11:55 p.m.: Thanks for following our live blog! We’ll have a wrap-up of election results in Durham, Wake, and Orange Counties on our website tomorrow morning.
11:54 p.m.: You can see all of the Wake County results here, including for NC House and Senate Republican primaries.
11:52: Longtime state senator Dan Blue hung onto his NC Senate District 14 seat, fighting off a challenge from Terry Passione, with about 86 percent of the vote.
11:49 p.m.: With all precincts reporting, Wake County clerk of court Blair Williams beat criminal defense attorney Kevin Boxberger in the race for the Wake County District Court 10D, Seat 5 race. But Boxberger is now free to run in the Wake County District Court 10D, Seat 3 race in the fall and he told the INDY that’s what he plans to do as the Wake County Democratic Party’s nominee for the seat.
11:45 p.m.: With all precincts reporting, public defender Crystal Grimes appears to have unseated Judge Eric Craige Chasse in Wake County District Court 10E, Seat 3 with 72 percent of the vote to Chasse’s 28 percent.
11:41 p.m.: With all precincts reporting, Judge Cindy Kenney won reelection to her Wake County District Court 10A, Seat 3 seat.
With all precincts reporting, newcomer and criminal defense attorney Renee Jordan appears to have unseated Judge Anna Worley in Wake County District Court 10C, Seat 3 with 51.21 percent of the vote to Worley’s 48.79 percent.
11:28 p.m.: With 14 of 15 precincts reporting, Wake County Public Schools board of education member Monika Johnson-Hostler won the Democratic primary for NC House District 33, beating opponents Antoine G. Marshall and Debra Dunston with 60 percent of the vote.
11:26 p.m.: With 28 of 31 precincts reporting, Tara Waters won the Democratic primary for the Wake County Board of Commissioners District 5 seat against with about 75 percent of the vote.
11:19 p.m.: Lena Geller brings us this update on the NC attorney general’s race, in which Durham district attorney Satana Deberry held her own against congressman Jeff Jackson:
Durham DA Satana Deberry had an impressive showing in the Democratic primary for NC attorney general but with 95 percent of precincts reporting statewide, looks to have ultimately come up short against U.S. Rep. Jeff Jackson who entered the race with more funding and more name recognition. In November, Jackson will face off against congressman Dan Bishop, who ran uncontested in the Republican AG primary.
11:11 p.m.: Wake County results are beginning to trickle in. Eighty-one precincts down, 131 to go. (Wake County has 212 precincts.)
10:58 p.m.: Joy Harrell won Durham’s only contested school board race with 88.5 percent of the vote.
10:47 p.m.: Lena Geller brings this update on the NC Senate District 22 race.
With 36 of 36 precincts reporting, Sophia Chitlik wins the Democratic primary for NC Senate District 22 with 57.6 percent of the vote. With no Republican challenger in the upcoming general election, Chitlik is poised to unseat longtime incumbent Mike Woodard in the General Assembly.
10:24: Durham results are in and we now know who will fill the five seats on the county’s board of commissioners. Here they all are captured in photos from the People’s Alliance watch party at Viceroy by 9th Street Journal photographer Maddie Wray:
Incumbent Wendy Jacobs won the most votes.
Incumbent Nida Allam won the second most votes.
Michelle Burton, a newcomer and former president of the Durham Association of Educators, received the third most votes.
Former Durham Public Schools board of education member Mike Lee got the fourth most votes.
And Stephen Valentine, who wasn’t at Viceroy, will take the fifth seat on the board.
10:18 p.m.: We’ve got more from 9th Street reporter Nina Moske who was out at the polls today:
As Durham voters turned out to the polls Tuesday, many cited local education as a top issue informing their choice of candidates.
Zoe Hall, a sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade teacher for Durham Public Schools, voted at the Edison Johnson Recreation Center an hour before polls closed. After casting her votes, she said, “I’ve been following what is going to create a better vision for Durham Public Schools, and those are the people I vote for.”
For Hall and others, recent payroll chaos within the Durham Public Schools system has inspired a greater focus on local elections. The DPS pay disputes erupted in January when the district notified 1,300 workers that raises issued in October would be revoked. The announcement shook classified workers—cafeteria workers, nurses, maintenance staff and others—and led to protests and school closures in January and February.
In the wake of the DPS turmoil, Hall says “Local issues felt the most in-our-face, the most important this year.”
Many voters outside of the DPS system also found personal connections to local education issues.
Donna Crutchfield also cast her ballot at the Edison Johnson Recreation Center. She says, “We have to get our education system back on track, it’s a must. Educators are not getting paid.”
Crutchfield says she assessed candidates at the local, state and national level based on their plans for education. She says, “Who’s gonna fix it, how are they gonna fix it, who has the best plan?”
