North Carolina
Donald Trump retakes slim lead in North Carolina polling average
Donald Trump has retaken the lead in North Carolina, according to polling.
FiveThirtyEight’s poll tracker showed Harris take the lead in the state for the first time last Thursday when she was 0.2 points ahead of Trump. On Friday, she was 0.4 points ahead, on 45.8 percent to the former president’s 45.4 percent.
However, Trump has now retaken the lead, per the poll aggregator, which shows him 0.3 points ahead, on 45.8 percent to Harris’s 45.5 percent.
Newsweek has contacted the Trump and Harris campaigns for comment via email.
It comes after the most recent poll in the state, conducted by SoCal Strategies between August 26 and 27, showed that Trump has a 4-point lead over Harris among 612 likely voters, on 50 percent to Harris’s 46 percent. The poll had a 95 confidence level.
Trump’s lead over Harris among likely voters is powered by his influence among male (55 percent-41 percent) and white voters (57 percent-39 percent), according to the poll. He also leads Harris among independents, with 54 percent to her 37 percent.
Emily Elconin/Getty Images
Before Joe Biden ended his reelection campaign on July 21, Trump was leading the president in every poll in the state by between 2 points and 12 points.
However, the lead began to fade when Harris took Biden’s place atop the Democratic ticket. The vice president first saw a lead in North Carolina in a poll conducted between July 26 and August 2 by The Cook Political Report, which gave her a 2-point lead over Trump among likely voters when third-party candidates were included.
Since then, polls in North Carolina have shown Trump with only a lead of between 1 point to 4 points, while other polls have shown the two candidates neck and neck in the state, or Harris in the lead. RealClearPolitics’ polling average shows Trump with a 0.9-point lead in the state.
The tight margins mean that North Carolina is no longer the closest state in the presidential race, according to FiveThirtyEight.
It is also the second most likely state to be the tipping point state in November, with an 11 percent likelihood. A state’s tipping-point chance is the probability it will give the Electoral College winner their 270th electoral vote.
“The Trump campaign can’t afford to let North Carolina slip,” Cook Political Report Editor-in-Chief Amy Walter said on the organization’s website. “If Harris were to win just North Carolina and the Blue Wall states of Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, she could afford to lose every other competitive Sun Belt state—Nevada, Georgia, and Arizona—and still win the Electoral College vote.”
FiveThirtyEight’s forecast model shows that the Republicans are projected to secure a victory in the state, with a 0.4-point margin.
North Carolina has voted Republican in the last three presidential elections.
It is considered a swing state because of its close margins and its history of electing Democratic governors. Seven of the last eight gubernatorial races have gone blue in the state.
North Carolina
NC to receive nearly $70M in FEMA funds, Madsion County manager says $14M hasn’t arrived
MADISON COUNTY, N.C. (WLOS) — Senator Tedd Budd’s office announced nearly $70 million in public assistance FEMA funds for Helene recovery toward the North Carolina Department of Transportation, cities and counties.
Madison County Manager Rod Honeycutt created a color-coded spreadsheet of projects, both paid and unpaid. Honeycutt said he sends the spreadsheet to federal leaders’ offices, including Budd’s, regularly to ensure staff are aware of what’s not reimbursed.
Honeycutt estimates about $14 million in reimbursements from FEMA haven’t come through.
As for the $1.9 million just approved for Madison County’s emergency protective measures, including laborers, equipment reimbursement, Honeycutt said the county doesn’t have it yet.
NORTH CAROLINA TO RECEIVE $70M IN ADDITIONAL FEMA FUNDING AS NOEM FACES CRITICISM
“It’s coming back to our fund balance,” said Honeycutt. “And we know it will take six more weeks for it to get through the state and to the county.”
Honeycutt estimates that within six months, FEMA will resolve all reimbursements. He said debris removal jobs along the French Broad River have been delayed as FEMA continues to review the applications.
In Marshall, the town has leased store spaces on Main Street, along with signs advertising leasing available. But longtime resident, artist and business owner Josh Copus is optimistic that Marshall and its community will thrive once again. He acknowledged that FEMA funds and reimbursements to clean up have been an important part of the area’s recovery.
