(The Center Square) – For the first time, Republican voter registrations have topped 2.3 million in North Carolina.
Those unaffiliated with any party, however, are about to hit 3 million. And Democrats’ forever lead on the Grand Old Party has dwindled to less than 1.5% of those registered, a scant 11,090 of separation according to Saturday’s update from the State Board of Elections.
By percentage, the unaffiliated bloc is 38.5%, Democrats 30.5% and Republicans 30.3% of the 7,586,280 registered.
North Carolina is considered a legitimate battleground state on the national level, purple in hue rather than blue for Democrats or red for Republicans. Long the place where Democrats have done well, as recently as the 2008 midterms the state’s 10 executive offices, known as the Council of State, had eight of 10 seats blue, and Democrats had majorities of 30-20 in the state Senate and 68-52 in the House of Representatives.
Three decades ago at Electon 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.
Today, the Council of State is 5-5, and Republican majorities are 30-20 in the Senate and 71-49 in the House.
Democrats over a 21-year period have been in freefall with North Carolina voter registrations. On Jan. 1, 2004, the state’s more than 5 million voters were split 47.6% Democrats, 34.4% Republicans and 17.7% unaffiliated.
