Associated Press

Stein, the outgoing attorney general, and Cooper, another Democrat leaving office shortly after eight years on the job, focused their lawsuit in Wake County Superior Court on a provision that would prevent Stein from picking his own commander of the State Highway Patrol.

“Like all of you, we are reviewing all the results as they come in," Republican Laurie Buckhout said in a statement early Wednesday. "Once the votes have been counted, we will look at all options for getting this over and done with. If a recount is required, we will be ready.” A spokesperson for Congressman Don Davis said his team was waiting for more results to come in before commenting on the race.

Stein, a Harvard-trained lawyer, former state senator and the state’s chief law enforcement officer since 2017, will succeed fellow Democrat Roy Cooper, who was term-limited from seeking reelection. He will be the state’s first Jewish governor.

Republican voters in North Carolina cast ballots in greater numbers than four years ago, while Democratic turnout sagged. Together, those two factors carried Donald Trump to victory over Vice President Kamala Harris, marking the third time he has carried the swing state.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Don Davis, who is in his first term, and GOP opponent Laurie Buckhout are engaged in a fierce battle to win North Carolina's 1st Congressional District, one of the few competitive districts across the Southeast.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Jeff Jackson is an Afghan war veteran and National Guard attorney who was elected to Congress in 2022. Republican U.S. Rep. Dan Bishop is a longtime commercial litigation attorney and former county commissioner who joined Congress in 2019.

Democrat Josh Stein and Republican Mark Robinson were on the ballot with three third-party candidates for the post of chief executive of the ninth-largest state. Democrats have resided at the governor’s mansion for all but four years since 1993, even as the GOP has recently controlled the legislature and appeals courts.

With many of the area's roads inaccessible, Biden flew by helicopter over toppled trees, twisted metal and towering piles of debris in the normally tourist-friendly downtown of Asheville.

Among them were first responders who perished in wind-ravaged and rain-soaked communities, often while trying to help others. Not all were human: An eastern Tennessee police department lost a K-9 named Scotty to the rapidly rising floodwaters.

“We have to jump start this recovery process,” President Joe Biden said, estimating it will cost billions. “People are scared to death. This is urgent.”