More than a week has passed since the 2020 Election. President-Elect Joe Biden is moving forward with his transition plans, key Republican leaders are quiet, and there are questions about whether the American public is as divided as it’s ever been. In North Carolina, Republicans head into the next legislative session with an as-yet unofficial 70-50 majority in the House and a 29-21 majority in the Senate. Voter turnout in North Carolina was, like much of the nation, historic. Almost 75% of registered voters cast a ballot. By comparison, in 2016, 69% turned out . And it’s not a surprise which parts of the state leaned toward Biden and which went for Trump. As the Charlotte Observer explains, “Mostly, Cooper scored big margins in urban and predominantly Black counties, while Trump dominated in rural and outer suburban counties.” While we know that North Carolina was a closely-watched state during the election, it remains an anomaly. Why is it that North Carolinians appear to have favored