Former President Donald Trump has clinched a pivotal victory in the battleground state of North Carolina, securing all 16 of the state’s electoral votes. The Associated Press called the race at 11:18 p.m. EST on Tuesday, marking a significant win in Trump’s third presidential bid. The outcome bolsters his campaign’s momentum as he seeks a return to the White House, with the state’s loyal conservative base reaffirming their support.

This marks Trump’s third consecutive victory in North Carolina, following wins in both 2016 and 2020. Democratic nominee Kamala Harris had hoped to break that streak, with her party ramping up spending and voter outreach.

The current vote is Trump 50.8% and Harris 48.1% with 89% of the vote reporting.

Celebrate Trump's Historic 2024 Victory with the Exclusive Trump 47th President Collection!

Here’s what the data said prior to the election:

According to U.S. News & World Report’s reporting on North Carolina:

Mail Ballots Returned as of Nov. 5: 266,728
In-Person Early Votes: 4,214,878
Total Early Votes: 4,481,606

“The Tar Heel State was hit extremely hard by Hurricane Helene last month, but North Carolina voters had still gotten to the polls in record numbers. Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the state’s elections board, said turnout on the first day of early voting was “a clear sign that voters are energized about this election, that they trust the elections process, and that a hurricane will not stop North Carolinians from exercising their right to vote.”

A large majority of the ballots cast in North Carolina came from in-person voters. Election Lab tracking shows that more than 70% of early voters as of Nov. 5 were over the age of 40, with a roughly even three-way split overall between Democrats, Republicans and voters of no party or a minor party.” – U.S. News & World Report

In the final 2024 RealClear Polling Average, Donald Trump was ahead by 1.2 in North Carolina.”

Below, you can see how the RealClear Polling average for North Carolina was trending in the months leading up to the election.

In 2020’s final results, Donald Trump edged Joe Biden out, 50.0% to 48.7%. In 2016, Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton 49.8% to 46.2%.

Polymarket betting odds in North Carolina (as of 2:33 PM EST) had Donald Trump up over Kamala Harris 69% to 32%:

Polymarket 2024 National Election Forecast:

The moment of truth…

Trump • 61.8% chance
Harris • 38.2% chance

Election day. pic.twitter.com/7xzD5rNkvb

— Polymarket (@Polymarket) November 5, 2024

The opinions expressed by contributors and/or content partners are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of LifeZette. Contact us for guidelines on submitting your own commentary.