Election Name: | 2012 North Carolina Council of State election |
Country: | North Carolina |
Type: | legislative |
Ongoing: | no |
Previous Election: | 2008 North Carolina Council of State election |
Previous Year: | 2008 |
Next Election: | 2016 North Carolina Council of State election |
Next Year: | 2016 |
Seats For Election: | All 10 members of the North Carolina Council of State |
Party1: | Democratic Party (United States) |
Last Election1: | 8 |
Seats1: | 6 |
Seat Change1: | 2 |
Percentage1: | 53.87% |
Swing1: | 0.65% |
Party2: | Republican Party (United States) |
Last Election2: | 2 |
Seats2: | 4 |
Seat Change2: | 2 |
Percentage2: | 46.08% |
Swing2: | 0.32% |
The North Carolina Council of State elections of 2012 were held November 6, 2012 to select the nine officers of the North Carolina Council of State. This election coincided with the U.S. presidential election, U.S. House elections, the gubernatorial election and the statewide judicial elections. Primary elections were held on May 8, 2012; for races in which no candidate received 40 percent of the vote in the primary, runoff elections (officially known as "second" primaries) were held on July 17.[1] [2]
The nine members of the North Carolina Council of State are statewide-elected officers serving four-year terms.[3] In the 2012 elections, all incumbents who ran for new terms were re-elected, while the Lieutenant Governor's seat was open following incumbent Walter Dalton's decision to run for governor. The partisan makeup of the Council of State changed from 7 Democrats (8 including the governor) and 2 Republicans before the election to 6 Democrats and 3 Republicans (4 including the governor) afterward.
See main article: North Carolina gubernatorial election, 2012. Republican Pat McCrory was elected governor.
See main article: North Carolina lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2012. Republican Dan Forest was elected lieutenant governor.
See main article: North Carolina Attorney General election, 2012. Roy Cooper, the Democratic incumbent attorney general, ran for re-election unopposed.[4]
Poll source | Date(s) administered | class=small | Sample size | Margin of error | Michael Beitler | A.J. Daoud | Kenn Gardner | Eddy Goodwin | Undecided | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Public Policy Polling | May 5–6, 2012 | 496 | ± 4.4% | 8% | 11% | align=center | 23% | 14% | align=center | 45% | |
Public Policy Polling | April 27–29, 2012 | 486 | ± 4.4% | 7% | 9% | align=center | 20% | 11% | align=center | 52% | |
Public Policy Polling | April 20–22, 2012 | 521 | ± 4.3% | 6% | 6% | align=center | 17% | 10% | align=center | 61% |
As no candidate received 40 percent of the vote, state law allows the runner-up to request a second primary (or "runoff"). Gardner requested a runoff.[11]
Poll source | Date(s) administered | class=small | Sample size | Margin of error | width=110px | Elaine Marshall (D) | width=110px | Ed Goodwin (R) | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Public Policy Polling | October 23–25, 2012 | 880 LV | ± 3.3% | align=center | 43% | 38% | 19% | ||
Public Policy Polling | September 27–30, 2012 | 981 | ± 3.1% | align=center | 41% | 34% | 24% | ||
Public Policy Polling | August 2–5, 2012 | 813 | ± 3.4% | align=center | 43% | 37% | 19% |
Poll source | Date(s) administered | class=small | Sample size | Margin of error | Joseph DeBragga | Greg Dority | Debra Goldman | Fern Shubert | Rudy Wright | Undecided | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Public Policy Polling | May 5–6, 2012 | 496 | ± 4.4% | 5% | 16% | align=center | 17% | 11% | 8% | align=center | 44% | |
Public Policy Polling | April 27–29, 2012 | 486 | ± 4.4% | 3% | align=center | 18% | 16% | 9% | 3% | align=center | 51% | |
Public Policy Polling | April 20–22, 2012 | 521 | ± 4.3% | 4% | 11% | align=center | 12% | 7% | 4% | align=center | 61% |
