Mecklenburg County's turnout in the November election was 45% — below the state rate of 51%. Voting at UNC Charlotte and some African American precincts fell the most.

There's a stretch of rural counties along U.S. 74 that’s mostly majority-minority and used to be reliably Democratic. After Obama’s election in 2012 they started flipping in federal races. Anson County was the hold out, until last month’s election.

North Carolina's 10 fastest-growing counties in the past year all voted for Republican Ted Budd. That growth is one reason the GOP has won the last three presidential races and the last five U.S. Senate races.