North Carolina in 2008 was simply something that was not supposed to happen. Four years earlier, in 2004, the state voted for President George W. Bush over Sen. John Kerry by almost 13 points--despite Sen. Kerry's running mate, Sen. John Edwards, hailing from the town of Robbins, in Moore County. In 2007, incumbent Republican Sen. Elizabeth Dole was expected to win re-election comfortably over her Democratic challenger, state senator Kay Hagan, and the state was not expected to go to Sen. Obama--if it did, it was said, it would just be icing on the cake.
As it turns out, it was: Sen. Obama didn't really need North Carolina's 15 electoral when he had 350 more. On the other hand, Hagan's surprise victory, below, was no mere icing; her vote proved invaluable in obtaining the 60-seat supermajority required for the Senate to pass the Affordable Care Act in 2009.
As it turns out, it was: Sen. Obama didn't really need North Carolina's 15 electoral when he had 350 more. On the other hand, Hagan's surprise victory, below, was no mere icing; her vote proved invaluable in obtaining the 60-seat supermajority required for the Senate to pass the Affordable Care Act in 2009.
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| 2008 North Carolina Senate election by county and margin. |
