The 2020 North Carolina lieutenant gubernatorial election took place on November 3, 2020, to elect the Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina, concurrently with the 2020 U.S. presidential election, as well as elections to the United States Senate and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Primary elections were held on March 3, 2020.

In North Carolina, the Governor and Lieutenant Governor are elected separately.

Incumbent Republican Lieutenant Governor Dan Forest was re-elected to a second term in 2016, despite Republican Governor Pat McCrory losing reelection by a narrow margin. Forest was ineligible to run for a third term due to term limits established by the Constitution of North Carolina. He instead unsuccessfully ran for Governor.

The Republican Party nominated businessman Mark Robinson (a first time public office candidate), and the Democratic Party nominated state representative Yvonne Lewis Holley. Notwithstanding the winner, North Carolina would elect its first African-American lieutenant governor. Robinson won the general election, while Democratic incumbent Gov. Roy Cooper won re-election.

Republican primary Candidates Nominee Mark Robinson, businessman

Eliminated in primary Buddy Bengel, North Carolina Education Lottery commissioner Deborah Cochran, former mayor of Mount Airy Renee Ellmers, former U.S. Representative for North Carolina's 2nd congressional district Greg Gebhardt, North Carolina National Guardsman and U.S. Army veteran Mark Johnson, North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction John L. Ritter, attorney Scott Stone, former state representative Andy Wells, state senator

Declined Mark Brody, state representative Jim Puckett, Mecklenburg County commissioner Mark Walker, incumbent U.S. Representative for North Carolina's 6th congressional district

Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error BuddyBengel DeborahCochran ReneeEllmers GregGebhardt MarkJohnson JohnRitter MarkRobinson ScottStone AndyWells UndecidedHarper Polling/Civitas InstituteHarper Polling/Civitas Institute December 2–4, 2019 500 (LV) ± 4.38% 5%8% 7% 3% 3% 1% 4% 1% 1%67%

Results

Democratic primary Candidates Nominee Yvonne Lewis Holley, state representative

Eliminated in primary Chaz Beasley, state representative Ron Newton, candidate for lieutenant governor in 2016 Allen Thomas, Hoke County commissioner Bill Toole, environmental attorney, former Belmont city councilman, and former chairman of the Gaston County Democratic Party Terry Van Duyn, state senator

Withdrawn Cal Cunningham, former state senator (ran for the U.S. Senate)

Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error ChazBeasley YvonneHolley RonNewton AllenThomas BillToole TerryVan Duyn UndecidedPublic Policy PollingPublic Policy Polling February 4–5, 2020 604 - 6%7% 1% 4% 2% 5%75%Public Policy PollingPublic Policy Polling January 10–13, 2020 509 - 3%7% 2% 6% 2% 4%77%

Results

Because no candidate in the Democratic primary won more than 30 percent of the vote, second-place finisher Terry Van Duyn was entitled to call for a runoff, or "second primary," if she chose to do so. However, Van Duyn chose not to call for a runoff, and Yvonne Holley was awarded the Democratic nomination.

General election Campaign Robinson controversy The Republican nominee attracted controversy in September as a result of his social media posts alleging negative Jewish influence in Hollywood, among other complaints. He claimed that the movie Black Panther was "created by an agnostic Jew and put to film by satanic marxist [sic]. How can this trash, that was only created to pull the shekels out of your Schvartze pockets, invoke any pride?" He also mischaracterized former first lady Michelle Obama as male and her husband Barack Obama as an atheist. Robinson stood by his comments in a September interview with Raleigh news station WRAL, stating, "I don’t back up from them a bit. May hurt some people’s feelings, some things that people may not like, but those are my personal opinions."

Endorsements

Polling

Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Margin oferror MarkRobinson (R) YvonneLewis Holley (D) Other UndecidedEast Carolina UniversityEast Carolina UniversityOctober 27–28, 20201,103 (LV)± 3.4%47%43%2%8%Cardinal Point Analytics (R)Cardinal Point Analytics (R)October 27–28, 2020750 (LV)± 3.6%45%44% –12%Meeting Street Insights (R)Meeting Street Insights (R) October 24–27, 2020600 (LV)± 4%46%47% – –SurveyUSASurveyUSAOctober 23–26, 2020627 (LV)± 4.9%47%44% –9%Harper Polling/Civitas (R) October 22–25, 2020 504 (LV) ± 4.4% 43%46% – 10%East Carolina UniversityEast Carolina UniversityOctober 15–18, 20201,155 (LV)± 3.4%47%42%1%9%East Carolina UniversityEast Carolina University October 2–4, 2020 1,232 (LV) ± 3.2% 45% 45% 2% 9%Harper Polling/Civitas (R)Harper Polling/Civitas (R) September 17–20, 2020 612 (LV)± 3.96%43%40% –16%SurveyUSASurveyUSA September 10–13, 2020 596 (LV) ± 5.6% 41% 41% – 18%East Carolina UniversityEast Carolina University August 29–30, 2020 1,101 (LV) ± 3.4%43% 40% 3% 14%Cardinal Point Analytics (R)Cardinal Point Analytics (R) July 22–24, 2020 735 (LV) ±  3.6% 46% 38% – 16%Cardinal Point Analytics (R)July 13–15, 2020 547 (LV) ± 4.2% 43% 39% – 18%

Results

By congressional district Robinson won eight of 13 congressional districts. District Robinson Lewis Holley Representative 46% 54%G. K. Butterfield37%63%George HoldingDeborah K. Ross 62% 38%Greg Murphy 34% 66%David Price 68% 32%Virginia Foxx39%61%Mark WalkerKathy Manning 59% 41%David Rouzer 54% 46%Richard Hudson 55% 45%Dan Bishop 69% 31%Patrick McHenry 57% 43%Madison Cawthorn 31% 69%Alma Adams 68% 32%Ted Budd

Notes

References

External links

(State affiliate of the U.S. League of Women Voters)

Official campaign websites Yvonne Lewis Holley (D) for Lt. Governor Mark Robinson (R) for Lt. Governor