MORE THAN $3.5M HEADED TO BURKE COUNTY FOR CONTINUED HELENE RECOVERY
“I would say our town is 50% fixed and our town was 100% destroyed, so 50% is pretty good,” Copus said.
The awards include:
- Biltmore Forest: $2.5 million for debris removal reimbursement.
- Buncombe County Sewage District: $1.57 million reimbursement for line repairs, vacuuming, line replacements and riverbank restoration.
- Old Fort: $1.15 million Westerman Street Waterline for potable water reimbursement.
- Mitchell County: $11.9 million for debris contractors, tipping fees and debris monitoring reimbursement.
- Buncombe County: $3.5 million toward labor costs for 836 laborers during and after Helene reimbursement.
- Asheville: $5.6 million for North Fork Treatment Plant repairs reimbursement.
- Lake Lure: $1.48 million for lake safety repairs reimbursement.
- Madison County: $1.9 million for emergency protective measures, including laborers, equipment reimbursement.
North Carolina
2026 primary turnout report released for eastern NC counties; see your county’s numbers
Here are the voter turnout numbers for the 2026 primary election, according to the North Carolina State Board of Elections.
Hyde County had the highest voter turnout, while Onslow County had the lowest turnout. Check out what the voter turnout in your county was below:
BERTIE COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
31.85% (3,911 out of 12,280)
CARTERET COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
29.06% (16,543 out of 56,931)
CRAVEN COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
18.63% (14,119 out of 75,778)
DUPLIN COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
21.93% (6,981 out of 31,832)
EDGECOMBE COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
18.16% (6,428 out of 35,396)
GREENE COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
19.70% (2,147 out of 10,900)
HYDE COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
37.27% (1,123 out of 3,013)
JONES COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
25.91% (1,805 out of 6,966)
LENOIR COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
16.73% (6,251 out of 37,371)
MARTIN COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
17.61% (2,858 out of 16,228)
ONSLOW COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
11.44% (14,816 out of 129,537)
PAMLICO COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
24.03% (2,446 out of 10,180)
PITT COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
15.71% (19,429 out of 123,705)
TYRRELL COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
30.49% (723 out of 2,371)
WASHINGTON COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
28.66% (2,312 out of 8,067)
WAYNE COUNTY
Ballots Cast:
21.49% (16,408 out of 76,358)
North Carolina
Statewide tornado drill has NC schools and workplaces practicing safety
Wednesday, March 4, 2026 6:41PM
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — North Carolina schools and businesses took part in a statewide tornado drill Wednesday morning as part of Severe Weather Awareness Week.
The National Weather Service led the drill at 9:30 a.m., broadcasting it on NOAA Weather Radio and the Emergency Alert System. Schools, workplaces and households across the state were encouraged to join in.
The National Weather Service didn’t issue a follow up alert to mark the end of the drill. Instead, each school or business wrapped up once they felt they had practiced the procedures thoroughly.
Wednesday’s drill also replaced the regular weekly NOAA Weather Radio test.
SEE | New warning for parents amid new ‘fire-breathing’ social media trend
Make sure to download the ABC 11 Mobile App ABC11 North Carolina Apps for Connected TV, Mobile News, Echo
Copyright © 2026 WTVD-TV. All Rights Reserved.
-
World1 week agoExclusive: DeepSeek withholds latest AI model from US chipmakers including Nvidia, sources say
-
Wisconsin4 days agoSetting sail on iceboats across a frozen lake in Wisconsin
-
Massachusetts1 week agoMother and daughter injured in Taunton house explosion
-
Massachusetts3 days agoMassachusetts man awaits word from family in Iran after attacks
-
Maryland5 days agoAM showers Sunday in Maryland
-
Florida5 days agoFlorida man rescued after being stuck in shoulder-deep mud for days
-
Denver, CO1 week ago10 acres charred, 5 injured in Thornton grass fire, evacuation orders lifted
-
Oregon7 days ago2026 OSAA Oregon Wrestling State Championship Results And Brackets – FloWrestling