ToplineVice President Kamala Harris is vying to become only the second Democratic presidential candidate to win North Carolina in more than 40 years as the state has slowly shifted to the left, with most polls showing her and former President Donald Trump in nearly a dead heat—but Trump has a slight advantage in several new surveys.

Republican Party leaders met in hurricane-torn North Carolina last week with a mission: figure out how to reach displaced or cut-off potential Donald Trump voters. They thought of flying in absentee ballot registrations via helicopter or having mules or all-terrain vehicles take voters to the polls.

The presidential campaign in North Carolina is playing out in the aftermath of a devastating hurricane and a tumultuous governor's race.

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trump are virtually tied in the Sunbelt states of Arizona, Georgia and North Carolina, according to Marist polling released on Thursday. In Arizona, Trump leads Harris 50 to 49 percent among likely voters.

Former President Donald Trump used a Monday visit to North Carolina to repeat debunked lies about the federal response to Hurricane Helene.