South Carolina’s 5th District House Race 2026

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.

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.

Democratic congressional candidate Will Lawrence pushed back after President Donald Trump criticized him during a Sept. 9 address at the GOP's midterm convention in Dallas, accusing him of hating families and the American way of life. Trump did not name Lawrence directly, but the remarks referenced since-deleted 2021-2022 social media posts in which Lawrence criticized the "hetero-patriarchal nuclear family" as a vehicle for wealth accumulation and praised communal living arrangements. The National Republican Congressional Committee linked the comments to Lawrence.

At a Lansing campaign event the following day, Lawrence said his past comments referred to housing affordability and accused Trump and his opponent, U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett, of harming families through immigration enforcement, health care cuts, and rising costs tied to conflict in Iran. Lawrence, who let his Democratic Socialists of America membership lapse in July, is challenging Barrett in Michigan's competitive 7th Congressional District, a seat Democrats are targeting to help flip the House.

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.

President Trump, campaigning for Senate nominee Michael Whatley in North Carolina, described the state as one of the most violent in the country. Official data released the same day, and subsequent statewide figures, tell a different story: violent crime fell 5.8% in the first half of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025, with murders down 12.4%, robberies down 17.7%, and motor vehicle thefts down 22.6%. Property crime overall fell nearly 12%. Charlotte saw violent crime drop 8%, though homicides ticked up slightly. The decline predates Trump's presidency, complicating his rally claims even as the White House credits his policies.

Not all categories improved: intimidation, stalking, and kidnapping reports rose, with women disproportionately affected and most cases involving intimate partners or acquaintances. Trump also cited the fatal stabbing of Iryna Zarutska, falsely claiming Democratic nominee Roy Cooper released the suspect from prison. