North Carolina’s primary election day was Tuesday. The night was a mixed bag full of some expected outcomes and upsets, including current legislators losing their primaries, a handful of others narrowly squeaking out victories, and a shakeup in several Council of State races.
This year, 1,790,838 of North Carolina’s 7,456,236 registered voters, or about one in four voters, cast their ballots for candidates competing in the primary contest. At the top of the ticket for both parties were the US Presidential primaries, although for both Democrats and Republicans, the results were to be expected. Voters also determined which candidates will be competing against each other in the state’s gubernatorial race. Current Republican Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson prevailed over State Treasurer Dale Folwell and trial attorney Bill Graham. On the Democratic side, current Attorney General Josh Stein handily won his party’s nomination to replace current term-limited Governor Roy Cooper. The gubernatorial race in North Carolina is expected to be one of the most expensive, and closely watched, races in the country this November.
For a complete list of election results, use the interactive tool at the North Carolina State Board of Elections website.
FEDERAL RACES
The race for President was uneventful in North Carolina. President Joe Biden easily won every county with 87% of the statewide vote, and former president Donald Trump easily cruised to victory with 74% of the statewide vote. With no US Senate races in North Carolina, the attention on federal races turned to several primary races for newly drawn Congressional districts.
Court-mandated redistricting in 2023 changed the political landscape for North Carolina’s 14 members of Congress. Three districts, currently held by Democratic incumbents, were reconfigured to become more Republican leaning, which prompted all three incumbents to retire or run for other offices. Additionally, retirements in two Republican-held districts created open seats, for a total of five open seats, which generated national attention due to the narrow control that Republicans currently hold in the US House of Representatives.
The most competitive primary was in District 1, which is a large district in the northeastern part of the state long held by Democrats, but that has trended more Republican in recent years. Republican Sandy Smith, who has twice lost her bid for the 1st District, was defeated by political newcomer and military veteran Laurie Buckhout. Due to concerns about Smith’s electability, Buckhout was assisted by organizations tied to top Congressional Republicans. Buckhout will face Democratic incumbent Don Davis who is running for a second term.
In District 6, which is currently represented by Democrat Kathy Manning but was redrawn to be a safe Republican district, a runoff is expected between former Republican Congressman Mark Walker and Addison McDowell, a former lobbyist who was endorsed by Donald Trump. McDowell received 26% to Walker’s 24% of the vote. In a statement, Walker said he was looking “forward to our runoff on May 14.”
In District 13, currently held by Democrat Wiley Nickel who is retiring due to the district becoming more Republican, a runoff is expected. Johnston County attorney Kelly Daughtry led the race with 27.4% and will face former federal prosecutor Brad Knott, who received 18.7% of the vote and has already called for a runoff.
A runoff was narrowly avoided in the newly drawn 8th District currently held by Dan Bishop, who is instead running for Attorney General. Mark Harris will be the Republican nominee after securing 30.4% of the total vote. Harris was the Republican nominee for Congress in 2018 before a ballot harvesting scandal tied to Harris’ campaign prompted the state board of elections to order a new election in the district in 2019.
In the newly drawn 14th District, current NC House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland) easily won his primary with 75% of the vote, besting his two opponents in every county in the district. Democrat Jeff Jackson currently represents the district, but due to the district being redrawn to heavily favor Republicans, Jackson instead opted to run for Attorney General.
COUNCIL OF STATE RACES
Although it has seemed predetermined for nearly a year, the matchups are finally set for much of the Council of State races this November. Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein handily defeated his primary challengers, including former Supreme Court Justice Mike Morgan. Likewise, Republican Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson easily sailed past his opponents. The race to replace Democratic Governor Roy Cooper, who is term limited and has endorsed Stein, will likely be one of the most high-profile gubernatorial races in the nation.
The long-anticipated race for Attorney General, which has long been a springboard for future Governors, is also set. Democratic Congressman Jeff Jackson from Charlotte defeated Durham District Attorney Satana Deberry and will go on to face Republican Congressman Dan Bishop.
Perhaps the biggest upset on the Council of State level came in the Republican primary for Superintendent of Public Instruction, where incumbent Catherine Truitt was defeated by challenger Michele Morrow, a homeschooling parent who previously lost a race for Wake County Board of Education. Morrow will go on to face Democrat Mo Green, a former Guilford County Schools Superintendent who was endorsed by Governor Cooper and easily won his primary.
