(The Center Square) – Independent voters netted an 82% share of the nearly 7,700 increase in North Carolina voter registrations for the most recent measured seven days.
The unaffiliated bloc claims 39.4% of the state’s more than 7.7 million registered voters, according to Saturday’s update by the State Board of Elections. Republicans have 30.1% and Democrats 29.9%.
In the last week, total registrations rose 7,688. Of those, 6,305 were unaffiliated. The Democrats added 744 and Republicans 675.
Two of the voting blocs are in record-setting territory – unaffiliated rising to nearly 40%, and Democrats that as recently as Jan. 1, 2004, were 47.6% falling below 30%.
It was a mere 16 years ago when Democrats were in eight of 10 seats for the Council of State and commanded 30-20 and 68-52 majorities in the General Assembly. Then came the historic 2010 midterms, and both chambers being won by Republicans for the first time since Reconstruction 140 years earlier.
Today those figures are 5-5 in the executive offices, and Republicans hold advantages of 30-20 in the Senate and 71-49 in the House of Representatives.
For context on how Democrats once had a lock, from the every two years elections of 1930 to 1982 the party was below 43 of the 50 state Senate seats just twice (won 38 in 1969, won 35 in 1973) and didn’t have fewer than 30 until only getting 26 in the 1994 cycle. From 1930 to 1982 in the House, Democrats had fewer than 102 of the 120 just six times with 85 won in 1974 the worst.
Three decades ago at Election Day 1992, North Carolinians elected Democrats to all 10 Council of State positions and majorities of 39-11 in the state Senate and 78-42 in the House.
