By Cash Michaels
Contributing Writer
The party standard-bearers of the all-important November 2026 North Carolina midterm elections were elected Tuesday night. Candidates must have won more than 30% of the vote in their respective races to secure their party’s nomination to run in November and avoid a May runoff.
The results from the Tuesday primary contests are unofficial and preliminary, to be certified at a later date.
In the Democratic primary race for U.S. Senate, no surprise here as popular former NC Gov. Roy Cooper dominated a large candidate field of six to win with over 92% of the vote.
‘I’m running because I love North Carolina,” said Cooper during his victory speech. “It’s time for a change.”
On the Republican side, former NC Republican Party Chairman Michael Whatley ran in an even larger field of seven, which included MAGA former NC schools superintendent candidate Michele Morrow, Whatley winning with approximately 65% of the vote.
The winner in November succeeds outgoing Republican Sen. Thom Tillis.
In the contentious and headline-making Republican primary race for NC Senate District 26, longtime powerful incumbent and Senate Majority Leader Phil Berger is in a two-vote deadbeat with challenger Rockingham Sheriff Sam Page. Provisional ballots and a recount may ultimately decide this race.
In the US House District 12 Democratic primary race, incumbent Rep. Alma Adams dominated young challenger Monaca Williamson, 79 to 21%.
On the Republican side of the District 12 primary race, Jack Codiga won the right to try to unseat Rep. Adams in November, beating opponent Abdul Ali, 67 to 33%.
In the Democratic primary race for the 4th Congressional District, incumbent Valerie Foushee faced off in a second contentious challenge from Durham County Commissioner Nida Allam, winning with less than one percent of the vote. Provisional and military ballots have yet to counted, and Allam is expected to call for a recount.
In the Republican primary race to challenge incumbent Democratic Congressman Don Davis in the 1st Congressional District, Laurie Buckshot, who was endorsed by Pres. Trump, led a field of a field of five GOP hopefuls with over 39% of the vote.
The NC General Assembly redistricted the First District so that it would lean Republican in November.
Also Tuesday night, three Black Democratic House members who voted with the Republican majority against Democratic Governor Josh Stein and their party lost their primaries unofficially.
Representatives Carla Cunningham, Shelly Willingham and Nasif Majeed all lost, according to unofficial primary results. Cunningham, a seven-term incumbent, lost to Baptist Minister Rodney Sadler in the District 106 race for North Charlotte. Willingham, a six-term incumbent from Rocky Mount, lost to challenger Patricia Smith in the House District 23 race.
And Rep. Majeed, another Charlotte incumbent, lost his race to be reelected to House District 99 to Veleria Levy, a health care consultant.
