Editing Robeson County, North Carolina (section)

===Politics===
[[File:State Capitol Protest in Raleigh (2020 Nov) (50603498261).jpg|thumb|Republican presidential candidate [[Donald Trump]] won Robeson County in 2016, 2020, and 2024 with the support of many Lumbees.]]
{| role="presentation" class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
| <strong>Historical presidential election returns</strong>
|-
| {{PresHead|place=Robeson County, North Carolina|source=<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|last=Leip|first=David|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=March 17, 2018}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|29,647|16,728|395|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|27,806|19,020|362|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|20,762|19,016|1,080|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|2012|Democratic|17,510|24,988|448|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|2008|Democratic|17,433|23,058|343|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|2004|Democratic|15,909|17,868|94|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|2000|Democratic|11,721|17,834|192|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1996|Democratic|8,146|17,361|2,164|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1992|Democratic|7,777|19,378|3,319|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1988|Democratic|9,908|16,988|104|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1984|Democratic|12,947|15,257|87|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1980|Democratic|6,982|17,618|430|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1976|Democratic|4,907|20,695|97|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|11,362|7,391|188|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1968|Democratic|4,526|8,248|6,441|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|3,591|13,796|0|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1960|Democratic|3,580|11,623|0|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1956|Democratic|2,785|10,516|0|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1952|Democratic|4,127|9,311|0|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1948|Democratic|1,036|7,056|1,041|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1944|Democratic|1,118|7,278|0|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1940|Democratic|931|9,251|0|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|732|10,280|0|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|783|7,860|44|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1928|Democratic|2,767|4,730|0|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1924|Democratic|314|4,064|14|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1920|Democratic|2,220|6,183|0|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1916|Democratic|1,453|2,894|0|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1912|Democratic|154|2,706|660|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1908|Democratic|1,300|2,698|0|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1904|Democratic|982|2,274|6|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1900|Democratic|1,144|3,280|0|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1896|Democratic|2,429|3,457|3|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1892|Democratic|1,117|2,312|842|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1888|Democratic|1,970|2,879|41|North Carolina}}
{{PresRow|1884|Democratic|2,278|2,503|0|North Carolina}}
{{PresFoot|1880|Democratic|1,960|2,235|0|North Carolina}}
|}

Politically, Robeson County has historically been dominated by the Democratic Party. A majority of Robesonians voted for Republican presidential candidate [[Richard Nixon]] [[1972 United States presidential election|in 1972]], but then voted for Democratic presidential candidates in the next nine elections.<ref name= harrison>{{cite web| url = https://www.wfae.org/politics/2020-10-19/democrats-hope-rural-robeson-county-goes-blue-again| title = Democrats Hope Rural Robeson County Goes Blue Again| last = Harrison| first = Steve| date = October 19, 2020| website = WFAE 90.7|publisher = WFAE| access-date = November 15, 2022}}</ref> The local Republican Party grew in the early 21st century, fueled by prevailing religious conservatism in the county and discontent with the loss of manufacturing jobs. Many of the Democrats who remained with their party were [[Conservative Democrat|conservative]].<ref name= samuels>{{cite news| last = Samuels| first = Robert| title = Their county was once a bellwether. Now, these Obama-Trump voters wonder what the future holds.| newspaper = The Washington Post| date = November 10, 2020| url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/robeson-obama-trump-voters/2020/11/09/17b83d4e-2272-11eb-a381-7400aa2eda00_story.html| access-date = November 14, 2022}}</ref> 

Democrats continued to win state and local races by large margins in the 2000s but their margins of victory in presidential and congressional races decreased. In 2016 and 2020, county voters favored Republican [[Donald Trump]], who won over majorities of white and Lumbee voters by championing socially conservative issues, criticizing [[free trade]] agreements, and declaring his support for full federal recognition of the Lumbee Tribe.<ref name= kruse>{{cite news| last = Kruse| first = Michael| title = How Trump Won One of America's Most Diverse Counties — By a Lot| newspaper = Politico| date = December 10, 2020| url = https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/12/10/robeson-county-rural-rainbow-coalition-north-carolina-trump-republicans-443978| access-date = November 15, 2022}}</ref> The area also began increasingly voting for Republican state and local candidates,<ref>{{cite news| last = Yeoman| first = Barry| title = The best political strategist in Robeson County might be this high school senior| newspaper = Border Belt Independent| date = May 24, 2022| url = https://borderbelt.org/the-best-political-strategist-in-robeson-county-might-be-this-high-school-senior/| access-date = November 15, 2022}}</ref> with Robesonians in 2016 electing their first Republican state senator since Reconstruction.<ref name= kruse/> In 2020, Republicans won most races in the county.<ref>{{cite news| last = Nagem| first = Sarah| title = In an effort to keep Robeson County red, GOP makes big push to win over Lumbee voters| newspaper = Border Belt Independent| date = January 29, 2022| url = https://borderbelt.org/rnc-opens-office-in-nc-to-woo-lumbee-voters/| access-date = November 15, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| last1 = Sinclair| first1 = Tomeka| last2 = Horne| first2 = Jessica| title = Election shows Robeson County has shifted red politically| newspaper = The Robesonian| date = November 4, 2020| url = https://www.robesonian.com/news/139430/election-shows-robeson-county-has-shifted-red-politically| access-date = November 15, 2022}}</ref> 

As of April 2022, Robeson hosts about 70,400 registered voters, comprising about 36,500 registered Democrats, 12,300 registered Republicans and 21,300 unaffiliated.<ref name= Nagem1>{{cite news| last = Nagem| first = Sarah| title = Robeson County voters will go to the polls May 17. Here are some primary races to watch| newspaper = Border Belt Independent| date = April 20, 2022| url = https://borderbelt.org/robeson-county-primary-election-2022/| access-date = July 21, 2022}}</ref> Trump won the county again in 2024,<ref>{{cite news| last = Nagem| first = Sarah| title = Robeson County, home to Lumbee tribe, sees small voter turnout but big support for Trump| newspaper = Border Belt Independent| date = November 6, 2024| url = https://borderbelt.org/robeson-county-nc-sees-low-turnout-support-for-trump/| access-date = November 12, 2024}}</ref> this time with an even harder swing. Indeed, Robeson County shifted further to the right in 2024 than any North Carolina county, and Trump's 63% was higher than any Republican has ever gotten in Robeson County.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Mahtesian |first1=Charlie |title=The unexpected group that surged toward Trump |url=https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-nightly/2024/11/15/the-unexpected-group-that-surged-toward-trump-00189963 |website=Politico |access-date=21 January 2025}}</ref> With an estimated voter turnout rate of 59 percent, the county had the lowest turnout of any county in the state in the 2024 elections.<ref>{{cite news| last = Rappaport| first = Ben| title = Rural southeastern NC, already known for low voter turnout, sees further drop| newspaper = Border Belt Independent| date = November 6, 2024| url = https://borderbelt.org/rural-southeastern-nc-drops-voter-turnout/| access-date = November 12, 2024}}</ref>