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The intensity of the conversation about the Nov. 5 election largely focuses on one particular result: Donald Trump won the presidency, and North Carolina contributed 16 of his electoral votes. But North Carolina also elected new leaders across the board at the state and local level.
Befitting its reputation as a purple state, North Carolina decisively elected Josh Stein, a Democrat, as its governor. Stein took the office by a margin of 14 points, defeating Mark Robinson, the current lieutenant governor.
Other offices on the Council of State went to Democrats as well: Mo Green will be the next superintendent of public instruction; Jeff Jackson will be the next attorney general; and Rachel Hunt will take the position of lieutenant governor come January.
Republicans won the remainder of the seats on the council, including Brad Briner for treasurer. There were also races all over the state for county commissions and local school boards, which play a major role in determining funding and leadership for local public schools.
Below are county-by-county unofficial election results mapped for the offices mentioned above, which are some of the most consequential offices for public education in the state. The numbers used are taken from the North Carolina State Board of Elections, which reported vote counts on and after Election Day. Local elections will not be certified by county boards of elections until Nov. 15, and others won’t be certified until Nov. 26.
The counts in the map might not include absentee ballots received on Election Day, certain absentee ballots in counties affected by Hurricane Helene, some military and overseas ballots, and provisional ballots.
The map below, in addition to some statewide races, lists winners of county commissioner seats, according to the unofficial results. Commissioner races with tight margins could still flip, as results are not yet certified.
School board seats, which represent school districts instead of counties, are not included in this map. Look out for an analysis of school board election results in the coming days.