Tag: 2026 Elections

Locke poll finds widening leads for Democrats

The latest poll for the Locke Foundation finds about an eight-point generic advantage for Democrats on the General Assembly ballot. Harper Polling’s survey was in the field from Sept. 13 to Sept. 15 and found that of the 608 likely voters it talked to, 49.5% said they were probably or definitely going to vote for […]

Written by on September 22, 2026

Trio of swing-seat House Republicans trail in fundraising

Republican incumbents in a trio of key, near-toss-up N.C. House districts trailed their challengers in fundraising through June, according to their campaign-finance filings with the State Board of Elections. The biggest gap was in District 74, the Clemmons/Lewisville area of western Forsyth County. Incumbent Rep. Jeff Zenger has raised $286,365. Zenger’s Democratic opponent, Amy Taylor […]

Written by on August 27, 2026

Granville-Vance House candidate steps aside

Democrats in Granville and Vance counties need to find themselves a new candidate for the House District 32 seat. The previous nominee, Oxford City Commissioner Curtis McRae, is withdrawing from the race “due to personal health matters requiring his full attention,” the House Democratic Caucus says. McRae  — who’s also an associate warden at the […]

Written by on June 8, 2026

Cohn’s hat in the ring for Everitt Senate seat

State Rep. Bryan Cohn, D-Granville, says he’s signaled to the Democratic leadership in the House and Senate that he’s willing to step in as a replacement for former Sen. Terence Everitt. “We’ve got the donors, the infrastructure [and] the network,” Cohn says. Everitt, D-Wake, announced Tuesday evening, on Facebook, that he was resigning to focus […]

Written by on May 1, 2026

How Page won: focus on home turf

Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page’s GOP-primary win over Senate leader Phil Berger has been the talk of the state’s political class since his 23-vote margin of victory was solidified in a post-balloting canvass. Everyone wonders how he did it. One of Page’s advisers, pollster/strategist Patrick Sebastian, has been happy to answer questions about the race […]

Written by on April 1, 2026

Berger concedes to Page

Senate leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, on Tuesday conceded that he lost his District 26 party primary to challenger Sam Page. “While this was a close race, the voters have spoken, and I congratulate Sheriff Page on his victor,” Berger said in a statement issued by his campaign just before 4 p.m. The announcement came after […]

Written by on March 24, 2026

Berger asks for recount, also files protest

As was widely expected, Senate leader Phil Berger has asked for a recount of the results in his District 26 GOP primary that show Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page beating him for the party nomination by 23 votes. The request came with a twist, namely that Berger wants the Rockingham and Guilford elections boards to […]

Written by on March 18, 2026

Is there a precedent for Berger’s primary loss?

There’s no recent North Carolina precedent, if any, for Senate leader Phil Berger’s apparent GOP primary loss. The modern era of the General Assembly dates from the advent of gubernatorial succession in 1977. Since then, we’ve seen leadership changes in the House and Senate for many reasons, but never because a Senate president pro tem […]

Written by on March 17, 2026

Keeping up with the Jones

Democratic leaders aren’t keeping up with the Joneses — or one Jones, specifically — when it comes to fundraising for General Assembly races. House Majority Leader Brenden Jones, R-Columbus, reports that he’s raised $537,080 through mid-February for the 2025-26 election cycle. House Democratic Leader Robert Reives, D-Chatham, has raised $236,407 for the election. Senate Democratic […]

Written by on March 4, 2026

Foushee seeks third term; Allam opposes for second time

Not too long ago, the Triangle’s 4th Congressional District was North Carolina’s most stable and predictable U.S. House seat. But former U.S. Rep. David Price, a former state Democratic Party chairman, retired instead of seeking re-election to an 18th term in 2022. His successor, U.S. Rep. Valerie Foushee, has found the seat harder to hold. […]

Written by on March 2, 2026

Cook raises $42K for District 60 primary

State Rep. Amanda Cook, D-Guilford, appears to hold a sizable fundraising lead in her battle to hold on to the District 60 House seat she gained in November after former Rep. Cecil Brockman resigned. Cook told the State Board of Elections she’d raised $42,181 as of the end of 2025. The only other candidate in […]

Written by on February 24, 2026

Kidwell, Armstrong close in fundraising

Financially, the incumbent and challenger in one of the state’s most-watched primaries are tightly matched. District 79 incumbent state Rep. Keith Kidwell, R-Beaufort, reported to the State Board of Elections that he’d raised $66,163 for his re-election campaign as of the end of 2025. His challenger, farmer and seed-store operator Darren Armstrong, reported raising $55,480. Neither […]

Written by on February 23, 2026

Hall channels campaign money to caucus members

House Speaker Destin Hall has raised $1.2 million so far in the 2025-26 election cycle, his most recent report to the State Board of Elections says. His campaign’s fundraising includes $296,000 in PAC money. Max-level, $6,800 PAC donors in the second half of 2025 include groups representing the Cherokee and Catawba Indians, the state’s home […]

Written by on February 20, 2026

Sadler outraising Cunningham for upcoming primary

The Rev. Rodney Sadler has raised more than twice as much money for his state House party primary as District 106 incumbent Rep. Carla Cunningham. Year-end finance reports to the State Board of Elections show that Sadlerpulled in just under $121,820. Cunningham raised $57,449, but started the race with a cushion thanks to the money […]

Written by on February 17, 2026

Measmer leading Crutchfield in fundraising

When it comes to General Assembly primaries, the Phil Berger-Sam Page GOP battle in Senate District 26 commands most of the attention for understandable reasons. But it’s not the only show in town. Down in Cabarrus County, appointed incumbent Sen. Chris Measmer is trying to hold on to the seat he gained after former Sen. […]

Written by on February 11, 2026