Military influences voting pattern
Cumberland County has been a Democratic stronghold for as long as anyone can remember.
As of May, 52 percent of the county's 194,383 registered voters were Democrats.
Republicans made up 25 percent of the voters, and 23 percent said they had no party affiliation.
The ultra-conservative Libertarians had just 223 members.
Politically speaking, Democrats own this county. They hold every partisan seat, thanks to a party sweep of local offices in 2008. And Democratic primaries often decide who wins at the end of the year. In some races, Republicans don't even bother to run.
This year, Republicans are better organized, mounting a November challenge in six of the 10 partisan contests on the Cumberland County ballot. Republicans tend to fare better in local races that don't have party affiliations on the ballot, such as for Fayetteville City Council.
In 2008, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and John McCain all made stops in Fayetteville. The historic presidential race boosted voter registration. Almost 62percent of registered voters went to the polls in the general election that year.
For the May primaries in 2010, just under 12 percent cast ballots. The statewide figure of 14.5 percent wasn't much better.
Over the past 10 years, the average voter turnout for a primary in Cumberland County was 19 percent, compared with 33 percent in a general election. Elections are held every year.
Floyd Johnson, chairman of the Cumberland County Democratic Party, says there are a number of reasons for his party's dominance in the county. One is the strong presence of the military and Defense Department civilian work force who come from all over the country.
"Many of them were active in their old communities and brought with them a strong influence of new ideas and a democratic spirit that has revitalized this community," he said.