As the runner-up, Dority chose not to request a runoff, making Goldman the nominee.[19]
Poll source | Date(s) administered | class=small | Sample size | Margin of error | width=110px | Beth Wood (D) | width=110px | Debra Goldman (R) | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Public Policy Polling | October 29–31, 2012 | 730 | ± 3.6% | align=center | 50% | 38% | 12% | ||
Public Policy Polling | October 23–25, 2012 | 880 LV | ± 3.3% | align=center | 45% | 38% | 18% | ||
Public Policy Polling | August 31–September 1, 2012 | 1,012 | ± 3.1% | align=center | 40% | 38% | 22% | ||
Public Policy Polling | July 5–8, 2012 | 775 | ± 3.5% | align=center | 39% | 36% | 25% | ||
Public Policy Polling | June 7–10, 2012 | 810 | ± 3.4% | 36% | 36% | 29% |
Poll source | Date(s) administered | class=small | Sample size | Margin of error | Janet Cowell | Ron Elmer | Undecided | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Public Policy Polling | April 27–29, 2012 | 500 | ± 4.4% | align=center | 50% | 11% | 39% | ||
Public Policy Polling | April 20–22, 2012 | 500 | ± 4.4% | align=center | 38% | 11% | align=center | 51% | |
Public Policy Polling | March 23–25, 2012 | 505 | ± 4.36% | align=center | 34% | 12% | align=center | 55% | |
Public Policy Polling | February 29–March 1, 2012 | 499 | ± 4.4% | align=center | 32% | 14% | align=center | 54% |
Poll source | Date(s) administered | class=small | Sample size | Margin of error | Frank Roche | Steve Royal | Undecided | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Public Policy Polling | May 5–6, 2012 | 496 | ± 4.4% | 24% | align=center | 30% | align=center | 47% | |
Public Policy Polling | April 27–29, 2012 | 486 | ± 4.4% | 17% | align=center | 27% | align=center | 57% |
Poll source | Date(s) administered | class=small | Sample size | Margin of error | width=110px | Janet Cowell (D) | width=110px | Steve Royal (R) | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Public Policy Polling | October 29–31, 2012 | 730 | ± 3.6% | align=center | 46% | 41% | 13% | ||
Public Policy Polling | August 31–September 1, 2012 | 1,012 | ± 3.1% | align=center | 42% | 38% | 20% | ||
Public Policy Polling | July 5–8, 2012 | 775 | ± 3.5% | align=center | 38% | 35% | 27% | ||
Public Policy Polling | October 12–14, 2012 | 1,084 | ± 3% | align=center | 34% | 33% | 33% |
Poll source | Date(s) administered | class=small | Sample size | Margin of error | Richard Alexander | Mark Crawford | Ray Martin | David Scholl | John Tedesco | Undecided | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Public Policy Polling | May 5–6, 2012 | 496 | ± 4.4% | 14% | 12% | 6% | 6% | align=center | 16% | align=center | 45% | |
Public Policy Polling | April 27–29, 2012 | 486 | ± 4.4% | 13% | 8% | 5% | 6% | align=center | 16% | align=center | 52% | |
Public Policy Polling | April 20–22, 2012 | 521 | ± 4.3% | 13% | 6% | 5% | 4% | align=center | 16% | align=center | 57% |
As the runner-up, Alexander requested a runoff.[32]
Poll source | Date(s) administered | class=small | Sample size | Margin of error | width=110px | June Atkinson (D) | width=110px | John Tedesco (R) | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Public Policy Polling | October 23–25, 2012 | 880 LV | ± 3.3% | align=center | 42% | 40% | 18% | ||
Public Policy Polling | September 27–30, 2012 | 981 | ± 3.1% | align=center | 44% | 34% | 22% | ||
Public Policy Polling | August 2–5, 2012 | 813 | ± 3.4% | align=center | 44% | 37% | 19% |
Poll source | Date(s) administered | class=small | Sample size | Margin of error | Bill McManus | Steve Troxler | Undecided | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Public Policy Polling | April 27–29, 2012 | 486 | ± 4.4% | 17% | align=center | 48% | 35% | ||
Public Policy Polling | April 20–22, 2012 | 521 | ± 4.3% | 17% | align=center | 41% | align=center | 42% |
