North Carolina is a crucial battleground state for politicians running for office. North Carolina receives more campaign attention than most states, and for good reason. North Carolina has a significant number of electoral votes up for grabs, so presidential candidates need our votes to swing the bar in their favor. 

   Elections within the state are just as heated. Races for both governor and senate are in full swing, campaign ads are blaring 24/7, and the race is on.

   Incumbent Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden are neck and neck in the race, but which candidate is going to get North Carolina’s support? Recent polls conducted across the state show us which way North Carolina is leaning in the upcoming election. According to Real Clear Politics, the average poll in North Carolina shows Biden up by 1.2 points among likely voters. Keep in mind that the margin of error reported on almost all of the polls is greater than three points. 

   In comparison to the 2016 election, Trump was up by 0.8 points 15 days before the election. Trump ended up winning the state by 3.6 points, 2.8 points greater than the polls showed, and more than Biden’s current lead of 1.2 points. The race is too close to call; we’ll have to wait until election day to find out who North Carolinians will choose to lead the country. 

   Away from Washington, incumbent Governor Roy Cooper is fending off challenger, and former Lieutenant Governor, Dan Forest. Looking at polls from Real Clear Politics, Cooper is up 9.4 points over Forest. Cooper has a significant lead in the polls and voters this year are favoring Cooper again. In the previous gubernatorial election, Cooper ran against Pat McCrory. Cooper was up 2.2 points in the polls but pulled away from McCrory by a mere 0.2 point victory. 

   One of North Carolina’s voices in the Senate for the past six years, Republican Senator Thom Tillis is up for reelection this year. Democratic challenger Cal Cunningham is in the saddle to take his place. According to Real Clear Politics,  Cunningham is up 2.3 points over Tillis. The margin of error is above 3.6 for these polls, leaving no certain points for the democrats. In Tillis’s previous election his challenger Kay Hagan was up 1.2 points, but Tillis took the seat by 1.7. Cunningham has a slightly larger lead than Hagan did, but will Tillis gain the popular vote again?

   North Carolina has shown a democratic lean through polls this year, but the new leaders will be decided by the voters who show up to support their party this historic election season.