state senate districtNorth Carolina 42nd State Senate District
presidential margin
2004–2024 · Democratic minus Republican
2004R+35.1
2008R+15.5
2012R+21.7
2016R+4.0
2020D+6.1
2024D+6.5
net swing · 2004→2024D+41.6R+35.1 → D+6.5
vs. U.S. · 2024D+8.0D+6.5 vs R+1.5
presidential returns
2024 turnout 86.9% of 146,786 citizens 18+
Year
Democrat
Republican
Others
Total
CVAP
Turnout
2024
66,576
58,272
2,692
127,540
146,786
86.9%
2020
66,085
58,411
2,155
126,651
138,534†
91.4%
2016
48,858
53,181
5,823
107,862
126,504†
85.3%
2012
40,279
62,884
1,155
104,318
114,449†
91.1%
2008
40,456
55,499
795
96,750
106,465†
90.9%
2004
27,139
56,658
296
84,093
98,481†
85.4%
† Citizen voting-age population estimated for prior cycles from the constituent-county ACS trend anchored to the current figure. Source: ACS 5-year, table B05003.
——
D+60R+60
20042024
Boundary by 2024 margin · Precinct returns · VEST · MIT Election Lab
People and households
Who lives here
Exact values for this place, its state, and the United States.
Race · ethnicity · ancestry
Communities and origins
GroupNC SD 42North CarolinaUnited States
English15.5%12.7%9.5%
German14.1%9.4%12.5%
Irish12.6%8.4%9.4%
American7.8%8.3%5.3%
Italian6.8%3.3%4.8%
Scottish3.2%2.3%1.3%
Polish2.8%1.0%2.2%
Scotch-Irish2.7%1.4%—
African American†7.8%18.3%9.9%
African0.4%0.7%0.5%
Mexican2.8%5.6%11.3%
Honduran1.2%0.7%0.3%
Salvadoran0.8%0.7%0.7%
Puerto Rican0.6%1.2%1.8%
Dominican0.4%0.3%0.7%
Colombian0.4%0.3%0.4%
Guatemalan0.4%0.4%0.5%
Cuban0.3%0.3%0.7%
Asian Indian3.2%1.2%1.4%
Vietnamese1.2%0.3%0.6%
Chinese1.0%0.4%1.3%
Filipino0.4%0.2%0.9%
Korean0.4%0.2%0.4%
Burmese0.4%——
Cambodian0.3%——
Nepalese0.3%——
Hispanic or Latino counts residents of any race; the race groups count only their non-Hispanic residents, so the groups are mutually exclusive and sum to 100%. Expand a row to see ancestries reported within that group.
Age and life stage
Measure
NC SD 42
North Carolina
United States
Median age
41.4
39.5
39.1
Age 18–24
9.2%
9.5%
9.2%
Age 65 and older
12.0%
17.2%
17.2%
Household economy
Measure
NC SD 42
North Carolina
United States
Median household income
$124,690
$72,388
$84,427
Poverty rate
4.8%
13.1%
12.5%
Bachelor's degree or higher (25+)
49.2%
35.8%
35.6%
Languages at home
Measure
NC SD 42
North Carolina
United States
Speaks a non-English language at home
22.3%
13.5%
22.3%
Spanish
13.3%
8.7%
13.6%
Other Indo-European
2.2%
1.1%
2.0%
Other Asian & Pacific Island
1.9%
0.9%
1.1%
Religious landscape
Measure
NC SD 42
North Carolina
United States
Catholic
—
8.9%
18.6%
Evangelical Protestant
—
26.5%
16.5%
Unclaimed / not counted
—
48.0%
51.5%
American Community Survey 2024 5-year (CVAP, income, age, poverty, education, language, race, ancestry) · presidential returns from MIT Election Lab through 2024 · 2020 U.S. Religion Census (ASARB) — congregational adherents; unclaimed is the residual not counted by congregations.
