Political expert weighs in on importance of NC this election

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — UNCW Department of Public and International Affairs professor Aaron King said North Carolina, along with states like Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida are battleground states.

He said they really have a lot of sway in which way the presidential election will go. He said for some states, it is easier to tell which way folks will vote and who will win, but North Carolina is not one of those states and that is why candidates fight so hard for votes here.

King said historically our state swings conservatively, however in the last presidential race things shifted towards Obama. He said this race will likely be very close in North Carolina.

“The presidential candidates no matter how much money and resources they have, they only have so much time and so much money. They have to allocate those very strategically and so if they are putting money toward North Carolina that is a sign that they really think it’s something that they can actually win,” King said.

King said that is likely why Trump came to the Port City earlier this month and why Pence is coming later this week. He said he would not be surprised if the democrats are next to target the tar heel state on their campaign trail.