North Carolina held primaries for the upcoming mid-terms, including key races for the GOP and Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives. 

In the newly redrawn District 1, retired Army Col. Laurie Buckhout won the crowded GOP primary by about 40%, clearing the North Carolina runoff threshold and avoiding the intraparty fight. This gives Col. Buckhout a rematch with Democratic Incumbent Rep. Don Davis. 

The newly redrawn district gives Buckhout a stronger path to the capitol than it did in 2024. Col. Buckhout narrowly defeated Davis The new district lines moved an area with a Trump 2024 margin from 51%, to include areas increasing it to 55%. This election is crucial for the N.C. GOP since this could result in a flip of a seat in an already razor thin margin in the House. (RELATED:North Carolina Senate Race Heats Up as Cooper, Whatley Pull in Millions)

The GOP saw a strong showing for their endorsed candidates across the board. Rep. Virginia Foxx won the 5th District GOP primary with 74.55% of the vote. Rep. David Rouzer dominated in the 7th District with 80.48%. Rep. Pat Harrigan won the 10th District primary with 87.69%, while Rep. Chuck Edwards defeated Adam Smith in the 11th District GOP primary with 70.09%. Freshman Rep. Brad Knott won the 13th District primary with 89.93%, and Rep. Tim Moore took 83.02% in the 14th.

The closest race came on the Democratic side in the 4th District, where Rep. Valerie Foushee held only a 1,200-vote, 0.98-point lead over Durham County Commissioner Nida Allam on election night. All other democratic primaries were won in similar landslide fashion. (RELATED:NC Budget Bust: Lawmakers Flee Raleigh as State Remains Only in Nation Without Spending Plan)

The North Carolina State Board of Elections delayed statewide results until 8:30 p.m. after voting was extended by one hour at the Littleton precinct in Halifax County. The board said the site opened late because of an electronic poll book synchronization issue and that backup procedures were not immediately used. State officials emphasized that minor disruptions can happen across more than 2,600 polling places. Despite the reported anomalies, there have not been any reported issues with the voting collection.

In the midst of a big mid-term cycle for Republicans, the race for the vacant North Carolina senate seat has heated up as campaign funds have entered the tens of millions. 

Senator Thom Tillis currently occupies one of the Tar Heel State’s Senate Seats, and announced he will not be seeking re-election this coming cycle. Tillis vocally disapproved of Trump in recent weeks.

In the 2026 first quarter, Republican Michael Whatley’s campaign managed to raise around $5 million. However, Democratic challenger Roy Cooper more than doubled Whatley’s fundraising, accumulating $13.8 million. Cooper announced he would run to replace Senator Tillis when Tillis said he wouldn’t run for the seat again. Cooper was succeeded due to term limits in 2024 by current Democratic governor Josh Stein.

During Cooper’’s time in office, his power was relatively limited due to the Republican super majority in the legislative branch. Once the super majority was removed, Cooper vetoed multiple bills. Some of this vetoed legislation includes: increased jail time/punishment for Doctors who don’t resuscitate infants who survive abortions, a requirement that county sheriff’s offices cooperate with ICE, and the approval of a sweeping school choice scholarship program. 

Cooper’s campaign is centered around a motto of “Make Stuff Cost Less.” However, Cooper’s campaign supports a wide range expansion of government subsidized health care. Cooper also claims to support farmers and wants to lower the cost of groceries. When in office, Cooper vetoed legislation for the protection of hog farmers against lawsuits. 

Michael Whatley, served as the DNC chair since he was elected in 2024. Whatley oversaw the GOP red wave in the 2024 General, when republicans took the House, Senate, and Presidency. After his success, Whatley was reelected and Trump-endorsed as RNC chair in 2025. Due to his position in the RNC, Whatley is heavily campaigning his strong relationship with President Trump. 

 Whatley has been a big proponent of tax cuts, for citizens and corporations to do business. Whatley said he has seen tax cuts as the route to achieve job creation and a strong economy. Whatley mentions prioritizing, small businesses, farmers, and manufacturers, who he labels as “job creators.” (RELATED: New Poll Shows NC Republican Base Will Walk Away From 2026 Senate Race If SAVE America Act Dies In The Senate)

“The real conversation that we’re having today is how do we create more jobs, how do you create better jobs, how do we make sure people are going to take home more money, and how do we make sure that people are going to keep more money that they could use for their households in North Carolina?” Whatley said.  

On a foreign policy front, Whatley believes the U.S. should remain on track with Trump’s handling of Iran, while continuing to prevent their possession of nuclear weapons. Whatley is also a supporter that the U.S. should continue to strive for the goal of being the number one energy producer.

(RELATED: Gov. Stein Demands Pay Raises While Doing Nothing To Break The Two-Year Legislative Stalemate He Helped Create)

(RELATED: System Failing Iryna Zarutska: Charlotte Light Rail Murder Suspect Dodges Trial On Mental Health Grounds As Family Waits For Justice)

North Carolina ran primary elections for the 2026 midterm Senate race, for the seat being vacated by Senator Thom Tillis. 

State Board of Elections results show Former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley won 405,140 votes in the Republican primary, far ahead of Don Brown’s 97,891, with Michele Morrow, Thomas Johnson, Elizabeth Temple, Richard Dansie and Margot Dupre trailing. That gave Whatley roughly 64.6% of the GOP vote, clearing North Carolina’s 30% threshold for avoiding a potential runoff. Cooper, meanwhile, dominated a weaker Democratic field with 761,345 votes, or roughly 92%.

Whatley launched his campaign with Trump’s endorsement and a major fundraising network, claiming to be a “strong conservative voice” in Washington. Trump carried this state three times across his campaigns and this is where Republicans believe Former Governor Cooper’s long record as governor gives them plenty to attack on crime, taxes, energy and emergency management. (RELATED: New Poll Shows NC Republican Base Will Walk Away From 2026 Senate Race If SAVE America Act Dies In The Senate)

Public safety is central to Whatley’s campaign with N.C. GOP lawmakers using the Charlotte train stabbing death of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska to argue Cooper’s criminal-justice record left North Carolinians less safe.

Cooper and Whatley campaigns have been attacking each other over the management of western North Carolina recovery after Hurricane Helene. Republicans argued Cooper failed to prepare and lead effectively as governor, while Whatley ties himself to a Trump administration focused on rebuilding and support. (RELATED:Gov. Stein Demands Pay Raises While Doing Nothing To Break The Two-Year Legislative Stalemate He Helped Create)

Cooper has tried to attack Whatley with his strong ties to Duke Energy, and how it could lead to possible concerns in congress. However, Whatley has been a vocal supporter of legislation that would require members of Congress to divest individual stock or use qualified blind trusts, including himself if elected. 

This primary has allowed the North Carolinian GOP camp to gain momentum against the popular Democratic Candidate Cooper. The GOP primary’s controlling win allows the party to move on without a splintering runoff in a race that could help retain the Republicans 53-seat majority.