There will be two runoff elections for Council of State positions. The Republican contest for Lieutenant Governor was between 11 candidates, and because no candidate reached 30%, it will likely go to a runoff. Hal Weatherman, a former staffer to Lieutenant Governor Dan Forest, who received 19.6% of the vote, could face Forsyth County District Attorney Jim O’Neill, who received 15.6% of the vote, if O’Neill requests a runoff. The winner of the runoff would then face Rachel Hunt, a state Senator and daughter of former Governor Jim Hunt, who easily won the Democratic primary.
Additionally, a runoff is expected in the race to decide the Republican nominee for state Auditor. Jack Clark, a budget policy staffer in the General Assembly, led the race and could face Dave Boliek, a former Cumberland County Assistant District Attorney. The nominee would face Jessica Holmes, the current state Auditor who was appointed by Governor Cooper following the resignation of former Auditor Beth Wood.
LEGISLATIVE RACES
Apart from some retirements, most incumbents who faced primary challengers easily won their reelections Tuesday and likely will be returning to Raleigh for another term in 2025. However, not all current legislators held on. Much of the focus Tuesday night was on four Democratic House incumbents that the Young Democrats of North Carolina publicly criticized for voting with Republicans on several bills, including the 2023state budget. The Young Democrats raised funds for primary challengers who faced incumbent Representatives Michael Wray (D-Halifax), Cecil Brockman (D-Guilford), Carla Cunningham (D-Mecklenburg), and Shelly Willingham (D-Edgecombe). As of Wednesday morning, Representative Wray trailed his opponent, Rodney Pierce, by 42 votes, which may trigger a recount. The other Young Democrats-supported challengers lost their races.
On the House Republican side, two incumbents will not be returning to Raleigh. Longtime Representative George Cleveland (R-Onslow) lost a surprising contest against Wyatt Gable, a student at East Carolina University. First term Representative Kevin Crutchfield (R-Cabarrus) also narrowly lost a high-stakes contest against former Cabarrus County Republican Party Chairman Brian Echevarria.
There were not as many surprises in the Senate races on Tuesday night. However, Senator Mike Woodard (D-Durham) was defeated by progressive investor and former Obama White House appointee Sophia Chitlik. Much like the House challengers supported by the Young Democrats, Chitlik criticized Woodard for voting to override several of Democratic Governor Roy Cooper’s vetoes.
THE NUMBERS
Below, we lay out the totals from each of Tuesday’s primary races. This Friday, we will provide a comprehensive list of all of the candidates heading into the general election this fall.
US PRESIDENT
Republican:
- Donald Trump (73.86%)
- Nikki Haley (23.32%)
- Ron DeSantis (1.37%)
- No Preference (0.69%)
- Vivek Ramaswamy (0.32%)
- Chris Christie (0.29%)
- Ryan Binkley (0.08%)
- Asa Hutchinson (0.07%)
Democrat:
- Incumbent President Joe Biden (87.32%)
- No Preference (12.68%)
US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
District 1
Republican:
- Laurie Buckhout (53.49%)
- Sandy Smith (46.51%)
District 2
Republican:
- Alan Swain (59.57%)
- Eugene Douglass (22.57%)
- Robert Morales Vergara (17.85%)
Democrat:
- Incumbent Congresswoman Deborah Ross (93.64%)
- Michael Camero (6.36%)
District 4
Republican:
- Eric Blankenburg (70.41%)
- Mahesh (Max) Ganorkar (29.59%)
District 5
Republican:
- Incumbent Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (67.83%)
- Ryan Mayberry (32.17%)
District 6
Republican:
