N.C. Democratic Party Chair Anderson Clayton spoke to students about the importance of down-ballot races and youth voting turnout during a Q&A session on Monday.
The event, hosted by Duke Democrats, was part of Clayton's “30 campuses in 30 days” tour. Those in attendance, who were largely undergraduate students, were given campaign literature that included “Donald Trump is weird” stickers and a pamphlet focused on statewide down-ballot races.
Elected in 2023 at 25 years old, Clayton is the youngest state Democratic chair in the United States. Originally from Roxboro, N.C., she worked on several congressional and presidential campaigns before running for state party chair.
Emphasizing down-ballot races
“Republicans control all three branches of government in North Carolina,” Clayton said. “Oftentimes, people think [that] because we control the governor's office, that we also control the executive branch, and that's not true.”
Republicans currently hold six of 10 positions on the Council of State, which is composed of all executive branch officials elected statewide.
Clayton said that the GOP created the “weakest governor's office in the entire country for a reason: because Democrats have won the last seven out of eight governor's races in North Carolina.”
She cited the commissioner of agriculture and state treasurer as roles with the potential to flip parties, pointing to Democrat Sarah Taber as a challenge to incumbent Republican Steve Troxler, and Democrat Wesley Harris as a close competitor to GOP nominee Brad Briner, respectively.
Clayton also addressed the offices Democrats are looking to defend, including vulnerable court seats and the roles of attorney general and governor. Clayton also emphasized the role of state auditor, where she expressed support for incumbent Jessica Holmes (D).
She criticized GOP nominee for Attorney General Dan Bishop, describing him as “the father of H.B. 2,” in reference to the 2016 House bill which “preempts local governments from opening bathrooms for people to use according to how they identify their gender.”
H.B. 2 was projected to have cost the state’s economy $3.76 billion in business after several businesses pulled investments and canceled events – including NCAA March Madness – in boycott of the bill. It was later partially repealed in March 2017.
According to Clayton, Democrats must defend an incumbent state Supreme Court justice in 2024 and again in 2026 to potentially regain a majority in 2028.
She emphasized the importance of overturning the GOP’s supermajority in the state legislature, calling it the government body with “the most power in North Carolina”. She cited laws restricting abortion access and the creation of gerrymandered districts as consequences of Republican courts and the legislative supermajority.
Voter engagement and enthusiasm
“What we've seen from College Democrats in previous years in North Carolina is a lack of investment in their opportunity and in their organizations,” Clayton said, noting that state Democrats are “playing a long game in North Carolina … to build back up [the] party.”
“We lost our entire court system,” Clayton said. “... We, the Democratic Party, lost our [state] Supreme Court, we lost our Court of Appeals. And really what that did was it allowed Republicans to take back control over gerrymandering the state of North Carolina.”
Democrats are expected to lose three or four U.S. House seats in November because of maps approved by the state Supreme Court in late 2023.
Responding to student questions, Clayton frequently returned to voter engagement, particularly among college students, and its effect on close races.
“One of the biggest turnout drivers in 2008 was the fact that Barack Obama got campuses out to vote,” she said. “If we can do that again this year, that 74,000 vote margin that Joe Biden lost by in 2020 — that's going to be the margin that Kamala Harris potentially wins or loses this state by. You all will be a part of that.”
She also responded to the recent scandal surrounding Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson (R), in which a CNN report tied Robinson to numerous disturbing comments he allegedly made on a pornographic website, noting that the Democratic Party is now trying to “[tie] the Republican Party to Mark Robinson.”
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Samanyu Gangappa is a Trinity sophomore and local/national news editor for the news department.