It’s easy to get lost in the noise of a presidential year. In North Carolina, the 2024 cycle felt like a marathon of yard signs, TV ads that wouldn't quit, and a whole lot of talk about what was happening at the top of the ticket. But if you really want to know where the power shifted—and where the next two years of state policy will actually be decided—you’ve gotta look at the 120 seats in the state house.
Honestly, the 2024 North Carolina House of Representatives election was a bit of a nail-biter for anyone who follows Raleigh politics. Going into the night, Republicans had what’s called a "supermajority." Basically, that meant they had enough votes to override any veto from the governor without needing a single Democrat to help them out.
By the time the dust settled, that supermajority was gone. Just by one seat.
The One-Seat Shift That Reset the Balance
North Carolina is famously purple, or maybe "checkered" is a better word. We’ve got deep red rural areas and bright blue cities. In the 2024 North Carolina House of Representatives election, the Republicans kept a very solid majority, but they landed at 71 seats. They needed 72 to keep that veto-proof hammer.
This matters because we also elected a Democratic governor, Josh Stein. With a 71-49 split, the House Republicans are now one vote shy of being able to ignore Stein's pen. It’s a massive change in the "math" of how laws get passed in this state. You’ve now got a situation where every single Republican has to be in the room and voting together—or they have to find a moderate Democrat to cross the aisle—if they want to push through something the governor hates.
Who Flipped and Who Stayed Put?
It wasn't a "blue wave" or a "red wave." It was more like a few key ripples in very specific neighborhoods.
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- Dante Pittman (D) vs. Ken Fontenot (R): This was a huge one in District 24 (Wilson and Nash counties). Fontenot was a freshman Republican incumbent, but Pittman managed to flip it back to the blue column. It was one of the most watched races because it felt like a bellwether for how suburban/rural mix areas were feeling.
- Bryan Cohn (D) vs. Frank Sossamon (R): Over in District 32 (Granville and Vance), Cohn narrowly unseated the Republican incumbent. These tiny margins—sometimes just a few hundred votes—are what ended the supermajority.
- Tricia Cotham (R) held on: You might remember Cotham. She was the Democrat who famously switched parties in 2023, giving Republicans that supermajority in the first place. Democrats poured money into District 105 in Mecklenburg to try and take her out, but she kept the seat.
It’s kinda wild when you think about it. Millions of dollars spent, and the net result is a one-seat shift. But in politics, one seat is the difference between a "yes" and a "maybe."
The Impact of Redrawn Maps
You can't talk about the 2024 North Carolina House of Representatives election without mentioning the maps. Before the election, the districts were redrawn. This is a perennial drama in North Carolina.
Critics like Representative Tim Longest (D) argued the maps were basically a "GOP protection plan," while Republican leaders like Senator Ralph Hise maintained they just followed the standard rules like keeping towns together. Regardless of who you believe, the maps definitely favored Republicans in more districts than the previous versions did. That makes the Democrats' feat of breaking the supermajority even more surprising to some political analysts.
Turnout and the "Stein Effect"
Voter turnout was robust, even if it didn't quite hit the record highs of 2020. About 73% of registered voters showed up. What’s interesting is the "split-ticket" behavior. A lot of people voted for Donald Trump at the top, but then turned around and voted for Josh Stein for Governor.
This "Stein Effect" probably helped some of those down-ballot Democrats in the House. When a governor candidate wins by double digits (as Stein did over Mark Robinson), it creates a bit of a tailwind for the rest of the party.
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What Actually Changes in Raleigh Now?
So, the supermajority is broken. Does that mean everything stops? Not exactly.
The Republicans still have 71 seats. That’s a lot of power. They can still pass almost anything they want through the House as a regular bill. The hurdle only appears when Governor Stein decides to veto a bill.
In 2023 and 2024, the General Assembly overrode dozens of vetoes on everything from abortion restrictions to election laws. Moving forward, the GOP leadership—likely led by a new Speaker since Tim Moore headed to Congress—will have to play a much more careful game of "count the votes."
The Senate is a Different Story
Just to keep things confusing, the North Carolina Senate did keep its supermajority. They actually expanded it. So you have a Senate that can override vetoes and a House that (technically) can’t.
Since you need both chambers to override a veto, the House becomes the "chokepoint." If the House can't find that 72nd vote, the Governor's veto stands. This is going to lead to some intense "whipping" of votes and probably some very late nights in the legislative building.
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What Most People Get Wrong About These Results
A lot of folks think that because the supermajority is gone, the GOP is "in trouble." That’s a bit of an exaggeration. They still control the budget. They still control which bills even get a hearing.
The real shift is in negotiation leverage.
In the last two years, Republicans didn't really have to talk to Democrats at all. Now? They might need to. If one Republican representative is out sick or on vacation, the GOP can't override a veto that day. They are now operating without a safety net.
Actionable Insights for North Carolina Residents
If you’re living in NC and wondering how this affects your life, here’s the deal:
- Watch the "Veto List": Keep an eye on the first few big bills Governor Stein vetoes in 2025. This will be the first test of the new House math. Will a Democrat flip to help the GOP? Or will the GOP hold perfectly together?
- Local Matters: If you live in one of those "flipped" districts like 24 or 32, your representative is now a key player in the state’s balance of power. Their office will be much more sensitive to constituent calls than someone in a "safe" seat.
- Budget Battles: Expect the state budget process to be even more drawn out. Without the guarantee of an override, there will be more "horse-trading" between the Governor’s office and the House leadership.
- Stay Involved: The 2026 midterms will be here before you know it. Given how close the 2024 North Carolina House of Representatives election was, every single door knocked and every dollar donated in those "swing" districts is going to be magnified next time around.
The era of "unchecked" legislative power in North Carolina has shifted back to a more traditional, messy, and complicated tug-of-war. For a state that’s almost perfectly divided, maybe that’s exactly what the voters intended.