North Carolina Voters Shake Up the Ranks

The night of Tuesday’s election was full of surprise. At the party, the state Senate leader looked upset after a big cake was only half eaten. He had spent $10 million on his race against Sheriff Sam Page, a well‑known local figure. Page had the support of people from Raleigh and even an endorsement from President Trump, who is popular in rural North Carolina. Despite all that money, Page was still ahead by just two votes when the final counts came in. Many ballots from overseas and the military were still waiting to be counted.This close result shows a larger trend in North Carolina’s primary elections. Both parties had many incumbents lose their seats, even those who usually sided with the opposing party. Three Democratic lawmakers in safe districts lost by as much as 48 points. Their challengers promised to fight harder against what they called the heavy hand of Republicans in lawmaking. The election night highlighted a clear message: voters were ready to change the political landscape.