North Carolina's 5th congressional district covers the central western portion of North Carolina from the Appalachian Mountains to the Metrolina western suburbs. the district borders Tennessee, Virginia and South Carolina While the bulk of its territory is in the mountains it stretches south into the Piedmont where its largest city, Gastonia, can be found. The district is overwhelmingly Republican. Large portions were controlled by Republicans even during the “Solid South” era as much of northwestern North Carolina was Quaker or mountaineer and therefore resisted secession. Two counties in the district – Avery and Yadkin – have never voted for a Democratic presidential candidate since their creation, and Wilkes County has never done so since before the Second Party System. For the 2020 ele