For the first time in history, North Carolina has more registered Republicans than Democrats.
As of Jan. 17, recent data from the N.C. Board of Elections revealed a GOP advantage of over 6,000 voters, which has been years in the making — and could shed some light on the upcoming midterm elections.
Although registrations for Republican voters eclipsed Democrats, there’s still a battle for the largest voting group in North Carolina — unaffiliated voters.
Some suburbs are also changing party patterns, with eyes on Cabarrus County, as experts say the county has shifted left in recent election cycles. Western Carolina University politics professor Chris Cooper described the trend as “pinkening,” transforming from “very Republican” toward competitive.
Another phenomenon of change occurring is between primary candidates and their parties, with reasons ranging from offering voters a more moderate choice to protesting gerrymandering in the state. The News and Observer identified 26 people running for the state legislature in 2026 who changed their party affiliation in 2025. At all levels of government, the newspaper identified 140 candidates who changed registration.
Kate Barr, a liberal, is running as a Republican to unseat GOP Rep. Tim Moore. Barr hopes to bring attention to the state’s gerrymandered maps and pins Moore as having “a lot to do with how our voting maps are drawn,” she said in an interview with Queen City News in December.
There’s also Kelly VanHorn, another Democrat who has switched parties to face off against State Rep. Tricia Cotham in the Republican primary. VanHorn told Queen City News she wants to give voters in her district, especially those who are unaffiliated, another choice.
We examine the changes taking shape for parties, candidates and voters. Just how much are North Carolina politics changing? How effective is it for candidates to switch parties?
GUESTS:
Dr. Michael Bitzer, professor of politics and history, director of the Center for NC Politics & Public Service at Catawba College
Steve Harrison, politics and government reporter at WFAE
David Larson, managing editor at the Carolina Journal
