Fact Check: "North Carolina has voted Republican in every presidential race except 2008."
What We Know
The claim that "North Carolina has voted Republican in every presidential race except 2008" is not accurate. A review of historical election results shows that North Carolina has voted for Democratic candidates in several presidential elections. Specifically, North Carolina voted for Democratic candidates in the presidential elections of 1976, 1980, and 2008. In contrast, the state supported Republican candidates in the elections of 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2012, 2016, and 2020 (NCSBE, Wikipedia).
Analysis
The assertion that North Carolina has consistently voted Republican except for 2008 overlooks key historical data. According to the North Carolina State Board of Elections, the state has a mixed voting history, with Democratic candidates winning in three presidential elections over the last several decades. Furthermore, the Wikipedia page on United States presidential elections in North Carolina corroborates this by detailing the results of each election, demonstrating that the state has not exclusively favored Republican candidates.
The reliability of the sources used in this analysis is high. The North Carolina State Board of Elections is an official state agency responsible for overseeing elections, making its data authoritative. Wikipedia, while user-edited, provides a comprehensive overview of historical election results that can be cross-referenced with official sources.
Conclusion
The claim that "North Carolina has voted Republican in every presidential race except 2008" is False. The state's voting history includes significant support for Democratic candidates in multiple elections, specifically in 1976, 1980, and 2008. Therefore, the assertion fails to accurately represent the electoral behavior of North Carolina.
