AANC Government Affairs Update | January 8, 2026

The 2026 roster of candidates seeking elected public office in North Carolina is now set. We thought we would take this opportunity to share who has entered the races, where they are running, and how the upcoming primaries are beginning to take shape across North Carolina.
 
Retirements & Returners
Now that the filing window has closed, six sitting members of the state House and one state senator have opted to pursue other offices or have confirmed they will not seek reelection to their current seats.

In the House, these members include:

• Rep. Bryan Cohn (D-Granville)
• Rep. Matthew Winslow (R-Franklin)
• Rep. Ted Davis (R-New Hanover)
• Rep. William Brisson (R-Bladen)
• Rep. Mark Brody (R-Union)
• Rep. Stephen Ross (R-Alamance)
• Rep. John Sauls (R-Lee)
• Rep. Harry Warren (R-Rowan) is running for Clerk of Superior Court in Rowan County
• Rep. Sarah Stevens (R-Surry) is running for North Carolina Supreme Court Seat 1

In the Senate, these members include:

• Sen. Bobby Hanig (R-Currituck) is running for US Congressional District 1

As several sitting lawmakers prepare to leave the General Assembly, a separate group of well-known figures in North Carolina politics is seeking a path back to the legislature. 

In the House, four former members have filed for election in 2026, including:

• Michael Wray (D) will run in District 27
• Frank Sossamon (R) will run in District 32
• John Rhodes (R) will run in District 98
• Mike Hager (R) will run in District 113

In the Senate, three former members of the legislature are seeking election in 2026, including:

• James Galliard (R) will run in District 11
• Eddie Gallimore (R) will run in District 30
• Kevin Crutchfield (R) will run in District 34 

Uncontested Races
Many incumbent lawmakers in both the House and the Senate will advance to the general election without a challenger on the ballot in November.

In the House, 20 members will run uncontested races, including:

• Rep. Ray Jeffers (D-Person)
• Rep. Wyatt Gable (R-Onslow)
• Rep. Vernetta Alston (D-Durham)
• Rep. Zack Hawkins (D-Durham)
• Rep. Mike Colvin (D-Cumberland)
• Rep. Robert Reives (D-Chatham)
• Rep. Tracy Clark (D-Guilford)
• Rep. Amos Quick (D-Guilford)
• Rep. Pricey Harrison (D-Guilford)
• Rep. Sarah Crawford (D-Wake)
• Rep. Kanika Brown (D-Forsyth)
• Rep. Amber Baker (D-Forsyth)
• Rep. Terry Brown (D-Mecklenburg)
• Rep. Julia Greenfield (D-Mecklenburg)
• Rep. Carolyn Logan (D-Mecklenburg)
• Rep. Laura Budd (D-Mecklenburg)
• Rep. Aisha Dew (D-Mecklenburg)
• Rep. Jordan Lopez (D-Mecklenburg)
• Rep. Eric Ager (D-Buncombe)
• Rep. Brian Turner (D-Buncombe)

In the Senate, five members will run unopposed in 2026, including:

• Sen. Natalie Murdock (D-Durham)
• Sen. Michael Garrett (D-Guilford)
• Sen. Gladys Robinson (D-Guilford)
• Sen. Mujtaba Mohammed (D-Mecklenburg)
• Sen. DeAndrea Salvador (D-Mecklenburg)

Primaried Incumbents
Incumbent members of the General Assembly in both chambers and both parties will face primary challengers in March before moving on to the general election in November.

In the House, 30 members will face primary opponents in March, including:

