub- confirmed that sexual text messages first obtained by the website Nalic appearances. Democrats spent around $125 tionalFile.com were authentic. Days later, the woman, California million in the race opposing Tillis. Over $280 million in total were public relations consultant Arlene spent by outside groups, making it Guzman Todd, confirmed physithe most expensive U.S. Senate race cal encounters with Cunningham. Guzman Todd is the wife of a comin history. Tillis spent the final weeks of the bat veteran. A second affair has also race on a statewide barnstorming been alleged, but not confirmed, tour, with notable names like Sen. and Cunningham in a Zoom press Ted Cruz and former U.N. Ambas- conference on Oct. 9 refused to say sador Nikki Haley coming to North how many more affairs he has had. “I’ve taken responsibility for the Carolina to stump for him. “What we accomplished was a hurt that I’ve caused in my personal stunning victory,” Tillis said on elec- life. I’ve apologized for it,” Cunningtion night. “We’ve heard this before. ham said during his first meeting You’re down in the polls, there’s no with reporters since the texts were chance of winning and I believed in reported. “I’ve said what I’m going every single one of you. Knocking on doors, making phone calls, get- See TILLIS page A2

By Matt Mercer North State Journal RALEIGH — Roy Cooper has been re-elected as North Carolina’s governor, with the Democratic incumbent beating Republican challenger and current Lt. Gov. Dan Forest. Unofficial results showed Cooper with a 250,000-vote advantage, taking over 51% of the vote to Forest’s 47%. The race was widely considered a referendum on Cooper’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in North Carolina, with the governor garnering criticism for being too slow to reopen the state. Ultimately, three advantages proved too much for Forest to overcome: incumbency, COVID press conferences and money. Cooper raised over $36 million over the course of his campaign, more than doubling the total in his 2016 campaign when he defeated then-incumbent Gov. Pat McCrory. In addition to that astonishing amount, the Cooper-controlled N.C. Democratic Leadership Committee contributed an additional $9.7 million. Forest, meanwhile, only raised a total of around $10 million for his campaign. The fundraising apparatus allowed Cooper to blanket the airwaves with TV ads in addition to his COVID-19 updates that were often broadcast statewide. Since March, Cooper, N.C. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy Cohen, and N.C. Emergency Management Director Mike

Sprayberry have become the public face of the state’s response to the pandemic. Throughout the spring and summer, they have made extensive use of the state’s Emergency Operations Center in See COOPER page A2


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