While many of the Republican-driven policies and legislation have been controversial, Davis hopes to continue the course the state has been on.

Davis would not call his win a mandate, but did say the majority of voters must share his ideals.

“I am the same person I was when I ran the first time. My goal was to get some fiscal sanity in the state budget. I thought it was extremely important to do for our kids and grandkids. That has been one of the sole focuses since I have been there, and that’s what I will continue to strive to do,” Davis said.

Davis said he was surprised by his own margin of victory.

“I thought this was going to be a lot closer than it did. I was really pleased with how it turned out,” Davis said.

Hipps was the underdog going into the race, with no political background and little name recognition. But that actually made it more difficult to campaign against her.

“My opponent didn’t have a record, so there was no way to criticize her,” Davis said.

Unlike his race two years ago, Davis campaign literature, flyers and ads were mostly positive statements about his own candidacy, rather than attack ads against his opponent.

Hipps said she was disappointed.

“It didn’t work out like we want it to,” Hipps said. “The voters had their say and they chose to keep Davis.”

She was also surprised she lost by so much.

“I really thought I would win. I presented a strong contest,” Hipps said.

In hindsight, would she have run had she known she wasn’t going to win? Hipps paused a moment at the question.

Hipps worked tirelessly on the campaign trail, pounding the pavement, shaking hands and beating the bushes to introduce herself to voters, hoping to win the seven-county district one voter at a time. She went from sun- up to well past sundown several days a week, a pace she has maintained since late winter.

Would she have invested all that time, money and energy had she somehow been able to read the future, and know she was going to lose? Hipps first said “no.”

But on further reflection, Hipps believes she advanced an important set of philosophical principals for the region and state.

“I got a message out,” Hipps said. “I was fighting for the middle class and hardworking people. I was fighting for better schools. I wanted to see our teachers treated with respect. I didn’t want to see the possibility of our land and water harmed by fracking across North Carolina.”

Hipps’ message had clearly resonated with some voters.

“I feel like as a society we have to protect our most vulnerable people,” said Rita Pritchard, who has a grown child with a severe physical disability. She has been hurt by cuts in Medicaid, which she relies on to care for her child who is wheelchair bound.

Millard Grant, 50, of Maggie Valley said he believes the budget cuts the Republicans put in place were necessary, though unpopular.

“At least they go ahead and state these are the values they intend to support,” Grant said in an exit poll on Election Day. “We have to do some drastic measures sometimes. I know things were cut that were popular, but in hindsight, they were good choices and even though we don’t have the resources we once had, I feel like we are in better shape.”

Dave Blevins, a businessman in Waynesville, said he supports the tax cuts enacted by Republican leaders and believes they will advance the state’s economic recovery. He believes the Republican policies have been good for the state, but said they do suffer from a PR problem. But other voters lament the cuts to education and services for the needy and poor that have come down from Republicans.

“I don’t like that they have cut the school systems,” said Letha Hannah, a Maggie voter.

Another voter in Maggie, Mindy Hughes, 41, said she came out with one issue on her mind: fracking. She is against fracking, and on her way into the polls said her mission was to vote for candidates who were against fracking as well.

However, she said she was going to vote for Davis, who has supported fracking, instead of Hipps, who was against it, because Hughes is Republican.

The N.C. Senate district spans the seven western counties of the state. The political leanings vary as you move across the district. Haywood, Jackson and Swain lean Democratic. But Macon, Graham, Clay and Cherokee lean Republican.

Hipps won the three Democratic counties, while Davis won the four Republican ones.

However, Davis’ victory in the Republican counties was far more sizeable than the victory Hipps pulled off in the Democratic counties.

Low voter turnout in Haywood was particularly detrimental for Hipps.

Voter turnout in Haywood was only 45 percent. Hipps was counting on Haywood to help her carry the race.

“I needed a heavier turnout from Haywood  to win, and it just didn’t happen,” Hipps said.

Haywood alone has more voters than Clay, Graham and Cherokee combined. Haywood is both a Democratic-leaning county and Hipps’ home turf — but she won by only 100 votes in Haywood.

N.C. Senate, District 50 

N.C. Sen. Jim Davis (R)33,231

Jane Hipps (D)28,557

Represents seven western counties.

Haywood 

• Davis: 9,320

• Hipps: 9.,416

Jackson

• Davis: 5,119

• Hipps: 5,599

Macon

• Davis: 6,266

• Hipps: 5,411

Swain

• Davis: 2,096

• Hipps: 2,185

Cherokee

• Davis: 5,919

• Hipps: 3,320

Clay

• Davis: 2,821

• Hipps: 1,628

Graham

• Davis: 2,053

• Hipps: 1,180