- Addison McDowell (26.11%)
- Mark Walker (24.08%)
- Christian Castelli (21.09%)
- Bo Hines (14.40%)
- Jay Wagner (9.16%)
- Mary Ann Contogiannis (5.15%)
District 8
Republican:
- Mark Harris (30.44%)
- Allen Baucom (27.01%)
- John Bradford (17.78%)
- Don Brown (10.47%)
- Leigh Brown (9.64%)
- Chris Maples (4.65%)
District 9
Republican:
- Incumbent Congressman Richard Hudson (83.36%)
- Troy Tarazon (16.64%)
District 10
Republican:
- Pat Harrigan (41.21%)
- Grey Mills (38.90%)
- Brooke McGowan (10.05%)
- Charles Eller (6.94%)
- Diana Jimison (2.90%)
District 11
Republican:
- Incumbent Congressman Chuck Edwards (68.92%)
- Christian Reagan (31.08%)
District 13
Republican:
- Kelly Daughtry (27.38%)
- Brad Knott (18.68%)
- Fred Von Canon (17.10%)
- DeVan Barbour (15.39%)
- Josh McConkey (7.06%)
- Kenny Xu (4.30%)
- David Dixon (2.55%)
- Matt Shoemaker (2.38%)
- Chris Baker (1.29%)
- Eric Stevenson (1.01%)
- Marcus Dellinger (0.95%)
- James Phillips (0.73%)
- Siddhanth Sharma (0.67%)
- Steve A. (Von) Loor (0.51%)
District 14
Republican:
- Tim Moore (75.01%)
- Jeff Gregory (12.87%)
- Lillian Joseph (12.11%)
Democrat:
- Pam Genant (60.88%)
- Brendan Maginnis (39.12%)
COUNCIL OF STATE
GOVERNOR
Republican:
- Mark Robinson (64.85%)
- Dale Folwell (19.16%)
- Bill Graham (16.00%)
Democrat:
- Josh Stein (69.64%)
- Mike Morgan (14.31%)
- Chrelle Booker (6.68%)
- Marcus Williams (5.70%)
- Gary Foxx (3.67%)
Libertarian:
- Mike Ross (59.49%)
- Shannon Bray (40.51%)
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
Republican:
- Hal Weatherman (19.61%)
- Jim O’Neill (15.85%)
- Deanna Ballard (14.96%)
- Seth Woodall (11.04%)
- Sam Page (10.21%)
- Allen Mashburn (9.00%)
- Jeffrey Elmore (8.61%)
- Peter Boykin (3.46%)
- Rivera Douthit (2.52%)
- Ernest Reeves (2.45%)
- Marlenis Hernandez Novoa (2.30%)
Democrat:
- Rachel Hunt (70.36%)
- Ben Clark (16.47%)
- Mark H. Robinson (13.17%)
ATTORNEY GENERAL
Democrat:
- Jeff Jackson (54.85%)
- Satana Deberry (33.08%)
- Tim Dun (12.07%)
AUDITOR
Republican:
- Jack Clark (23.24%)
- Dave Boliek (22.12%)
- Charles Dingee (18.62%)
- Jeff Tarte (14.97%)
- Anthony Wayne (Tony) Street (11.21%)
- Dave Boliek (9.85%)
COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE
Republican:
- Incumbent Commissioner Steve Troxler (69.13%)
- Colby (Bear) Hammonds (30.87%)
COMMISSIONER OF INSURANCE
Republican:
- Incumbent Commissioner Mike Causey (60.59%)
- Andrew Marcus (21.91%)
- C. Robert Brawley (17.50%)
Democrat:
- Natasha Marcus (77.61%)
- David Wheeler (22.39%)
COMMISSIONER OF LABOR
Republican:
- Luke Farley (36.92%)
- Jon Hardister (28.07%)
- Chuck Stanley (21.60%)
- Travis Wilson (13.41%)
SECRETARY OF STATE
Republican:
- Chad Brown (43.28%)
- Christine Villaverde (29.97%)
- Jesse Thomas (26.75%)
SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
Republican:
- Michele Morrow (52.10%)
- Incumbent Superintendent Catherine Truitt (47.90%)
Democrat:
- Maurice (Mo) Green (65.88%)
- C.R. Katie Eddings (24.88%)
- Kenon Crumble (9.24%)
TREASURER
Republican:
- Brad Briner (39.94%)
- Rachel Johnson (34.51%)
- AJ Daoud (25.55%)
Democrat:
- Wesley Harris (66.61%)
- Gabe Esparza (33.39%)
NC STATE SENATE
Senate District 03
Republican:
- Bob Brinson (54.40%)
- Michael Speciale (45.60%)
Senate District 13
Republican:
- Scott Lassiter (52.97%)
- Vicki Harry (47.03%)
Senate District 14
Democrat:
- Incumbent Sen. Dan Blue (85.57%)
- Terry Passone (14.43%)
Senate District 22
Democrat:
- Sophia Chitlik (57.55%)
- Incumbent Sen. Mike Woodard (42.45%)
Senate District 25
Democrat:
- Donna Vanhook (76.16%)
- John Coleman (23.84%)
Senate District 31
Democrat:
- Ronda Mays (53.72%)
- Laurelyn Dossett (46.28%)
