North Carolina Democratic Party

The North Carolina Democratic Party (NCDP) is the North Carolina affiliate of the Democratic Party. It is based in the historic Goodwin House in Raleigh. The party has been important in the state's politics for many years.

Currently, the party controls the governorship and four other statewide elected offices. It also holds four of the state's fourteen U.S. House seats. Since the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010, North Carolina Democrats have worked to increase the state's minimum wage. Their efforts focus on improving opportunities and supporting families across the state.

History

The Second Party System started in 1828 when the Democratic-Republican Party split into two groups: the Democrats, led by Andrew Jackson, and the Whigs. In North Carolina, people in the west and northeast often supported the Whigs because of their ideas about education and improving roads and buildings. The eastern part of the state was mostly made up of wealthy plantation owners who did not want strong government involvement.

During the Civil War, some Whigs and Unionist Democrats created the Conservative Party and chose Zebulon Vance as governor. After the war, this group changed its name a few times and finally became the Democrats by 1876, while the other main party was the Republicans.

Previous logo of the North Carolina Democratic Party

Before the 1960s, many leaders of the North Carolina Democratic Party supported policies that kept people separated by race. After the 1964 presidential election and Richard Nixon’s campaign in 1968, many people who supported those old policies joined the Republican Party instead. Since then, most people from minority groups have tended to support the North Carolina Democratic Party.

Jimmy Carter won North Carolina in the 1976 election, but from 1980 to 2004, the state usually voted for Republican presidential candidates. Even so, some Democrats have been successful in North Carolina, like Terry Sanford and John Edwards. In 2008, Democrat Kay Hagan defeated Republican Elizabeth Dole for the U.S. Senate, the same year Barack Obama narrowly won the state against Republican John McCain.

More recently, North Carolina Democrats have focused on making sure more people can get healthcare through a plan supported by the government, known as Medicaid expansion. They have also worked to raise the minimum wage.

Leadership

The North Carolina Democratic Party is led by a chair named Anderson Clayton. Anderson was elected in 2023. The chair leads a big group called the State Executive Committee. This group has over 500 leaders from all 100 counties in North Carolina. There are also other important roles, like Vice-Chairs and a Secretary, to help run the party.

On November 1, 2023, Kian Sadjadi was named the Executive Director to help manage the party's daily activities.

County Parties

Organized

These counties have organized Democratic parties:

Alamance
Alexander
Alleghany
Anson
Ashe
Avery
Beaufort
Bertie
Bladen
Brunswick
Buncombe
Burke
Cabarrus
Caldwell
Carteret
Caswell
Catawba
Chatham
Cherokee
Chowan
Clay
Cleveland
Columbus
Craven
Cumberland
Currituck
Dare
Davidson
Davie
Duplin
Durham
Edgecombe
Forsyth
Franklin
Gaston
Gates
Granville
Guilford
Halifax
Harnett
Haywood
Henderson
Hoke
Iredell
Jackson
Johnston
Lee
Lincoln
McDowell
Macon
Madison
Martin
Mecklenburg
Mitchell
Montgomery
Moore
Nash
New Hanover
Northampton
Onslow
Orange
Pamlico
Pasquotank
Pender
Perquimans
Person
Pitt
Polk
Randolph
Richmond
Robeson
Rockingham
Rowan
Rutherford
Sampson
Scotland
Stanly
Stokes
Surry
Swain
Transylvania
Union
Vance
Wake
Warren
Washington
Watauga
Wayne
Wilkes
Wilson
Yadkin
Yancey

Unorganized

These counties have unorganized Democratic parties:

Camden
Graham
Greene
Hertford
Hyde
Jones
Lenoir
Tyrrell

NCDP organizations

The North Carolina Democratic Party has many groups that help with its work. Some of these groups include North Carolina Democratic Women, the Young Democrats of North Carolina, College Democrats of North Carolina, NC Senior Democrats, NC Teen Democrats, the African American Caucus, the NCDP Hispanic American Caucus, LGBT Democrats of North Carolina, and the NCDP Disability Issues Caucus. These groups bring together people who share the same interests to help change the state.

Recent electoral results

In 2006, the Democrats in North Carolina won many elections. They increased their numbers in the state legislature and won important court positions.

In 2008, they had more successes. They helped their presidential candidate win the state for the first time in a long time. They also elected a new U.S. Senator and chose a new governor.

Later years saw changes. Sometimes Republicans took control, but Democrats also had wins. For example, they regained the governor's office in 2016 and won seats in the state courts and legislature in other years. By 2022, the balance shifted again, with Republicans taking narrow majorities in the state legislature and courts.

Current elected officials

Members of Congress

U.S. Senate

Both of North Carolina's U.S. Senate seats are held by Republicans. The last Democrat to serve was Kay Hagan, who was elected in 2008 but did not win re-election in 2014.