Students at UNC Chapel Hill look ahead to November election

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (WTVD) -- Sloan Duvall is as politically involved as anyone on campus at UNC Chapel Hill.

"I came from a very civically engaged family, my parents took me to vote," said the junior, who is majoring in political science. "Knowing how much power your vote has is something I'm excited about. I want to encourage people to use their voice and cast their vote."

The same can be said politically for Colby Kelley.

"I think there's a growing conservative shift among college students," said the junior, who is the president of the UNC chapter of the conservative non-profit Turning Point USA.

Kelley's also a Mark Robinson supporter.

"I support him for the most part and I think a Republican governor is better than a Democratic governor, it's a good start," he said.

Students on both sides of the aisle turned their attention to the 2024 general election Wednesday night.

"I would certainly love it if we moved farther to the right, that's what I've always felt," Kelley said.

"There are a mix of emotions among students," Duvall said. "There's a lot of excitement but also a lot of fear looking at the Republican ballot we have in North Carolina."

The ballot drawn last night on Super Tuesday was a bit of a surprise to Mac McCorkle, a long-time political expert and professor at Duke University's Sanford School of Public Policy.

"I was not ready for how MAGA the Republican ticket is going to be as a whole," said McCorkle "The kind of solid, conservative, don't rock the boat Republicanism--which has been tough for Democrats--that is not what won last night."

He believes former President Trump has to carry the state in November to have a path to win the presidency. Much of the vote will depend on students like Kelley, Duvall, and people like Jesse Pome.

He is a Randolph Community College student who tried to get into a Turning Point event on campus in Chapel Hill on Wednesday. Pome is a Mark Robinson fan.

"If there's anybody I want in that gubernatorial seat, it's him because he stands for the same policies I do," Pome said.

McCorkle said Robinson is the most radical candidate he's seen since Jesse Helms but he said he is "oozing with raw political talent."