Senate District 32
Democrat:
- Incumbent Sen. Paul Lowe (64.60%)
- Gardenia Henley (35.40%)
Senate District 41
Democrat:
- Caleb Theodros (42.85%)
- Lucille Puckett (31.23%)
- Kendrick Cunningham (16.48%)
- Robert Bruns (9.44%)
Senate District 42
Republican:
- Stacie McGinn (51.70%)
- Jaime Daniell (48.30%)
Senate District 45
Republican:
- Mark Hollo (60.37%)
- Nancy Meek (39.63%)
NC STATE HOUSE
House District 03
Democrat:
- Linda Moore (38.45%)
- Dorothea Downing White (36.11%)
- Cynthia Evans-Robinson (25.44%)
House District 09
Republican:
- Incumbent Rep. Timothy Reeder (78.80%)
- Tony Moore (21.20%)
Democrat:
- Claire Kempner (70.97%)
- Lenton Brown (29.03%)
House District 13
Democrat:
- Katie Tomberlin (62.12%)
- Melvin Cooper (37.88%)
House District 14
Republican:
- Wyatt Gable (50.98%)
- Incumbent Rep. George Cleveland (49.02%)
House District 23
Democrat:
- Incumbent Rep. Shelly Willingham (78.90%)
- Abbie Lane (21.10%)
House District 25
Republican:
- Incumbent Rep. Allen Chesser (66.57%)
- Yvonne McLeod (33.43%)
House District 27
Democrat:
- Rodney Pierce (50.18%)
- Incumbent Rep. Michael Wray (49.82%)
House District 28
Republican:
- Incumbent Rep. Larry Strickland (89.35%)
- Elizabeth Anne Temple (10.65%)
House District 33
Democrat:
- Monika Johnson-Holstler (60.13%)
- Antoine Marshall (25.70%)
- Debra Dunston (14.17%)
House District 35
Republican:
- Mike Schietzelt (64.80%)
- James Norman (35.20%)
House District 42
Democrat:
- Mike Colvin (35.03%)
- Naveed Aziz (29.00%)
- Elmer Floyd (22.59%)
- Courtney Banks-McLaughlin (13.38%)
House District 48
Republican:
- Ralph Carter (53.88%)
- Melissa Swarbrick (37.22%)
- James Diaz (8.90%)
House District 55
Republican:
- Incumbent Rep. Mark Brody (82.00%)
- Richard Miller (12.29%)
- Arthur McDonald (5.71%)
House District 59
Republican:
- Alan Branson (70.45%)
- Allen Chappell (29.55%)
House District 60
Democrat:
- Incumbent Rep. Cecil Brockman (50.69%)
- James Adams (49.31%)
House District 62
Republican:
- John Blust (34.11%)
- Michelle Bardsley (19.73%)
- Britt Moore (18.98%)
- Ann Schneider (16.69%)
- Jaxon Barber (10.49%)
House District 65
Republican:
- Incumbent Rep. Reece Pyrtle (80.39%)
- Joseph A. Bison III (19.61%)
House District 67
Republican:
- Cody Huneycutt (64.73%)
- Brandon King (35.27%)
House District 69
Republican:
- Incumbent Rep. Dean Arp (80.82%)
- Clint Cannaday (19.18%)
House District 72
Democrat:
- Incumbent Rep. Amber Baker (76.28%)
- Marcus Pearson (23.72%)
House District 73
Republican:
- Jonathan Almond (53.43%)
- Holly Edwards (46.57%)
House District 74
Democrat:
- Amy Taylor North (79.79%)
- Mack Wilder (20.21%)
House District 80
Republican:
- Incumbent Rep. Sam Watford (50.40%)
- Eddie Gallimore (49.60%)
House District 82
Republican:
- Brian Echevarria (50.94%)
- Incumbent Rep. Kevin Crutchfield (49.06%)
House District 83
Republican:
- Grant Campbell (52.27%)
- Brand Jenkins (47.73%)
House District 84
Republican:
- Incumbent Rep. Jeffrey McNeely (55.21%)
- John (Doug) Gallina (44.79%)
House District 94
Republican:
- Blair Eddins (43.33%)
- Stoney Greene (31.02%)
- Larry Yoder (16.59%)
- Dwight Shook (9.07%)
House District 98
Democrat:
- Beth Gardner Helfrich (65.54%)
- Lisa Jewel (34.46%)
House District 105
Democrat:
- Nicole Sidman (57.26%)
- Yolanda (Yo) Holmes (37.97%)
- Terry Lansdell (4.77%)
House District 106
Democrat:
- Incumbent Rep. Carla Cunningham (84.57%)
- Vermanno Bowman (15.43%)
House District 110
Republican:
- Incumbent Rep. Kelly Hastings (88.16%)
- Esther Scott (11.84%)
House District 111
Republican:
- Paul Scott (34.28%)
- David Allen (30.48%)
- Paul Brintley (18.68%)
- Scott Neisler (16.56%)