• Rep. Edward Goodwin (R-Chowan) against John Spruill
• Rep. Jimmy Dixon (R-Duplin) against Marcella Barbour
• Rep. Joseph Pike (R-Harnett) against Bill Morris
• Rep. Carson Smith (R-Pender) against Joshua Patti
• Rep. Frank Iler (R-Brunswick) against Nia Moore
• Rep. Shelly Willingham (D-Edgecombe) against Patricia Smith
• Rep. Dona McDowell White (R-Johnston) against Margie Beth Riedel
• Rep. Rodney Pierce (D-Halifax) against Michael Wray
• Rep. Larry Strickland (R-Johnston) against Eric Bowles, Sr.
• Rep. Mike Schietzelt (R-Wake) against Michele Joyner-Dinwiddie
• Rep. Abe Jones (D-Wake) against Collin Fearns
• Rep. Diane Wheatley (R-Cumberland) against Clarence Goins, Jr.
• Rep. Frances Jackson (D-Cumberland) against QuDerrick Covington
• Rep. Renée Price (D-Orange) against Brandall Redd and Mary Lucas
• Rep. Amanda Cook (D-Guilford) against Angie Williams-McMichael, Joe Alston, and Bruce Davis
• Rep. Reece Pyrtle (R-Rockingham) against Joseph Gibson and Seth Woodall
• Rep. Neal Jackson (R-Moore) against Mark Dutton
• Rep. Keith Kidwell (R-Beaufort) against Darren Armstrong
• Rep. Sam Watford (R-Davidson) against Joseph Byrne
• Rep. Larry Potts (R-Davidson) against Pamela Zanni
• Rep. Mitchell Setzer (R-Catawba) against Lisa Deaton Koperski
• Rep. Todd Carver (R-Iredell) against Michael Kubiniec
• Rep. Nasif Majeed (D-Mecklenburg) against Tucker Neal and Veleria Levy
• Rep. Tricia Cotham (R-Mecklenburg) against Kelly VanHorn
• Rep. Carla Cunningham (D-Mecklenburg) against Vermanno Bowman and Rodney Sadler
• Rep. Kelly Hastings (R-Gaston) against Caroline Eason
• Rep. Jake Johnson (R-Polk) against Mike Hager
• Rep. Jennifer Balkcom (R-Henderson) against Christopher Lamar Wilson
• Rep. Mark Pless (R-Haywood) against James Rogers
• Rep. Mike Clampitt (R-Swain) against Mike Yow and Anna Ferguson

In the Senate, nine members will first have to win against their primary challengers, including:

• Sen. Brent Jackson (R-Sampson) against William W. Barbour
• Sen. Benton Sawrey (R-Johnston) against face Caitlin Marsh
• Sen. Jim Burgin (R-Harnett) against Tim McNeill
• Sen. Tom McInnis (R-Moore) against Ray Daly
• Sen. Sophia Chitlik (D-Durham) against DeDreana Freeman
• Sen. Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) against Sam Page
• Sen. Steve Jarvis (R-Davidson) against Eddie Gallimore
• Sen. Paul Lowe (D-Forsyth) against Gardenia Henly
• Sen. Chris Measmer (R-Cabarrus) against Kevin Crutchfield

Judicial Races
Beyond the General Assembly races, North Carolina voters will also weigh in on one seat on the Supreme Court and three seats on the Court of Appeals in 2026.

There’s just one Supreme Court race this cycle. Rep. Sarah Stevens (R-Surry) is set to challenge incumbent Justice Anita Earls (D) for a seat on the state’s highest court.
 
Three seats on the Court of Appeals are on the 2026 ballot:

• Judge John Arrowood (D) is running for another term and will face the winner of the Republican primary, either, Matt Smith (R), a Superior Court Judge, or Michael Byrne (R), an Administrative Law Judge. 
• Incumbent Toby Hampson (D) will be challenged by George Bell (R), a Superior Court Judge.
•  The third seat is open after Judge Allegra Collins announced earlier this year that she will not seek reelection in 2026. Candidates running for her seat include James Whalen (D), an attorney; Christine Walczyk (D), a Wake County District Court Judge; and Craig Collins (R), a District Court Judge.

Congressional Races
In addition to the state legislative and judicial races, North Carolina voters will once again weigh in on all 14 of the state’s seats in the US House of Representatives in 2026, along with one of the state’s two US Senate seats.

Republican Sen. Thom Tillis announced in June that he will not seek reelection in 2026, opening a rare and highly competitive Senate seat in North Carolina. The contest is already shaping up to be one of the marquee races of the 2026 cycle and could ultimately become the most expensive Senate race in US history, given the state’s close partisan margins and national implications for control of the chamber. Although fourteen candidates have filed to run, the field has quickly coalesced around two clear frontrunners: former Democratic Governor Roy Cooper, a well-known statewide figure with a strong fundraising network, and former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley, who enters the race with deep ties to GOP leadership and national party infrastructure.

