An election was held on November 3, 2020, to elect all 50 members to North Carolina's Senate. The election coincided with the elections for other offices, including the Presidency, U.S. Senate, Governor, U.S. House of Representatives, and state house. The primary election was held on March 3, 2020, with a run-off on June 23, 2020."North Carolina general election candidates""North Carolina State Board of elections"
Background In October 2020, The Washington Post identified this state election, along with the concurrent North Carolina House of Representatives election, as one of eight whose outcomes could affect partisan balance during post-census redistricting. New districts were being used in this election.
Predictions SourceRankingAs of The Cook Political ReportOctober 21, 2020
Results summary DistrictIncumbent PartyElectedParty 1st Bob Steinburg Rep Bob Steinburg Rep 2nd Norman Sanderson Rep Norman Sanderson Rep 3rd Erica Smith† Dem Ernestine Bazemore Dem 4th Toby Fitch Dem Toby Fitch Dem 5th Don Davis Dem Don Davis Dem 6th Harry Brown† Rep Michael Lazzara Rep 7th Jim Perry Rep Jim Perry Rep 8th Bill Rabon Rep Bill Rabon Rep 9th Harper Peterson Dem Michael Lee Rep 10th Brent Jackson Rep Brent Jackson Rep 11th Rick Horner† Rep Lisa Stone Barnes Rep 12th Jim Burgin Rep Jim Burgin Rep 13th Danny Britt Rep Danny Britt Rep 14th Dan Blue Dem Dan Blue Dem 15th Jay Chaudhuri Dem Jay Chaudhuri Dem 16th Wiley Nickel Dem Wiley Nickel Dem 17th Sam Searcy Dem Sam Searcy Dem 18th John Alexander† Rep Sarah Crawford Dem 19th Kirk deViere Dem Kirk deViere Dem 20th Natalie Murdock Dem Natalie Murdock Dem 21st Ben Clark Dem Ben Clark Dem 22nd Mike Woodard Dem Mike Woodard Dem 23rd Valerie Foushee Dem Valerie Foushee Dem 24th Rick Gunn† Rep Amy Galey Rep 25th Tom McInnis Rep Tom McInnis Rep 26th Dave Craven Rep Dave Craven Rep 27th Michael Garrett Dem Michael Garrett Dem 28th Gladys Robinson Dem Gladys Robinson Dem 29th Eddie Gallimore Rep Steve Jarvis Rep 30th Phil Berger Rep Phil Berger Rep 31st Joyce Krawiec Rep Joyce Krawiec Rep 32nd Paul Lowe Jr. Dem Paul Lowe Jr. Dem 33rd Carl Ford Rep Carl Ford Rep 34th Vickie Sawyer Rep Vickie Sawyer Rep 35th Todd Johnson Rep Todd Johnson Rep 36th Paul Newton Rep Paul Newton Rep 37th Jeff Jackson Dem Jeff Jackson Dem 38th Mujtaba Mohammed Dem Mujtaba Mohammed Dem 39th Rob Bryan† Rep DeAndrea Salvador Dem 40th Joyce Waddell Dem Joyce Waddell Dem 41st Natasha Marcus Dem Natasha Marcus Dem 42nd Dean Proctor Rep Dean Proctor Rep 43rd Kathy Harrington Rep Kathy Harrington Rep 44th Ted Alexander Rep Ted Alexander Rep 45th Deanna Ballard Rep Deanna Ballard Rep 46th Warren Daniel Rep Warren Daniel Rep 47th Ralph Hise Rep Ralph Hise Rep 48th Chuck Edwards Rep Chuck Edwards Rep 49th Terry Van Duyn† Dem Julie Mayfield Dem 50th Jim Davis† Rep Kevin Corbin Rep † - Incumbent not seeking re-election
Party Candi-dates Votes Seats No. % No. +/– % Republican Party 50 2,682,645 50.778 28 1 56 Democratic Party 50 2,530,188 47.893 22 1 44 Libertarian Party 8 37,919 0.718 0 0 Constitution Party 1 32,295 0.611 0 0Total 109 5,283,047 100 50 100
Close races Districts where the margin of victory was under 10%: District 9, 1.02% (gain) District 19, 3.06% District 3, 4.06% District 24, 4.86% District 31, 6.16% District 17, 6.64% District 18, 7.68% (gain) District 27, 8.64% District 11, 9.96%
Incumbents defeated in primary election Eddie Gallimore (R-District 29), defeated by Steve Jarvis (R)
Incumbents defeated in general election Harper Peterson (D-District 9), defeated by Michael Lee (R)
Open seats that changed parties John Alexander (R-District 18) did not seek re-election, seat won by Sarah Crawford (D) Rob Bryan (R-District 39) did not seek re-election, seat won by DeAndrea Salvador (D)
Detailed results
Districts 1–25 District 1 Incumbent Republican Bob Steinburg had represented the 1st district since 2019.
District 2 Incumbent Republican Norman Sanderson had represented the 2nd district since 2013.
District 3 Incumbent Democrat Erica Smith had represented the 3rd district since 2015. Smith ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate, losing the Democratic primary to Cal Cunningham. Democrat Ernestine Bazemore won the open seat.
District 4 Incumbent Democrat Toby Fitch had represented the 4th district since 2018.
District 5 Incumbent Democrat Don Davis had represented the 5th district since 2013, and previously from 2009 to 2011.
District 6 Incumbent Republican Majority Leader Harry Brown had represented the 6th district since 2004. Brown did not seek re-election, and fellow Republican Michael Lazzara won the open seat.