10:13 p.m.: Looks like there could be an upset in the GOP primary for state superintendent of public instruction with challenger Michelle Morrow leading incumbent state superintendent Catherine Truitt with 52.14 percent of the vote to Truitt’s 47.86 percent. We’ve written about Morrow, who ran for the Wake County School Board in 2022. She is a Moms for Liberty adherent, January 6 insurrection participant, and has expressed extreme views.
9:59 p.m.: NC Senate District 22 challenger Sophia Chitlik has declared victory with nine precincts left to report. She’s leading incumbent state senator Mike Woodard with 57 percent of the vote.
9:52 p.m.: Reporter Gabrielle Lazor from the 9th Street Journal brings us this update on Satana Deberry:
Even though a projector screen consumes a corner of Viceroy, Satana Deberry isn’t watching the election results.
“Cuz my anxiety is way up here!” she says, letting out a belly laugh.
Servers dance between elected officials and reporters, bringing dishes of fragrant Indian fusion. Deberry and her daughters got to the restaurant around 8 p.m. for the watch party. The district attorney hopeful is unsure when she’ll let herself find out if she won.
“I don’t know, that’s a good question. I hadn’t thought that far,” she says. “Somebody will tell me—that’s for sure!” Another belly laugh.
However, she feels confident in her campaign leading up to Super Tuesday.
“We ran a strong ground game. Our goal was to be visible—see as many voters as we could, actually touch as many people as we could,” says Deberry.
9:51 p.m.: Chase Pellegrini de Paur brings us this update from Orange County:
With 95 percent of the vote counted in Orange County, the progressive school board slate has won all three seats. That means reelection for Carrie Doyle and Jennifer Moore, and a first term for Wendy Padilla. That also marks the ouster of moderate Bonnie Hauser and a swing back to the left for the school board, which will have a progressive majority again after shifting right in 2022.
9:50 p.m.: Sophia Chitlik is back at her watch party at Zweli’s keeping an eye on the vote. She’s currently leading Mike Woodard with 57 percent of the vote. 9th Street reporter Jacqueline Cole brings us this update:
Chitlik returned to Zweli’s and stood behind a computer looking at live results. Her attitude is hopeful. Those standing around her put their arms around one another.
“It looks like we won,” said Chitlik, standing on a bench looking out at her supporters. They cheered. “We can get care back into our politics if we choose to.”
Everyone cheered: SOPHIA! SOPHIA!
“We’re not done yet, because we’re gonna keep knocking and we’re gonna keep raising and we’re gonna keep fighting for the policies that this campaign was built on.”
9:44 p.m.: Wake County is not reporting any precincts yet.
9:39 p.m.: Remember, you can check election results as they come in for Durham, Wake, and Orange Counties.
9:37 p.m.: Durham district attorney and candidate for NC attorney general Satana Deberry addressed the crowd at Viceroy. Deberry is winning her hometown with 59 percent of the vote so far against congressman Jeff Jackson and Tim Dunn.
9:32 p.m.: Reporter Chase Pellegrini de Paur has this update from Orange County:
Votes are still trickling in from Orange County, but it looks like incumbent county commissioner Phyllis Portie-Ascott is cruising to her first election win after being appointed to the commission last year. With most precincts reporting, she’s leading Horace Johnson Jr. with about 70 percent of the vote.
9:30 p.m.: From 9th Street reporter Jacqueline Cole:
Sophia Chitlik just left her watch party at Zweli’s Kitchen, wearing her signature hot pink pants suit and matching headband, to deliver a speech to People’s Alliance supporters at Viceroy. Her results are strong so far, but before she left she said, “I think regardless of how this election goes, it shows that there is real appetite for change.”
Meanwhile, children outside welcome supporters into Zweli’s Kitchen at Brightleaf, wearing Chitlik campaign shirts and playing with heart-shaped balloons. Chitlik’s mother said that the crowd is indicative of the people Sophia wants to represent— young and diverse. The conversation is lively, as people talk about Chitlik’s role in their synagogue and her platform for care.
Chitlik, who is currently leading state senator Mike Woodard with about 57 percent of the vote, addresses the crowd at Viceroy.
“Durham is a place where progressives win. And progressives win in Durham because of the people. We don’t know how this race is gonna go tonight, but what we do know is that District 22 is ready for a change.”
9:22 p.m.: More from Lena Geller at Viceroy:
With about 19 percent of the vote in, Durham County board of commissioners candidates are giving victory speeches at the People’s Alliance watch party at Viceroy.
“I know it’s still early, but I have a kid to put to bed and I’m pregnant and ready to go to sleep,” says Nida Allam, current BOCC chair who has the second-most total votes behind incumbent commissioner Wendy Jacobs. “I just want to take a moment to think every single person who showed up to the polls.”
