Election 2026: Democrats flip 6 U.S. House seats in North Carolina

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(The Center Square) – Democrats unofficially flipped six seats from North Carolina in the U.S. House of Representatives on Election Day, sending a resounding message statewide to second-term Republican President Donald Trump and his allies.

Previously 32-10 against Democrats in statewide races at all levels this decade, Republicans went 0-for-5 with a U.S. Senate headliner, one seat on the state Supreme Court and all three seats up for grabs on the North Carolina Court of Appeals.

Yet all that merely paled to the U.S. House races – many of which were too close to call and are subject to recounts. Lawmakers in Raleigh, at the urging of Trump, last October redrew the 1st and 3rd districts in an effort to win the northeastern corner of the state for the first time since 1882 – an 0-for-71 skid – and boost their chances to improve a 10-4 delegation.

Instead, unofficial results from the State Board of Elections showed the Democrats winning 10 of 14 inclusive of not only the 1st Congressional District toss-up by two-term incumbent Rep. Don Davis but taking down seven-term incumbent Republican Rep. Richard Hudson in a district his party has won every two years since the election of 1962. Hudson, beaten by retired Army Maj. Richard Ojeda in the 9th Congressional District, is National Republican Congressional Committee chairman – the committee in charge of the party getting reelected.

Also flipping seats for Democrats were Wilkesboro’s Chuck Hubbard in the 5th Congressional District, High Point’s Cyril Jefferson in the 6th Congressional District, Fairview’s Jamie Ager in the 11th Congressional District, Sanford’s Paul Barringer in the 13th Congressional District and Charlotte’s Lakesha Womack in the 14th Congressional District.

Expected reelection wins were achieved by Democratic Reps. Alma Adams of Charlotte in the 12th Congressional District, Valerie Foushee of Hillsborough in the 4th Congressional District and Deborah Ross of Raleigh in the 2nd Congressional District.

The only Republican reelection wins came from Reps. Dr. Greg Murphy of Greenville in the 3rd Congressional District, David Rouzer of Wilmington in the 7th Congressional District, Rev. Mark Harris of Indian Trail in the 8th Congressional District, and Pat Harrigan of Hickory in the 10th Congressional District.

The races were so close, including wins by Republicans, that the only official calls by 1 a.m. Eastern made were for Adams, Foushee, Ross and Ager. For U.S. House races, state law permits recounts if the difference is 1% or less – hence, so many races too close to call.

Unofficial vote totals from the State Board of Elections included:

• 1st Congressional District: Davis, of Snow Hill, defeated Edenton Republican and retired Army Col. Laurie Buckhout 49.6%-47.2%.

• 2nd Congressional District: Ross defeated Raleigh Republican Eugene Douglass 75.1%-23.5%.

• 3rd Congressional District: Murphy defeated Goldsboro Democrat Dr. Raymond Smith 49.4%-49.3%.

• 4th Congressional District: Foushee defeated Pittsboro Republican Max Ganorkar 79.1%-18.9%.

• 5th Congressional District: Hubbard defeated incumbent Republican Rep. Virginia Foxx of Banner Elk 48.7%-48.66%.

• 6th Congressional District: Jefferson defeated incumbent Republican Rep. Addison McDowell of Bermuda Run 51.1%-48.9%.

• 7th Congressional District: Rouzer led Linden Democrat Dr. Kimberly Hardy 49.9%-49.2%.

• 8th Congressional District: Harris defeated Monroe Democrat Colby Watson 50,4%-48.6%.

• 9th Congressional District: Ojeda, of Aberdeen, defeated Hudson, of Southern Pines, 51.1%-48.9%.

• 10th Congressional District: Harrigan defeated Winston-Salem Democrat Ashley Bell 48.7%.

• 11th Congressional District: Ager defeated Republican state Rep. Jennifer Balkcom of Hendersonville 57.1%-41.3%.

• 12th Congressional District: Adams defeated Charlotte Republican Jack Codiga 81.2%-18.8%.

• 13th Congressional District: Barringer defeated incumbent Republican Rep. Brad Knott of Raleigh 50.5%-48.1%.

• 14th Congressional District: Womack defeated incumbent Republican Rep. Tim Moore of Kings Mountain 51.1%-48.9%.