Trump wins North Carolina

President Trump is the projected winner of the presidential contest in North Carolina, handing him a win that comes nearly a week after his Democratic rival Joe Biden was projected to have won the overall race for the White House.

NBC News and CNN called the race for Trump on Friday shortly before 2:30 p.m. EST, more than a week after Election Day.

Trump’s win over Biden in the Tar Heel State hands him one of the toss-up states where neither candidate held a comfortable lead in the polls. Biden clinched key victories in other battleground states, including Arizona, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Georgia.

According to CNN and NBC News, which have called every state in the race, Biden won with 306 electoral votes to Trump’s 232. 

Trump has sought to cast doubt on Biden winning the presidential race, and many Republicans have been reluctant to recognize Biden as the president-elect. Nonetheless, Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris have pressed forward with the transition process.

North Carolina is among several Southern states that has become more competitive for Democrats in recent years, a change driven by demographic shifts and an influx of new residents.

Heading into Election Day polling had showed a modest lead for Biden. An NBC News/Marist poll released Oct. 30 found Biden with a 6-point advantage over Trump in North Carolina, while another poll released by The New York Times and Siena College showed Biden ahead by a scant 3-point margin.