The NC-3 result is a really good one for the GOP. Going to end up right around Trump’s margin. Some different county results, but overall very good. Hurricane had a direct impact too.
That is very true! NC-3 is my district and our Democrat governor has done all he could legally do to give the special election to his party! The scheduling of the primaries and the election itself the week of July 4 for the primary and during hurricane season for the special election was a veiled attempt to depress turnout. He encouraged Allen Thomas, the former mayor of Greenville (home of East Carolina University) to run by allowing him to take a leave of absence from his cushy and profitable state job to which he will be allowed to return since he lost. Thomas was also a local TV celebrity, so he had good name recognition throughout the district even before he ran. Greg Murphy is a pediatrician and was a state representative, but did not have nearly as much name recognition and had to go through a competitive primary as well as a run-off election.