In almost all major statewide races, Lee County’s vote in the 2020 primaries closely mirrors that of the total vote across the state.

Lee County Democrats went for Joe Biden as their presidential nominee with 44.71 percent, closely tracking the former vice president’s nearly 43 percent total statewide. Behind him were Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, former New York City Mike Bloomberg, and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren – their totals in Lee County again closely tracking statewide numbers.

On the Republican side, President Donald Trump earned 95.38 percent of the Lee County Republican vote, compared to 93.52 percent statewide.

In the presidential primaries for both the Constitution and Libertarian parties, “no preference” led the ticket both locally and statewide, offering a glimpse into third parties which apparently prefer no president to any president at all.

In the races for U.S. Senate, local Republicans gave incumbent Thom Tillis 75 percent of the vote, compared to 78 percent statewide. On the Democratic side, former state lawmaker Cal Cunningham took 62 percent of the vote in Lee County, overperforming the 57 percent he won with statewide.

One notable exception to the “as Lee goes, so goes the state” rule that appeared to be at play on Super Tuesday was former Rep. Renee Ellmers, a Dunn Republican who represented Lee County in Congress for two terms beginning in 2010.

Ellmers, who was seeking the Republican nomination for North Carolina Lieutenant Governor, finished in fifth place statewide with 6.82 percent of the vote, but had nearly double that support locally with 13.79 percent.

There were only two local primaries in Tuesday’s election, both on the Republican side. In those, Republican Suzanne Matthews bested challenger Nicolle Phair to win the GOP nomination for District Attorney of Lee and Harnett counties, and Terry Rose won a race a District Court judgeship over Charlene Nelson. View the full results of Tuesday’s primaries here.