North Carolina
Give Trump North Carolina’s Electoral Votes Early? House Rep. Harris Calling Race Before Vote’s Even Tallied
Topline
Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., chair of the right-wing House Freedom Caucus, suggested North Carolina’s GOP-controlled legislature should declare former President Donald Trump the winner of the state’s 16 electors before votes are finalized, giving credence to the far-flung scheme that drew bipartisan rebuke on Capitol Hill.
Newly elected House Freedom Caucus chairman Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., speaks with Roll Call in the … [+]
Key Facts
Harris said Thursday during a Republican Party dinner in Talbot County, Maryland, that it “makes a lot of sense” to convene the legislature early to certify electoral votes for Trump before they’re finalized, considering that Hurricane Helene may have disenfranchised voters in some counties ravaged by the storm, many of which are heavily Republican.
Harris was responding to a suggestion from pro-Trump activist Ivan Raiklin advocating for North Carolina and other states to certify their election results before they’re finalized “so that those states guarantee that no illegals are voting, no illegal drop boxes, no illegal signature non verifications going on,” he said during the Thursday meeting, according to a video of the remarks he posted to his X account.
Harris suggested the plan was “legitimate” in North Carolina, given the devastation from Helene, but questioned whether it would work in other states.
Rep. Joe Morelle, D-N.Y., chair of the House Administration committee tasked with overseeing election processes, blasted the plan as a “blood-chilling scheme,” in a statement to Politico, adding “extreme Republican leaders are openly advocating that North Carolina’s electoral votes be given to Donald Trump without an election.”
Contra
Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., told reporters Friday he hadn’t heard about the plans discussed in Talbot County but that “it makes no sense whatsoever to prejudge the election outcome. And that is a misinformed view of what is happening on the ground in North Carolina, bless his heart.”
Big Number
16. That’s how many electoral votes belong to North Carolina, one of the seven swing states that will decide the election. Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are locked in a dead heat there, with Five Thirty Eight’s polling average showing Trump leading by 1.3 points.
Key Background
Trump and his allies appear to be gearing up to contest the results of the 2024 election if Trump loses. While Trump has said he hasn’t seen any signs of fraud so far in the election process and has encouraged his supporters to vote early, he has also said Harris can’t win unless Democrats cheat. Republicans have already filed a slew of election-related legal challenges this cycle
Further Reading
How Courts Are Impacting 2024 Election: Court Blocks Virginia’s Last-Minute Voter Roll Purge (Forbes)
Here’s How Trump And His Allies Are Teeing Up Potential Election Loss Challenges (Forbes)
North Carolina 2024 Trump-Harris Polls: Trump Leads By 2 Points In 2 New Surveys (Forbes)
Friends and family members gathered in Washington state on Saturday, remembering former Miss North Carolina Carrie Everett, who died on Easter Sunday. Another memorial service is planned in North Carolina next month.
Web Editor : Sydney Ross
Posted
Virginia 3, North Carolina 0 | First Quarter
Virginia 3, North Carolina 0 | Q1 8:19
After a faceoff win by Henry Metz, Brendan Millon finds Truitt Sunderland to give the Hoos a 3-0 lead. Timeout North Carolina.
Virginia 2, North Carolina 0 | Q1 9:00
Brendan Millon gets the scoring started for the Cavaliers with a question mark style goal. On the defensive end, Jake Marek opens the game with three early saves with his third save setting up a transition goal by Tommy Snyder.
Virginia vs North Carolina pregame notes
UVA owns a 59-33 advantage since the series began in 1938.
The 59 wins are UVA’s most against any opponent in program history (followed by 51 against Duke).
In Chapel Hill last year, the Tar Heels defeated the Cavaliers 18-9, snapping UVA’s six-game series win streak.
UVA has won nine of the last 11 meetings, dating back to 2018.
The Hoos have won the last two meetings with Carolina at Klöckner Stadium, 11-4 in 2022 and 14-6 in 2024.
The Tar Heels’ four goals in 2022 marked the fewest goals in a game under Joe Breschi, who was named UNC’s head coach in 2006.
The last time the Tar Heels knocked off the Cavaliers at Klöckner was a 16-13 decision during the first of three games between the two teams in 2021.
Later that year, UVA claimed back-to-back meetings against the Heels, including in the NCAA semifinals on the way to capturing the 2021 national title over Maryland.
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HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Fire crews are responding to a brush fire near Howard Gap Road in Hendersonville on Friday evening.
The fire is across the street from the Ebenezer Baptist Church and near the Highlands Square Shopping Center.
Henderson County Fire Marshal Glen Gillette said crews are fighting “blowdown from Helene.”
NEW WILDFIRES IGNITE IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA FOREST AMID WORSENING DROUGHT
Around 11 p.m., the fire appears larger than it did an hour ago because crews are backburning, which refers to using fire to help control the wildfire.
Dana Fire Department Chief Jimmy Womack said that what was a 3-acre fire an hour ago will be an 8-acre fire due to back burning. He said the fire is 80% contained.
Womack said the cause of the fire is unknown, but one of the conditions contributing to the blaze is the Helene blowdown.
“There’s a lot of blowdown in these woods behind us. That’s what creates most of the problem,” said Womack.
Womack said there has been no property damage and no injuries have been reported for this fire in the woods that 24 personnel are fighting. They got the call to arrive at 6:05 p.m.
LOCAL NEWS
Dana Fire and Rescue and Henderson County Fire Department are supporting the U.S. Forest Service with this fire.
Glen said no structures are threatened at this time and Howard Gap Road is closed.
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This story will be updated as new information is discovered.
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