With election results just starting to trickle in, a North Carolina exit pool portends bad news for many of the state’s incumbent Republicans.
NEW: Nearly 7 in 10 North Carolina voters oppose HB2, the so-called "bathroom bill," per preliminary exit polls https://t.co/SYbuUPLt08 pic.twitter.com/9QrveTM4o1
— Evan McMurry (@evanmcmurry) November 8, 2016
HB2, which prohibits trans people from using the correct bathrooms and also bans municipalities from extending LGBT protections, has been a focal point for North Carolina in the 2016 race. With companies and entertainers boycotting the state over the discriminatory law, its proponents, including Gov. Pat McCrory (R), have spent much of the year defending its passage and downplaying the backlash.
In recent weeks, state Republican leaders have refused to comment on the law and even tried to shut down an HB2 forum hosted by The Charlotte Observer on the grounds that it would be “an infomercial” for McCrory’s opponent, Attorney General Roy Cooper (D).
Many expect that North Carolina’s non-presidential election results will largely be a referendum on HB2. If that proves true, it might not be a good night for McCrory or Republican state lawmakers.