The 2020 North Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 2020, to elect the

Governor of North Carolina The governor of North Carolina is the head of government of the U.S. state of North Carolina. The governor directs the executive branch of the government and is the commander in chief of the military forces of the state. The current governor, ...

, concurrently with the 2020 U.S. presidential election, as well as

elections An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has operate ...

to one-third of the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

and elections to the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

and various

state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

and local elections. Incumbent Democratic Governor

Roy Cooper Roy Asberry Cooper III (born June 13, 1957) is an American attorney and politician, serving as the 75th governor of North Carolina since 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 49th attorney general of North Carolina from 20 ...

was eligible to run for re-election to a second term in office, and announced his intention to do so on December 5, 2019. Under a 2018 state law, party

primary elections Primary elections, or direct primary are a voting process by which voters can indicate their preference for their party's candidate, or a candidate in general, in an upcoming general election, local election, or by-election. Depending on the ...

were held on March 3, 2020. Cooper was re-elected to a second term, defeating the

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

nominee,

Lieutenant Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

Dan Forest Dan Forest (born October 15, 1967) is an American politician who served as the 34th Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina, lieutenant governor of North Carolina from 2013 to 2021. He is the son of former congresswoman Sue Myrick. An architect b ...

. Cooper's re-election win makes him the first Governor of North Carolina to win re-election since

Mike Easley Michael Francis Easley (born March 23, 1950) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 72nd governor of North Carolina from 2001 to 2009. He is the first governor of North Carolina to have been convicted of a felony. A member of ...

, who was re-elected in

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...

. Once again, Cooper outperformed other Democrats on the ballot. With a margin of 4.51%, this election was the second closest of the 2020 gubernatorial election cycle, the closest being the election in Puerto Rico.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

, incumbent Governor

Eliminated in primary

*Ernest T. Reeves, retired U.S. Army captain and

perennial candidate A perennial candidate is a political candidate who frequently runs for elected office and rarely, if ever, wins. Perennial candidates' existence lies in the fact that in some countries, there are no laws that limit a number of times a person can ...

Polling

Results

North Carolina Governor Democratic Primary, 2020

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina The lieutenant governor of North Carolina is the second-highest elected official in the U.S. state of North Carolina and is the only elected official to have powers in both the legislative and executive branches of state government. A member o ...

Eliminated in primary

Holly Grange Holly Grange is an American politician from the state of North Carolina. A Republican, she is a former member of the North Carolina House of Representatives for District 20. Career Born to a military family, Grange completed high school in Fayet ...

state representative A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system. Two federations literally use the term "state legislature": * The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United Sta ...

Declined

Pat McCrory Patrick Lloyd McCrory (born October 17, 1956) is an American businessman, politician and radio host who served as the 74th governor of North Carolina from 2013 to 2017. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 53rd Mayor o ...

, former Governor of North Carolina *

Mark Meadows Mark Randall Meadows (born July 28, 1959) is an American politician who served as the 29th White House chief of staff from 2020 to 2021. A member of the Republican Party, he also served as the U.S. representative for North Carolina's 11th c ...

, former U.S. Representative for

North Carolina's 11th congressional district North Carolina's 11th congressional district encompasses most of Western North Carolina. Since January 3, 2021, the district has been represented by Madison Cawthorn. Redistricting The 11th district has historically been known for its volat ...

, White House Chief of Staff

Endorsements

Polling

Results

North Carolina Governor Republican Primary, 2020

Other candidates

Libertarian Party

Nominee

*Steven J. DiFiore, candidate for

Charlotte City Council The Charlotte City Council is the legislative body of the City of Charlotte and forms part of a council–manager system of government. The Council is made up of eleven members and the Mayor, all elected to two-year terms in odd-numbered years. ...

in 2017, factory lighting representative

Constitution Party

Nominee

*Al Pisano, chairman of the Constitution Party of North Carolina

General election

Predictions

Endorsements

Debates

A debate between Cooper and Forest occurred 7:00 pm EDT, October 14, 2020.

Polling

;with Holly Grange ;with Phil Berger ;with Pat McCrory ;with Tim Moore ;with

Thom Tillis Thomas Roland Tillis (born August 30, 1960) is an American politician serving as the junior United States senator from North Carolina since 2015. A Republican, he was elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives in 2006, and began servi ...

Results

By congressional district

Despite winning a majority of the popular vote, Gov. Roy Cooper only won 5 of 13 congressional districts.

Notes

; Partisan clients ; General

References

External links

* (State affiliate of the U.S.

League of Women Voters The League of Women Voters (LWV or the League) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan political organization in the United States. Founded in 1920, its ongoing major activities include registering voters, providing voter information, and advocating for vot ...

) * * * ;Official campaign websites
Roy Cooper (D) for Governor

Steven J. DiFiore (L) for Governor

Dan Forest (R) for Governor

Al Pisano (C) for Governor
{{North Carolina

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

Eliminated in primary

Polling

Results

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

Eliminated in primary

Declined

Endorsements

Polling

Results

Other candidates

Libertarian Party

Nominee

Constitution Party

Nominee

General election

Predictions

Endorsements

Debates

Polling

Results

By congressional district

See also

Notes

References

External links