“I just wish my mother was alive to see this,” says Michelle Burton, who is currently running third for five seats on the board. “Growing up as a little girl from the south side of Chicago, I never would’ve imagined I’d be here today. Thank you all so much.”
9:17 p.m.: Here are some scenes from the People’s Alliance watch party at Viceroy brought to you by Lena Geller. We spot former Durham mayor (and INDY founder) Steve Schewel, and state senator Graig Meyer. (Also spotted, but not pictured, city council members Carl Rist and Javiera Caballero, Durham DA and AG candidate Satana Deberry, NC Senate District 22 candidate Sophia Chitlik, Durham County board of commissioners candidates Michelle Burton and Mike Lee, Durham County Commissioner Wendy Jacobs, and Durham Public Schools Board of Education candidate Joy Harrell.
8:56 p.m.: Writer Lena Geller is at state senator Mike Woodard’s reelection watch party and brings us this report:
With about 13 percent of the vote in, Sophia Chitlik is leading Mike Woodard by about 2400 votes.
About a dozen people are mingling over mezze platters and phyllo-wrapped shrimp at Woodard’s election watch party at Parizade, a Mediterranean restaurant in Erwin Square. Spotted at the bar: Durham city council member DeDreana Freeman and community rabble-rousers Jackie Wagstaff and Tom Miller. Photo below from the 9th Street Journal‘s Kulsoom Rizavi.
8:43 p.m.: Here’s more from Nina Moske, with a report from the Edison Johnson Recreation Center:
For Marshall Jones and Nicole Zepeda, who voted at the Edison Johnson Recreation Center an hour before polls closed, the rights of women, LGBTQ+ people and immigrants are key.
“Right now, everything is being stripped,” says Jones. “As a Black man, it’s interesting to see that my mother had rights more than some women I know right now. It feels like we’re going back into time.”
At the local level, Jones says he sought candidates who would work to “keep Durham Durham.”
He says, “Slow down all this growth. There are citizens here that may not want that.”
8:39 p.m.: The early vote is in and state senator Mike Woodard is trailing challenger Sophia Chitlik by about 2400 votes.
8:36 p.m.: Here’s Dem nominee for governor Josh Stein’s acceptance tweet:
8:33 p.m.: Here’s another dispatch from Nina Moske, reporting from the polls today.
Voters Kirsten Wescott and Amanda Hughes wore smiles as they exited their polling place at the North Carolina School of Science and Math. A long list of issues informed their choice of candidates. For Hughes, bodily autonomy for women and transgender people, voting rights, and gerrymandering are top-of-mind. For Wescott, the preservation of democracy is key. Both voted as Democrats and expressed support for President Biden’s reelection.
Hughes, a former election judge, says, “Primaries are hard. Voter turnout is always going to be low and people don’t think it matters.”
“But from my perspective,” she says, “Showing up and getting the count up on the primaries for the people who are working so hard on the Biden campaign… I think that’s important.”
8:06 p.m.: And Donald Trump is the projected winner of the Republican presidential primary, along with Mark Robinson and Josh Stein for governor in the GOP and Democratic primaries respectively—according to the AP.
7:54 p.m.: Our newsroom partners at NC Newsline report that President Biden “easily” won the Democratic primary in North Carolina. We’re watching to see if a “No preference” protest vote will make an impact.
7:39 p.m.: The absentee ballots look to have been tallied and reported. Here’s where to check results for Durham, Wake, and Orange Counties.
7:36 p.m.: We’ve got more from 9th Street reporter Nina Moske who was down at the NC School of Science and Math talking to voters this evening:
Rona Spitzer and Gabi Martin stood curbside throughout the evening, speaking with voters about the state senate race as they approached the polls at NCSSM. Though they were canvassing for opposing candidates—Spitzer for Chitlik and Martin for Woodard—they chatted and laughed.
Martin says voter turnout was high throughout the day, with a steady stream of voters turning out to cast their ballots. She noted that many voters arrived prepared with their vote choices.
“Lots of people have their sheet with their choices all written out,” she says.
Spritzer said it’s been 50/50 with half of voters arriving with decisions made and many others accepting fliers and voter guides.
7:32 p.m.: Polls are closed! Stay tuned for dispatches from local watch parties, election results, and more.
6:18 p.m.: Reporters from the 9th Street Journal are out at the polls talking to voters before polling sites close in just over an hour. Nina Moske brings us this update:
Alexandra Golota, who voted at the North Carolina School of Science and Math Tuesday evening, says she has a strong focus on local Durham elections. Though she doesn’t have children, she kept the recent turmoil within Durham Public Schools in mind while voting.
