Nonpartisan Cook Political Report shifts North Carolina to 'toss up'

The nonpartisan Cook Political Group on Tuesday shifted North Carolina from "leaning Red" into an official toss-up, signaling that Vice President Kamala Harris is gaining on former President Donald Trump in the swing-state. 

Trump won North Carolina in both 2016, and 2020. Trump has not lost any support in North Carolina so far, but Harris was able to sway voters who were not interested in voting for President Joe Biden. 

“Despite the optimism and hype, Biden was never able to keep this race close. By the time he dropped out of the race in late July, the president was trailing Trump by almost seven points,” Cook Editor-In-Chief Amy Walter wrote in an analysis. “Today, however, the Tar Heel State looks more competitive than ever.”

Trump and Harris are neck-and-neck, according to polling averages from FiveThirtyEight and RealClearPolitics. Trump leads by 0.3% in the FiveThirtyEight average and 0.9% in RCP.

Minnesota and New Hampshire were also shifted in Harris's direction, with both states moving from "leaning Democrat," to "likely Democrat," according to the report.

Momentum has been on Harris's side after Biden endorsed her and dropped his own bid for reelection. But some political strategists and Republicans have warned that the momentum could falter in the final two months. 

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.