Poll source | Date(s) administered | class=small | Sample size | Margin of error | Scott Bryant | Walter Smith | Undecided | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Public Policy Polling | May 5–6, 2012 | 500 | ± 3.1% | align=center | 21% | 19% | align=center | 60% | |
Public Policy Polling | April 27–29, 2012 | 505 | ± 4.36% | align=center | 20% | 17% | align=center | 63% | |
Public Policy Polling | March 23–25, 2012 | 505 | ± 4.36% | align=center | 17% | 12% | align=center | 71% | |
Public Policy Polling | February 29–March 1, 2012 | 499 | ± 4.4% | align=center | 14% | 13% | align=center | 73% |
Poll source | Date(s) administered | class=small | Sample size | Margin of error | width=110px | Steve Troxler (R) | width=110px | Walter Smith (D) | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Public Policy Polling | October 29–31, 2012 | 730 | ± 3.6% | align=center | 48% | 38% | 14% | ||
Public Policy Polling | August 31–September 1, 2012 | 1,012 | ± 3.1% | align=center | 45% | 35% | 20% | ||
Public Policy Polling | July 5–8, 2012 | 775 | ± 3.5% | align=center | 46% | 34% | 20% | ||
Public Policy Polling | June 7–10, 2012 | 810 | ± 3.4% | align=center | 45% | 31% | 25% |
Poll source | Date(s) administered | class=small | Sample size | Margin of error | John Brooks | Marlowe Foster | Ty Richardson | Undecided | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Public Policy Polling | May 5–6, 2012 | 500 | ± 3.1% | 18% | 14% | align=center | 30% | align=center | 38% | |
Public Policy Polling | April 27–29, 2012 | 500 | ± 4.4% | 20% | 12% | align=center | 26% | align=center | 42% | |
Public Policy Polling | April 20–22, 2012 | 500 | ± 4.4% | align=center | 18% | 10% | align=center | 18% | align=center | 54% |
Public Policy Polling | March 23–25, 2012 | 505 | ± 4.36% | 18% | 8% | align=center | 22% | align=center | 51% | |
Public Policy Polling | February 29–March 1, 2012 | 499 | ± 4.4% | 13% | 9% | align=center | 26% | align=center | 52% |
As the runner-up, Foster requested a runoff.[39]
Poll source | Date(s) administered | class=small | Sample size | Margin of error | width=110px | Cherie Berry (R) | width=110px | John Brooks (D) | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Public Policy Polling | October 23–25, 2012 | 880 LV | ± 3.3% | align=center | 43% | 37% | 19% | ||
Public Policy Polling | September 27–30, 2012 | 981 | ± 3.1% | align=center | 41% | 37% | 22% | ||
Public Policy Polling | August 2–5, 2012 | 813 | ± 3.4% | align=center | 44% | 34% | 22% |
Poll source | Date(s) administered | class=small | Sample size | Margin of error | Mike Causey | James McCall | Richard Morgan | Undecided | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Public Policy Polling | May 5–6, 2012 | 496 | ± 4.4% | align=center | 20% | 14% | 19% | align=center | 47% | |
Public Policy Polling | April 27–29, 2012 | 486 | ± 4.4% | 12% | 12% | align=center | 25% | align=center | 51% | |
Public Policy Polling | April 20–22, 2012 | 521 | ± 4.3% | 13% | 10% | align=center | 17% | align=center | 60% |
As the runner-up, Causey requested a runoff.[44] Of all the statewide runoffs held on July 17, the Republican primary for Insurance Commissioner was the only one in which the top vote-getter changed from the first to the second primary.
Poll source | Date(s) administered | class=small | Sample size | Margin of error | width=110px | Wayne Goodwin (D) | width=110px | Mike Causey (R) | Undecided |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Public Policy Polling | October 23–25, 2012 | 880 LV | ± 3.3% | align=center | 45% | 36% | 19% | ||
Public Policy Polling | September 27–30, 2012 | 981 | ± 3.1% | align=center | 41% | 36% | 23% | ||
Public Policy Polling | August 2–5, 2012 | 813 | ± 3.4% | align=center | 40% | 36% | 24% |