Electoral MeridianIndependent Election Research

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States ยท North Carolina

Watauga County, North Carolina

2026 election results. Roy Cooper (D) got 63% of the U.S. Senate vote in Watauga County. The margin is 22.7 points more Democratic than the 2024 presidential vote here. Below are also 7 local contests from the state's own results.

2026 results in Watauga County

U.S. Senate

Roy Cooper
62.6%15,064
Michael Whatley
34.6%8,329
Shannon Bray
1.5%371
Michael Dublin
1.2%287
100% counted

Statewide: Roy Cooper wins. Called.

The leader in Watauga County is only who has the most votes counted here. Races are won statewide or district-wide, and only the race pages report calls. Last vote update here Nov 13, 11:28 AM.

7 local contests in Watauga County

County offices, school boards and districts on Watauga County's ballots, from North Carolina's official results file. Names are as the state prints them. "Ahead" describes the current count; it isn't a race call, and we don't call measures.

County offices

Watauga County Board of Commissioners District 01

CandidateVotesShare
Adam Hege D3,05788.6%
Rick Woods R39511.4%

Adam Hege ahead in Watauga County.

Watauga County Board of Commissioners District 02

CandidateVotesShare
Ray Russell D3,36973.2%
Savva Kostis R1,23126.8%

Ray Russell ahead in Watauga County.

Watauga County Clerk of Superior Court

CandidateVotesShare
Holly Fehl D14,01759.1%
Charles M. Haynes R9,69440.9%

Holly Fehl ahead in Watauga County.

Watauga County Sheriff

CandidateVotesShare
Len Hagaman, Jr. D16,09067.9%
Darin Church R7,59432.1%

Len Hagaman, Jr. ahead in Watauga County.

Schools

Watauga County Board of Education District 01

CandidateVotesShare
Ellen Lamont1,71161.2%
Yolanda Adams1,05437.7%
Write-In291.0%

Ellen Lamont ahead in Watauga County.

Watauga County Board of Education District 04

CandidateVotesShare
Chad Cole2,61157.6%
Megan Kornhauser1,88441.5%
Write-In400.9%

Chad Cole ahead in Watauga County.

Districts

Watauga Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor 2 seats

CandidateVotesShare
David Scott13,33242.7%
David Williams12,38439.6%
Aaron Grig5,17916.6%
Write-In3441.1%

David Scott and David Williams ahead in Watauga County.

North Carolina's official results, file posted Nov 13, 5:05 PM. Unofficial until certified.

Compared with 2024

RaceMargin2024 presidentShift
NC SenateD +28.8D +6.1D +22.7
NC-05D +28.6D +6.1D +22.5

Margins compare the Democrat and the Republican only. The 2024 column is the presidential margin in the same places as each race's votes here. Shift is this year's margin minus it, shown once at least 90% of the expected vote is counted. A dash means there's no 2024 figure for those exact places.

How Watauga County has voted for president

YearDemocratShareRepublicanShareMarginVotes
2024Kamala Harris52.1%Donald Trump46.1%D +6.033,102
2020Joe Biden53.1%Donald Trump44.9%D +8.332,217
2016Hillary Clinton47.2%Donald Trump45.7%D +1.529,985
2012Barack Obama47.0%Mitt Romney50.1%R +3.127,674
2008Barack Obama51.3%John McCain47.0%D +4.328,372
2004John Kerry46.7%George W. Bush52.6%R +5.924,050
2000Al Gore42.5%George W. Bush55.7%R +13.218,723

Shares are of all presidential votes, and the margin is the Democrat's share minus the Republican's. Since 2000, the presidential margin here has moved D +19.2.

Other counties in North Carolina

North Carolina results

Sources & scope

Votes for 2026 come from the count this site reads, by county. They're unofficial until North Carolina certifies them. Past presidential votes are from MEDSL and VEST, via Polling Forecast. North Carolina's own results, deadlines and offices are on the state page.