Steinburg falls to Sanderson in closely watched ‘double bunked’ N.C. Senate primary | Eastern NC Now

    Publisher's Note: This post appears here courtesy of the Carolina Journal. The author of this post is David Bass.

    Incumbent state Sen. Norm Sanderson of Pamlico County will represent the Republican Party on the fall ballot after defeating fellow incumbent state Sen. Bob Steinburg of Edenton. Sanderson won 56% of the vote to Steinburg's 44%.

    The new Senate District 1 includes large portions of coastal North Carolina, including Dare, Hyde, Pamlico, and Carteret counties. Redrawn maps put Steinburg and Sanderson in the same district, a so-called "double bunking" scenario.

    Steinburg served three terms in the House before winning a Senate seat in the 2018 election, while Sanderson has served five terms in the Senate, since 2013. Steinburg chairs the Senate Select Committee on Prison Safety and has been a key player in moving prison reforms through in recent years. Sanderson is chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

    Senate District 1 is 10+ in favor of Republicans on the Civitas Partisan Index, suggesting Sanderson will go on to victory in the general election this fall.