After state Republican leadership approved a new mid-decade congressional map in October 2025, Republicans are expected to gain an additional seat in the state’s 14 member US House delegation. The redrawn map significantly alters Congressional Districts 1 and 3. District 1, currently represented by Democrat Congressman Don Davis, was shifted further southeast into conservative territory, making it more favorable to Republicans. Meanwhile, District 3, held by Republican Congressman Greg Murphy, was adjusted slightly westward, a change that could make the district more competitive. If Republicans flip District 1 while holding District 3, the party will expand its advantage in North Carolina’s congressional delegation to eleven seats, compared to the three held by Democrats.

• 1st District: Incumbent Congressman Don Davis (D) is seeking reelection but is expected to face a challenging race due to increased conservative influence following the implementation of the new congressional map. While no other Democratic candidates have entered the race and only one Libertarian has launched a bid, four Republican contenders will compete in the primary for the opportunity to challenge Davis. Among them is State Senator Bobby Hanig (R-Currituck), who announced earlier this year that he would forgo reelection to the state Senate to pursue the District 1 seat.
• 2nd District: Incumbent Deborah Ross (D) holds this Wake-County anchored seat and will seek another term. Ross has no primary opponents but will face Republican candidate Eugene Douglass, as well as Libertarian candidate Matthew Laszacs, in the general election. 
• 3rd District: Republican Congressman Greg Murphy will run for reelection and faces no primary challengers, though District 3 voters can expect a slightly more competitive race for the seat under the new congressional map. Democrat Raymond Smith, a former NC House Representative, and Allison Jaslow will compete in their party's primary for the chance to go up against Murphy and Libertarian Daniel Cavenderm for the seat in the general election. 
• 4th District: Incumbent Valerie Foushee (D) represents this Triangle-area safe Democratic seat and will run for reelection but will face a competitive primary race against Mary Patterson (D) and Nida Allam (D). The winner of the primary will face Republican Max Ganorkar and Libertarian Guy Meiller in the general election. 
• 5th District: Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (R) currently represents the Northwestern piedmont and foothills and will seek reelection to the seat with three primary challengers, Steve Girard, Roman (Chad) WIlliams II, and Joey Osborne, and two Democratic challengers, Chuck Hubbard and Kyah Creekmoor.
• 6th District: Incumbent Congressman Addison McDowell (R) will seek reelection to this Triad-centered district. He has no primary opponents, but four Democratic candidates are vying for the seat. 
• 7th District: Congressman David Rouzer (R) currently represents the southeastern corridor and will face challenger David Buzzard in the primary election, the winner of which will go up against and will seek reelection against Kimberly Hardy (D) in the general election.
• 8th District: Incumbent Congressman Mark Harris (R) will seek reelection in this south-central NC district. Harris faces no primary challengers and will advance directly to the general election where he will face the winner of the Democratic primary in which three candidates will compete.
• 9th District: Congressman Richard Hudson (R) is running for another term representing this central NC district. Hudson faces no primary opposition and four Democratic challengers competing in their party's primary.
• 10th District: Congressman Pat Harrigan (R) will seek reelection in this western Piedmont district. Harrigan faces one Republican primary challenger before advancing to a general election that has already drawn significant Democratic interest with five candidates running in the primary. 
• 11th District: Incumbent Congressman Chuck Edwards (R) is running for reelection in this western North Carolina mountain district. Edwards faces one primary challenger but remains favored to secure the nomination and defend the seat in the general election where he will face the winner of the five candidates running in the Democratic primary. 
• 12th District: Congresswoman Alma Adams (D) represents this Charlotte-centered, safely Democratic district and is seeking another term. Adams faces one primary challenger and two Republican challengers who will face off in their party’s primary in March. 
• 13th District: Incumbent Congressman Brad Knott (R) represents a fast-growing Triangle-adjacent district and will run for reelection in 2026, facing one primary opponent, three Democratic challengers that will compete in their party’s primary, and one Libertarian candidate also vying for the seat. 
• 14th District: Congressman Tim Moore (R) currently represents portions of Mecklenburg and surrounding counties and is seeking reelection. Moore will face Republican candidate Kate Barr in the primary race but is expected to emerge as the party’s nominee and defend the seat in November where he will face the winner of the three-candidate Democratic primary contest. 

To see a complete list of all the candidates running for statewide office in 2026, visit the State Board of Elections official candidate list here.