Brooks Pierce Capital Dispatch: What Does the November Election Mean for North Carolina?
After a lengthy and hard-fought campaign, voters have chosen new leaders for our nation and state.
What happened on November 3?
The State Board of Elections reports that 54% of registered voters (4.2 million) cast ballots. Voters set a record for a midterm election during the early voting period by casting about 2.8 million ballots (2.7 million in person early votes plus about 93,000 votes by mail) with about 1.4 million voting on election day.
Note: Results are unofficial at this point. Under State law, the final certification of results (also called a canvass) will occur later this month. County boards of elections are scheduled to hold their canvass meetings on Nov. 13, and the State Board of Elections is scheduled to meet on Nov. 24 to certify the election. Court challenges and recounts could impact this timeline.
Congress—U.S. Senate
Former North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper (D) defeated former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley (R) by 59% to 39%. His victory was the first for a North Carolina Democrat in a U.S. Senate race since 2008. Cooper has never lost an election, and this marks his seventh statewide win.
Cooper will join the new Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate as his party won races across the country. Current projections show Democrats with a new 54 to 44 majority with 2 Independent Senators.
Congress—U.S. House
Despite district lines drawn to favor Republicans, Democrats won several surprising races and based on unofficial returns, lead in 9 of the 14 U.S. House races. Prior to the election, the state delegation breakdown was 10 Republicans and 4 Democrats. These Democrats will join a new Democratic majority in the U.S. House.
These seven incumbents have been reelected:
- Don Davis (D-1st)—won a rematch against Laurie Buckhout by about 10,000 votes
- Deborah Ross (D-2nd)—won with 75% of the vote
- Valerie Foushee (D-4th)—won with 79% of the vote
- David Rouzer (R-7th)—won by 2,425 votes
- Mark Harris (R-8th)—won by about 5,000 votes
- Pat Harrigan (R-10th)—won by about 3,000 votes
- Alma Adams (D-12th)—won with 81% of the vote
Two incumbents are in races that are too close to call:
- Incumbent Greg Murphy (R-3rd) leads Democrat former legislator Raymond Smith by 233 votes
- Incumbent Virginia Foxx (R-5th) trails Democrat journalist Chuck Hubbard by 99 votes
Democrats won an open seat with Jamie Ager winning the 11th district over N.C. House member Jennifer Balkcom by 55,000 votes. This is the seat formerly held by Republican Chuck Edwards.
It appears that these House Republican incumbents have been defeated:
- Addison McDowell (6th)—lost to Democrat High Point Mayor Cyril Jefferson
- Richard Hudson (9th)—lost to Democrat U.S. Army Major and former West Virginia State Senator Richard Ojeda
- Brad Knott (13th)—lost to Democrat health care consultant Paul Barringer
- Tim Moore (14th)—lost to Democrat business consultant Lakesha Womack
General Assembly
In a sweeping result reminiscent of when Republicans took over the General Assembly in the 2010 election, Democrats won majorities in the House and have a net gain of at least four seats in the Senate. Prior to this election, Republicans have controlled both chambers of the General Assembly since January 2011.
If current results hold, Democrats will hold a 71 to 48 majority in the House with one member being unaffiliated. This is a complete reversal of the current party breakdown under which the Republican majority is 71 to 47 with 2 unaffiliateds.
The new Speaker of the House is likely to be Robert Reives (D-Chatham), a lawyer and the current House Democratic Leader. He has been in the House since 2014.
House incumbent Republicans that lost include Allen Chesser (25th), Donna White (26th), Mike Schietzelt (35th) and Erin Pare (37th)—both in Wake County, Diane Wheatley (43rd), Dennis Riddell (64th), Donnie Lambeth (75th), Ray Pickett (93rd), and Tricia Cotham (105th), who switched from Democrat to Republican in 2023.
Republican incumbent Tim Reeder (9th) trails Democrat Claire Kempner by 175 votes. This race is too close to call.
Several powerful Senate Republican incumbents were defeated. They are Buck Newton (4th), Michael Lee (7th), and Lisa Barnes (11th). Republican incumbent Danny Britt (24th) is locked in a close race and leads by 268 votes. Democrats won an open seat in Cabarrus County (34th) with health care clinic CEO April Cook (D) defeating former House member Kevin Crutchfield (R) by 12,000 votes.
Judiciary
Justice Anita Earls (D) was easily reelected defeating former N.C. House member Sarah Stevens (R) by 59% to 41 %. All three Court of Appeals seats were won by Democrats.
How Will the Election Results Impact North Carolinians?
Late 2026 General Assembly Session
The current General Assembly is authorized under its adjournment resolution to return to Raleigh on November 16 and 30 for additional work. Current leaders have indicated that the November 30 session is their likely meeting time.
Some notable bills might be considered this year, including bills on social media and AI safety (H 301), hemp regulation (H 328), and data centers and energy regulation (S 730).
Given their large current majorities, Republicans may also seek to enact new limitations on the authority of the Governor. They did this in a late 2016 session after Roy Cooper was elected Governor that year prior to his taking office in January 2017.
2027 Session
Given the Democrat’s large margins in the House and a near tie in the Senate, they have significant new leverage in Raleigh. Unlike prior sessions when their bills did not get a hearing, many policies supported by Democrats will likely be debated.
Here are some possible areas of Democratic focus next year:
- Education funding, especially for K-12 schools and teacher salaries
- Health care, including retaining Medicaid expansion
- Rising electric rates
- Data center siting and regulation
- Regulation and use of artificial intelligence (AI)
- Renewable energy
- Environmental regulation
- Tax relief for workers
- Hurricane Helene recovery
- Medical marijuana and hemp regulation
As North Carolina shifts toward a significantly altered political environment following these historic results, all eyes will be on how state leaders navigate both the upcoming year end session and the expanded legislative agenda of 2027. With Democrats gaining key federal seats and reclaiming substantial influence in the General Assembly, the balance of power in Raleigh has fundamentally changed. Whether addressing immediate post-election legislation, finalizing county certification canvasses, or setting future priorities on education, healthcare, and storm recovery, North Carolina enters a pivotal era of policy debates that will likely shape the state's trajectory for years to come.
For more information, contact the Brooks Pierce Government Affairs Team, linked below:
Ed Turlington, Partner
Drew Moretz, Government Relations Advisor
Katelyn Kingsbury, Government Relations Advisor