“I hope this election can help some things for Durham teachers and bus drivers,” she says. “Local politics is the thing that affects us most, living in this city.”
“Everybody talks about people not turning out for these kinds of elections, so I wanted to be part of the change and show up.”
12:00 p.m.: It’s the day we’ve all been waiting for—Super Tuesday! Polls are open across the Triangle. If you’re a registered voter, you can find your polling place here. Don’t forget to bring your ID. The polls are open until 7:30 this evening, so as long as you’re in line by then, you’ll have the chance to cast your ballot.
You can also look up info about the various polling locations in Durham County, Wake County, and Orange County on the respective Board of Elections websites. We’ll be posting throughout the day and into this evening, so be sure to check back often.
March 4, 2024: After months of mailers and TV ads, voters now head to the polls for the March 5 primary election. And as they winnow the field in high-profile contests including the presidential election and the governor’s race, Durham voters will also make final decisions in several local contests.
Voters will choose between incumbent Mike Woodard and newcomer Sophia Chitlik to represent Durham in the state Senate. We’ve got new reports on the different ways they’ll handle being in the minority and an 11th hour deep dive into their campaign finance.
Right now, poll workers across the Triangle are getting ready to welcome voters. Look up your polling place here. Plan on spending Election day and night with us right here on this live blog where we’ll be sending real time reports from watch parties, updating you with the latest results, and much more.
For now, enjoy these scenes from early voting from 9th Street Journal photographer Kulsoom Rizavi.
March 3, 2024: Primary Election Day in North Carolina on March 5 is also Super Tuesday, and Super Tuesday could be the last day of GOP candidate Nikki Haley’s struggling campaign for the U.S. presidency. Still, Haley made a stop in Raleigh Saturday where more than 1,500 supporters turned out for a rally at downtown’s Union Station. Writer Chase Pellegrini de Paur brings you this report:
In her quixotic campaign for the Republican nomination, presidential hopeful Nikki Haley urged her supporters to vote in the primary.
“I need you to text and email all your friends, all your family, because you will be shocked at how many people are only general election voters,” she told the crowd in Raleigh’s Union Station.
And in between bashing Biden and Trump, Haley even echoed some talking points that we’ve heard in the Orange County Schools Board election, arguing that a focus on equity and inclusion has set back student achievement (related: we’ll have a report on the Orange County Schools Board of Education election publishing on our website today).
“Joe Biden [focuses] more on gender pronouns than whether our kids can read them,” said Haley. She promised that if she is the nominee, Republicans will win a “mandate getting our kids reading again and go back to the basics in education.”
I heard one Haley supporter in a UNC shirt say that the best candidate for her was “Anybody but Trump…like anybody but Duke.”
After her stump speech, Haley walked off the stage and was immediately handed an objectively adorable baby by an audience member.
March 2, 2024: Early voting wraps up at 3 p.m. this afternoon.
INDY staff report a long line to vote at Durham Main Library. But at a balmy 61 degrees outside, don’t let the wait deter you.
Spotted: the other Mark Robinson on the ballot.
If you’re in Wake County, follow Raleigh city council member Jonathan Melton’s lead and get that early voting sticker.
February 28, 2024: With two weeks of early voting underway here in the Triangle, INDY writer Lena Geller brings us this update:
So far, 15,526 people have cast ballots in Durham County, 32,971 in Wake, and 6,584 in Orange. Cumulatively, that is about how many people it takes to pack NC State’s Carter–Finley Stadium. Across the three counties, 1.17 million people are registered to vote altogether (that’s twenty stadiums worth!).
With Election Day on the horizon, candidates running in local and state races are pumping up the visibility, with some hanging out at the polls and others inundating my nightly Jeopardy! screenings with ads about Woke soup. Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley are also making appearances in the Triangle this week: Harris will be in Durham on Friday to talk economic growth with Gov. Roy Cooper and Haley will visit Raleigh on Saturday to rally support for her asphyxiating presidential campaign.
President Biden made a campaign stop in Durham in January, touting broadband funding to a crowd that politely oohed and ahhed.
North Carolina is typically a focus for national candidates ahead of Super Tuesday but rallying votes in the state is especially pivotal for Democrats this year as the voter ID law that went into effect in the fall could impact turnout.
In recent presidential election cycles, North Carolina’s primary turnout has hovered around 30 percent.
February 27, 2024: Welcome the INDY‘s 2024 Primary Election Live Blog! With one week until Election Day on March 5, we’ll be posting periodic updates on this page and this is where we’ll bring you all of our live reporting on election night. Check back tomorrow for an update on early voting numbers and find all of the INDY‘s 2024 primary election coverage here.
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