Trump wins North Carolina in 2024 presidential election, notching the southern swing state for the third time

It’s a three-peat for Donald Trump successful North Carolina, wherever he’s projected to return location nan Tar Heel State’s 16 electoral votes, beating Vice President Kamala Harris successful nan plaything state.

Trump edges Harris 2,571,258 votes (50.8%) to TK%, pinch X of counted, nan Associated Press reports.

Both candidates traveled to nan Tar Heel State Saturday to adjacent nan waste connected nan state’s past time of early voting. Trump rallied successful Gastonia and Greensboro while Harris stopped successful Charlotte conscionable before her “Saturday Night Live” debut.

The candidates visited North Carolina often this run season, wherever issues for illustration inflation, nan costs of living, and nan system motivated voters.

A study released Monday indicated those issues were apical of mind for North Carolina’s registered voters arsenic they headed to nan polls, pinch abortion and separator information trailing intimately behind.

Early voting successful nan authorities collapsed records this cycle, pinch 57% of North Carolina’s registered voters having already formed their ballots arsenic of Sunday morning. At nan adjacent of nan early in-person voting period, 4.2 cardinal ballots had been cast, surpassing nan astir 3.6 cardinal early in-person votes formed successful nan 2020 cycle.

Notably, early turnout was higher connected mean among nan 25 occidental counties astir impacted by Hurricane Helene — which pre-election polling indicated would tilt toward Trump.

Harris and her moving mate Tim Walz spent respective days this predetermination play stumping successful North Carolina pinch outgoing Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and his successor Josh Stein, nan state’s existent Attorney General and now Governor-elect.

Trump’s run has distanced itself from Republican gubernatorial campaigner Mark Robinson aft he allegedly posted racist and sexist remarks nether a pseudonym connected a porn site. Robinson mislaid nan governor’s race to Stein early successful nan evening Tuesday, pinch conscionable 25% of nan votes counted.