How Many House Seats Will Democrats Win in North Carolina in 2026

Property records show Democratic candidate LaKesha Womack, who is challenging Republican Rep. Tim Moore in North Carolina's 14th Congressional District, purchased a home in neighboring District 12 this summer while her official voting address — located in District 14 — appears on Zillow as a rental listing. Womack initially agreed to discuss the matter but later canceled the interview and has not responded to further requests for comment.

The Constitution does not require House members to live in the districts they represent, only that they reside in the state, be at least 25 years old, and have held U.S. citizenship for seven years. Still, a WBTV review found two of North Carolina's 14 House members registered to vote outside their districts: Womack and Republican Rep. Brad Knott, whose Raleigh voting address falls in District 2 rather than his District 13. A third representative, Democrat Don Davis, was redrawn out of his old district in last year's redistricting and is now running in a seat reconfigured to favor Republicans.

President Trump campaigned in Greenville, North Carolina, urging voters to back Senate candidate Michael Whatley, who trails former Democratic Governor Roy Cooper by a wide margin in polling for the seat of retiring Senator Thom Tillis. The race could help determine Senate control after the November 3 midterms. National Republican groups, including the Senate Leadership Fund, have pulled spending from the contest, and early voting data show Democrats casting ballots at twice the rate of Republicans in the state. Trump's approval rating has fallen to 31%, with 68% of Americans disapproving of his economic handling amid rising gas prices. Competitive House races in the state have also drawn tens of millions in outside spending.

Early voting opens Oct. 15 and runs through Oct. 31 in North Carolina, a key battleground in the 2025 midterms. The marquee race is the open U.S. Senate seat left by retiring Republican Thom Tillis, pitting Democrat and former Gov. Roy Cooper against Republican Michael Whatley, the Trump-backed former RNC chair, with Green and Libertarian candidates also on the ballot. Democrats are targeting the seat as part of a broader push to flip the four seats needed for Senate control.

The ballot also includes competitive U.S. House races, including Charlotte-area districts held by Reps. Alma Adams, Tim Moore and Mark Harris, plus down-ballot contests for the N.C. Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, state legislature, and Mecklenburg County offices. Voters will also weigh in on constitutional amendments covering voter ID, income tax caps and property tax limits, along with Charlotte bond measures for transportation, housing and neighborhood improvements. Election Day is Nov. 3, with North Carolina's results seen as a bellwether for national party control in Washington.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom capped a multi-state "take it back tour" with eight public events across South Carolina, plus stops in Alabama and North Carolina, intensifying speculation about a 2028 Democratic presidential run. In North Carolina, Newsom campaigned for U.S. Senate candidate Roy Cooper in Charlotte and rallied Labor Day weekend crowds in Monroe, urging Democrats to focus on the 2026 midterms rather than 2028. He accused Trump of ruthlessness, corruption and attempting to "nationalize" elections through mail-in voting restrictions, telling supporters it's time to "fight fire with fire." Newsom told the Associated Press a 2028 decision could come before year's end.

Voters and strategists increasingly frame California itself as Newsom's central liability, with critics warning his state's liberal image could hurt him against rivals like Josh Shapiro and Pete Buttigieg. Republicans, including North Carolina Senate candidate Michael Whatley and local officials, mocked the visits with "Wrong Coast" signs and accused him of trying to "California" their states. Newsom's team counters that his progressive record on health care, wages and climate could be an asset in a Democratic primary. South Carolina, hosting Democrats' first 2028 primary, remains a key early proving ground alongside hopefuls like Cory Booker.

Former Governor Roy Cooper holds a double-digit lead over Republican Michael Whatley in North Carolina's US Senate race, built on a message focused on affordability and healthcare costs. Cooper, who spent six years securing Medicaid expansion from a GOP-controlled legislature, is campaigning against Trump-backed healthcare cuts and the rollback of Obamacare subsidies, which he blames for rising premiums. Republican super PACs have pulled TV ad spending from the state to shore up other races, and Trump plans to rally for Whatley, a political newcomer and former RNC chair. With Republicans holding a narrow Senate majority, Democrats need the North Carolina seat as part of a broader path to control the chamber, and strategists see Cooper's approach as a potential model for other moderate Democrats.

An NRCC ad targeting Jamie Ager, the Democratic candidate in North Carolina's 11th District, highlights a past "kid-friendly" farm festival where drag performers from the Beer City Sisters, including figures using names like "Sister Domina Trix," appeared. Ager's Hickory Nut Gap Farm had publicly thanked the group for attending the 2019 event before later locking the related Facebook post.

Performers and LGBTQ advocates, including Blue Ridge Pride, disputed the ad, with some performers claiming parts of the footage were AI-generated and issuing cease-and-desist demands. The NRCC stands by the ad. The dispute has become a flashpoint in the closely watched race days before the election.

North Carolina's Nov. 3 general election ballot includes three constitutional amendments placed there by the Republican-controlled General Assembly. The first would extend the existing photo ID requirement to mail-in voters, who currently may instead submit a driver's license or partial Social Security number; voters already approved in-person photo ID in 2018, and mail-in fraud remains rare. The second would lower the state's constitutional income tax rate cap from 7% to 3.5%, requiring voter approval for any future increase above that level. Supporters, including sponsor Sen. Michael V. Lee, call it a taxpayer safeguard, while Gov. Josh Stein and other Democrats argue it mainly shields wealthy earners and would shift future budget pressure onto ordinary residents. The third amendment would require state lawmakers to set limits on local property tax increases; critics say it does little to address housing affordability. Each needs a simple majority to pass. Twenty-eight counties, including Mecklenburg, will also have local referendums, and voter registration closes Oct. 9.