North Carolina swing state showdown

ralph on the road

A recovering economy and an academic climate are shaking up Republican dominance in the swing state of North Carolina. At the same time, young people in particular feel that their voices are not adequately heard by politics. Visit the college town of Chapel Hill.

Ralph Steiner, North Carolina

When asked if he felt heard by politicians, Spencer said, immediately giving the example of having a climate demonstration on campus and two presidential candidates endorsing fracking. But many young people oppose this form of gas production because it is harmful to the environment. “

Spencer is studying political science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He thinks young people worry too little.

The 19-year-old delivers information while sitting on a bench on the spacious university campus. The autumn sun shines down and the yellow leaves and red leaves of the trees create a picturesque background. Countless squirrels were running around. They had no problem finding food, and even though it was almost November, the temperature was still over 20 degrees.

Ella, a statistics student on her way to her next class, also criticized:

According to the 21-year-old, the two main parties are politicized for monetary gain because the interests of their party financiers are not aligned with the actual needs of voters. “

Obama is an exception

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is part of what's known as the “Research Triangle.” The area is home to several urban centers and is home to North Carolina State University in Raleigh, the capital, and Duke University in Durham.

“The concentration of large research institutions and the growing number of industries that require degrees are attracting a well-educated class of voters,” said Marc Hetherington, a political science professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This has the following consequences: :

Marc Hetherington is part of North Carolina’s “Research Triangle.”Bild:politagonscience.unc.edu

In recent decades, however, Democratic presidential candidates have almost never done enough in North Carolina. Outside urban centers, people vote Republican. The only Democrat to win Tar Heel country in recent memory was Barack Obama in 2008.

Hetherington compared the current situation in North Carolina to neighboring Virginia. Many of the well-educated workers who worked in the capital, Washington, have moved to Virginia. As a result, the state has voted Democratic since 2008, after decades of Republican rule.

In North Carolina's “Research Triangle,” support among Democrats among educated voters has been observed for several election cycles. In the corresponding counties, Harris' predecessors won up to 80% of the vote in previous presidential elections.

The high level of support for Democrats could also be explained by the fact that the Biden-Harris administration is providing generous financial grants to local academic institutions.

That's what the boys in North Carolina say

The UNC-Chapel Hill campus survey shows in which political direction the pendulum among the students surveyed – all first-time voters – will swing.

Ethan (19) is studying nursing and voted for Kamala Harris:

Ethan wants all states to have the right to abortion at least 24 weeks into pregnancy. and:

Statistics student Ayla said:

While she's only partially enthusiastic about Kamala Harris, “in our two-party system, she's the only option left to sustain our country's democracy.”

Journalism student Eliza (21) isn’t entirely convinced about Kamala Harris either. “However, she has done a better job than Donald Trump on the things that are important to me, better gun control and support for LGBTQ+ rights.”

Eliza supports Kamala Harris.Image: Watson

Gay and transgender rights are also important to Spencer (19):

vicious circle

Conversations with students on college campuses indicate that choice is important to them. Professor Hetherington said: “While turnout may be higher, they are more interested in politics than they were when they started teaching 25 years ago.”

Isaac Unah, also a political science professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, also confirmed how much space the upcoming election takes up on college campuses. “I think there are three things that are politically relevant to young people: climate change, the abortion issue and intense polarization.

Isaac Una faces the presidential election every day.Bild:politagonscience.unc.edu

At the same time, many young people feel they are not being adequately heard by both parties. why is that? Professor Hetherington said Republicans were concerned about the political content:

Whether it's LGBTQ+ rights, equal rights for women and ethnic groups, or a willingness to show empathy for immigrants, “there's a huge gap between where young people and Republicans stand on these issues.”

Democrats are not adequately listening to the concerns of young voters, and it’s due to a vicious cycle:

Although various dissatisfactions can be found among some young people: if Virginia follows suit, North Carolina's Kamala Harris appears to have paved the way.

However, he has done so in previous presidential elections. Four years ago, Trump won with 49.9% of the vote and Biden with 48.6%. In no other state did Republicans win by such a narrow margin.

Current numbers look similar. According to the poll, Donald Trump leads North Carolina 49% to 48%. The competition is more open than ever.

A recovering economy and an academic climate are shaking up Republican dominance in the swing state of North Carolina. At the same time, young people in particular feel that their voices are not adequately heard by politics. Visit the college town of Chapel Hill.

When asked if he felt heard by politicians, Spencer said, immediately giving the example of having a climate demonstration on campus and two presidential candidates endorsing fracking. But many young people oppose this form of gas production because it is harmful to the environment. “