RALEIGH — Election results this year continue a trend of Republicans gaining control of school boards and winning more school board races than Democrats.
In 2013, only 10 school boards out of the state’s 115 statewide districts held partisan elections, but as the number of partisan board races has grown, so have Republican gains.
During 2022’s elections, 41 of the 83 districts holding elections that year were partisan races and Republicans picked up 20 while Democrats took four. Of the 137 partisan seat races that year, Republicans won 103 (75%) and Democrats won 34 (25%).
For the 2024 November election, of the 292 school board seats on ballots across North Carolina, 170 were partisan races, or roughly 52%. Not considering any possible recounts and based on the unofficial results, Republicans continued to dominate, winning 138 seats or 81%. Democrats won 26 or 15.2%.
There were 53 districts considered partisan in the lead up to the 2024 election. Four districts became partisan due to legislation passed during the 2023-24 long session: Catawba, Hickory City, Newton-Conover City, Pamlico and Polk.
Of the partisan school boards holding an election this year, Republicans picked up control of seven more, going from 31 to 38. Democrats did not add to their tally, but did maintain control over the same six they held heading into the November election; Anson, Guilford, Lenoir, Madison, Vance and Washington.
The number of partisan school board races will rise in 2026. Two districts passed referendums this November changing the method of their elections from nonpartisan to partisan; Alexander County Schools District with 52.78% in favor and Rowan-Salisbury Schools District with 55.4% in favor.
Race and referendum results for each county can be accessed using the Elections Results Dashboard on the NC State Board of Elections website at er.ncsbe.gov.