District 7 Incumbent Republican Jim Perry had represented the 7th district since 2019. Perry was elected to his first full term.
District 8 Incumbent Republican Bill Rabon had represented the 8th district since 2011.
District 9 Incumbent Democrat Harper Peterson had represented the 9th district since 2019. Republican Michael Lee defeated Peterson in a rematch of the 2018election.
District 10 Incumbent Republican Brent Jackson had represented the 10th district since 2011.
District 11 Incumbent Republican Rick Horner had represented the 11th district since 2017. Horner did not seek re-election. Republican representative Lisa Stone Barnes defeated Democratic former state senator Allen Wellons in the general election.
District 12 Incumbent Republican Jim Burgin had represented the 12th district since 2019.
District 13 Incumbent Republican Danny Britt had represented the 13th district since 2017.
District 14 Incumbent Democratic Minority Leader Dan Blue had represented the 14th district since 2009.
District 15 Incumbent Democrat Jay Chaudhuri had represented the 15th district and its predecessors since 2016.
District 16 Incumbent Democrat Wiley Nickel had represented the 16th district since 2019.
District 17 Incumbent Democrat Sam Searcy had represented the 17th district since 2019.
District 18 Incumbent Republican John Alexander had represented the 18th district and its predecessors since 2015. Alexander didn't seek re-election and Democrat Sarah Crawford won the open seat.
District 19 Incumbent Democrat Kirk deViere had represented the 19th district since 2019. Former senator Wesley Meredith unsuccessfully sought to regain his seat in a rematch with DeViere.
District 20 Incumbent Democrat Natalie Murdock had represented the 20th district since her appointment on April 2, 2020. Murdock was elected to a full term.
District 21 Incumbent Democrat Ben Clark had represented the 21st district since 2013.
District 22 Incumbent Democrat Mike Woodard had represented the 22nd district since 2013.
District 23 Incumbent Democrat Valerie Foushee had represented the 23rd district since 2013.
District 24 Incumbent Republican Rick Gunn had represented the 24th district since 2011. Gunn did not seek re-election, and fellow Republican Amy Galey won the open seat.
District 25 Incumbent Republican Tom McInnis had represented the 25th district since 2015.
Districts 26–50 District 26 incumbent Republican Dave Craven had represented the 26th district since his appointment in 2020. Craven was elected to his first full term.
District 27 Incumbent Democrat Michael Garrett had represented the 27th district since 2019.
District 28 Incumbent Democrat Gladys Robinson had represented the 28th district since 2011.
District 29 Incumbent Republican Eddie Gallimore had represented the 29th district since 2019. Gallimore lost re-nomination to representative Steve Jarvis. Jarvis won the open seat.
District 30 Incumbent Republican president pro tempore Phil Berger had represented the 30th district and its predecessors since 2001.
District 31 Incumbent Republican Joyce Krawiec had represented the 31st district since 2014.
District 32 Incumbent Democrat Paul Lowe Jr. had represented the 32nd district since 2015.
District 33 Incumbent Republican Carl Ford had represented the 33rd district since 2019.
District 34 Incumbent Republican Vickie Sawyer had represented the 34th district since 2019.
District 35 Incumbent Republican Todd Johnson had represented the 35th district since 2019.
District 36 Incumbent Republican Paul Newton had represented the 36th district since 2017.
District 37 Incumbent Democrat Jeff Jackson had represented the 37th district since 2014.
District 38 Incumbent Democrat Mujtaba Mohammed had represented the 38th district since 2019.
District 39 Incumbent Republican Rob Bryan had represented the 39th district since his appointment on October 2, 2019. Bryan did not seek re-election, and Democrat DeAndrea Salvador won the open seat.
District 40 Incumbent Democrat Joyce Waddell had represented the 40th district since 2015.
District 41 Incumbent Democrat Natasha Marcus had represented the 41st district since 2019.
District 42 Incumbent Republican Andy Wells had represented the 42nd district since 2015. Wells ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor in the 2020 election, losing the Republican primary to Mark Robinson. Wells resigned before the end of his term, and Republican nominee Dean Proctor was appointed to the seat on August 18, 2020. Proctor was elected to a full term.
District 43 Incumbent Republican Kathy Harrington had represented the 43rd district since 2011.
District 44 Incumbent Republican Ted Alexander had represented the 44th district since 2019.
District 45 Incumbent Republican Deanna Ballard had represented the 45th district since 2016.
District 46 Incumbent Republican Warren Daniel had represented the 46th district and its predecessors since 2011.
District 47 Incumbent Republican Ralph Hise had represented the 47th district since 2011.
District 48 Incumbent Republican Chuck Edwards had represented the 48th district since 2016.
District 49 Incumbent Democrat Terry Van Duyn had represented the 49th district since 2014. Van Duyn ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor in the 2020 election, losing the Democratic primary to Yvonne Lewis Holley. Democrat Julie Mayfield won the open seat.
District 50 Incumbent Republican Jim Davis had represented the 50th district since 2011. Davis did not seek re-election, as he ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. House. State representative Kevin Corbin won the open seat.
See also 2020 North Carolina elections List of North Carolina state legislatures
References
External links . (Lawsuit about electronic voting system, "ExpressVote", a product of Election Systems & Software, LLC)
(State affiliate of the U.S. League of Women Voters)
. (Guidance to help voters get to the polls; addresses transport, childcare, work, information challenges)