The Charlotte Regional Business Alliance is the voice of business in the bi-state region. The CLT Alliance Advocacy team works with elected officials at all levels of government to advance our legislative priorities, build relationships with them and their staff, and create connections with us and them through our convenings.
North Carolina was a critical state at the epicenter of the election. Federal and state races received significant attention throughout the election cycle and on Election Night. South Carolina had fewer pivotal races, but Republicans appear to have flipped four state Senate seats.
Federal
Donald Trump defeated Kamala Harris, capturing nearly 300 electoral votes, including victories in both North Carolina and South Carolina. Republicans also recaptured the U.S. Senate. The U.S. House has not been called yet but is trending toward remaining in Republican control.
Locally, Democrat Congresswoman Alma Adams retained her Mecklenburg County seat, garnering 74% of the vote. Republican Congressman Ralph Norman received 64% of the vote to retain his South Carolina seat. Current North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore won his election to Congress. His district includes portions of Mecklenburg County and the Highway 74 corridor to the west.
Pat Harrigan won election to a district that includes Catawba, Lincoln, and Iredell counties in the region and heads east to Winston-Salem.
Council of State
- Governor: Democrat Attorney General Josh Stein cruised to victory, receiving 55% of the vote.
- Governor: Democrat state Sen. Rachel Hunt won a close race, 49%-48%.
- Auditor: Republican David Boliek won a close race, 49%-47%.
- Labor: Republican Luke Farley won 53%-47%.
- Attorney General: Democrat Congressman Jeff Jackson defeated Republican Congressman Dan Bishop 51%-49%.
- Superintendent of Public Instruction: Democrat Mo Green won 51%-49%.
State Legislature
The key takeaway from these races is that Republicans have lost their supermajorities in the state House but retained them in the state Senate in North Carolina. In South Carolina, Republicans grew their majorities.
- North Carolina House District 98: Democrat Beth Helfrich defeated Republican and former Huntersville Mayor Melinda Bales, 52%-48%. This is a Democrat pickup.
- North Carolina House District 105: Republican Rep. Tricia Cotham defeated Democrat Nicole Sidman, 50%-49%. This was the most hotly contested state House seat. It also falls within the margin for a recount, which is expected.
- North Carolina Senate District 42: Democrat Woodson Bradley leads Republican Stacie McGinn by 27 votes. Mail-in and provisional ballots are left to be counted. If Woodson wins, this would be a seat Democrats hold.
- South Carolina Senate District 17: Republican Everett Stubbs is leading Incumbent Democrat Sen. Mike Fanning by 32 votes.
Local Government
- Bonds: All three bond initiatives comfortably passed, which is a testament to our residents’ belief in investing in the community.
- Neighborhood improvements: 71%-29%
- Transportation: 67%-33%
- Housing: 64%-36%
- Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners: Voters have retained nine Democrats on the board, keeping unanimous one-party control.
The CLT Alliance will continue to work with elected leaders to advocate for policies that strengthen the region’s business climate and ability to compete globally. This summer and fall, the CLT Alliance Advocacy Committee has updated its legislative agenda for 2025. Key priorities include tax reform, workforce development, housing affordability, and support for transportation investments. The legislative agenda will be delivered to elected leaders in the coming weeks.
