In 2020, North Carolina narrowly chose a Republican candidate over Joe Biden for the presidential race, spurring Democrat Anderson Clayton to focus on local organizing in the state. She is now the youngest state party chair in the US and is determined to turn North Carolina blue in the next election. Democrats have long seen North Carolina as a key prospect due to its shifting demographics and willingness to elect Democrats at the state level, but it has mostly voted Republican in presidential contests. Despite this, both Biden and Trump are eyeing the state as a critical battleground in 2024.
Biden campaign officials see an opening in North Carolina, especially among Nikki Haley supporters, who may be swayed to support the Democratic nominee. Trump, who narrowly won the state in 2020, is also focusing on winning North Carolina in the upcoming election. Although the state has mostly leaned Republican in recent elections, analysts predict a tighter race in 2024.
However, the race remains precarious, with any slight change in the political or economic climate potentially altering the outcome. While most recent polling puts Trump ahead in North Carolina, Democrats are hopeful to win the state based on its narrow margins in recent elections. For Democrats, making North Carolina pivot could force Trump to allocate more time and resources to campaigning there, potentially detracting from other battleground states. Regardless, winning North Carolina is seen as crucial for both candidates, with Democrats seeing it as a must-win in order to secure the presidency.
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