NORTH CAROLINA
      Nov. 8, 2016 U.S. Senate

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+Richard Burr (R) i
2,395,376 51.06%
Deborah Ross (D)
 2,128,165 45.37%
Sean Haugh (L) 167,592 3.57%

4,691,133
Registered voters: 6,914.248.  Ballots cast: 4,769,640.
Plurality: 267,211 votes (5.69 percentage points).
 North Carolina State Board of Elections


Notes:  North Carolina saw a lot of activity as a presidential battleground state (+) and the scene of a very tight governor's race; the Senate race proved closer than expected as well. 

After trying unsuccessfully to recruit former Sen. Kay Hagan, former Charlotte mayor and U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, State Treasurer Janet Cowell, and former U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler,, Democrats settled on attorney and former state Rep. Deborah Ross, who also served as state director of the ACLU from 1994-2002, to take on two-term Sen. Richard Burr,  chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee.  The DSCC endorsed Ross on Jan. 21 in advance of the March primary. Burr resisted going into full campaign mode until relatively late, causing some angst among Republicans; his campaign actually did not even have a formally designated campaign manager. 

The only televised Senate debate took place between Burr and Ross at UNC studios on Oct. 13 (>). 

According to the FEC for 2015-16 the Burr campaign reported disbursements of $9.1 million compared to $14.4 million for the Ross campaign (>). 

Burr won a third term, defeating Ross by 267,211 votes (5.69 percentage points) while Sean Haugh (L) garnered 3.57% of the vote.  By comparison, Trump won North Carolina by164,315 votes (3.66 percentage points). 


Campaign Managers:
Richard Burr:  no campaign manager
[Alex Johnson served as director of strategic operations, fulfilling some of the roles of campaign manager.  He came to the campaign in Jan. 2016 after serving as state director of Generation Opportunity].

Deborah Ross:  Jonathon Bray
(April 2016)  Chief of staff to U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel (FL), Jan. 2013-Oct. 2015.  Campaign manager on Lois Frankel for Congress, July-Nov. 2012.  Campaign manager on Patsy Keever for Congress (NC), Jan.-June 2012.  Deputy campaign manager on Friends of David Bulova (VA), Aug.-Nov. 2011.  Statewide field director for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, July-Nov. 2010.  Field director on Fisher for Ohio, Mar.-July 2010.  Petition director on Kendrick Meek for Senate (FL), Jan.-Mar. 2010.  Apprentice at AFSCME, Mar. 2009-Jan. 2010. Regional field director on Louisiana Victory 2008.  Started as Iowa field organizer in Dubuque, then GOTC director in Nevada and ballot access organizer in Indiana on John Edwards for President, Mar. 2007-Feb. 2008.  Organizer for the DFL in North Branch, MN, Aug.-Nov. 2016.  B.A. in political science and philosophy from American University, 2006.

David Hoffman served as campaign manager from Oct. 2015-April 2016.




See also: Alex Levinson.  "Is Richard Burr Sailing into the Perfect Storm?"  National Reveiw, Aug. 18, 2016.
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