CHARLOTTE ( QUEEN CITY NEWS ) — The 2024 election cycle could determine how North Carolina is governed.
With polls giving AG Josh Stein a big lead in the race for governor, many eyes are turning to the races for the state legislature as the Republican supermajority hangs in the balance.
In both the NC Senate and House, Republicans hold their veto-proof supermajority by a single seat. That means if Democrats can net at least one seat in either chamber, a potential Governor Josh Stein could reject any bill he does not like.
A divided state government isn’t common, according to Western Carolina political science professor Chris Cooper.
“It is pretty unusual, right? I mean, you could look at states like Kansas that have a Democratic governor and Republican legislature, a state like Kentucky that has it, but it’s very unusual,” said Cooper.
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State Republicans have held their dual chamber supermajority since 2023. In the Senate, Republicans hold 30, while Democrats have 20. In the House, it’s 71-48. One seat in the House is vacant.