North Carolina 42nd State Senate District
presidential history
Presidential margin, 2004–2024
Democratic minus Republican, by election
Presidential margin over time
Year
Margin (D minus R)
2004
−35.1%
2008
−15.5%
2012
−21.7%
2016
−4.0%
2020
+6.1%
2024
+6.5%
DemocraticRepublican
6 presidential elections
Third column names the leading third-party or independent finisher. Source · MIT Election Lab · ICPSR · VEST (precinct-level 2024). Swing · margin change from the prior cycle. vs U.S. · margin relative to the national result that year. Third-party votes in 2012 are allocated from certified county totals by this place's share of each county's two-party vote — that cycle's precinct source records two-party splits. † 2004 sub-county results are estimated: the source's block-level detail for this cycle was unreliable — either county/municipality-level consolidated reporting (COVID-era) or a precinct-to-block allocation that misplaced votes — so the figures are allocated from the constituent county totals in proportion to the place and scaled to certified totals.
Year
Won
Democratic
Republican
Other
Margin
Swing
vs U.S.
Total
D
52.2%Harris66,576
45.7%Trump58,272
2.1%
D+6.5
D+0.5
D+8.0
127,540
D
52.2%Biden66,085
46.1%Trump58,411
1.7%
D+6.1
D+10.1
D+1.6
126,651
R
45.3%Clinton48,858
49.3%Trump53,181
5.4%
R+4.0
D+17.7
R+6.1
107,862
R
38.6%Obama40,279
60.3%Romney62,884
1.1%
R+21.7
R+6.1
R+25.5
104,318
R
41.8%Obama40,456
57.4%McCain55,499
0.8%
R+15.5
D+19.6
R+22.8
96,750
R
32.3%Kerry27,139
67.4%Bush56,658
0.4%
R+35.1
—
R+32.6
84,093
current representation
Current officeholders
DWoodson BradleyState Senate · 42
State legislative officeholder from OpenStates nightly current-legislator data.
With a 2024 presidential margin of D+36.3, this district ranks among the state's most reliably blue constituencies, suggesting a dense urban or majority-minority population base that consistently delivers lopsided statewide results.
Across the recorded series it reached a Democratic high of 6.5 points in 2024 and a Republican high of 35.1 points in 2004. The 2024 margin was 6.5 points.
A population of 209,378, a 70% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $124,690 describe the district. The district's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of State Senate District 13 and State Senate District 16.
Akashic
Political twins — state-senate districts
The state-senate districts whose fingerprint — 2000–2024 trajectory, demographics, ancestry, religion — sits closest to this one, and why.
Twin score (0–100) = weighted cosine between tier-standardized fingerprints: presidential margins 2000–2024 with 12-yr trend and elasticity, ACS income, age, education, population and race, top reported ancestries, and religious adherence — chips name the closest-shared dimensions and the widest gap. Re-weight the groups in the twins explorer.
Compare two places, side by side
Twelve curated comparisons line up election history, demographics, and the divergence story for two places at a glance. Browse all comparisons →
Cite this page
All citations released under CC BY 4.0. Attribution: Akashic Intelligence.
North Carolina 42nd State Senate District. Akashic. https://akashic.app/sld-upper/37042/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.
How did North Carolina 42nd State Senate District vote in 2024?
In 2024, North Carolina 42nd State Senate District voted Democratic by 6.5 points (D+6.5), carried by the Democratic candidate. Out of 127,540 votes cast, 66,576 went Democratic and 58,272 went Republican.
When did North Carolina 42nd State Senate District last vote Republican?
The most recent presidential election in which North Carolina 42nd State Senate District voted Republican was 2016.
How many people live in North Carolina 42nd State Senate District?
North Carolina 42nd State Senate District has a population of 209,378 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.
What is the median household income in North Carolina 42nd State Senate District?
Median household income in North Carolina 42nd State Senate District is $124,690 — above the national median of $80,734. The North Carolina state median is $72,388.
What is the political history of North Carolina 42nd State Senate District?
Akashic tracks 6 presidential elections in North Carolina 42nd State Senate District from 2004 to 2024. Of those, 2 went Democratic and 4 went Republican.
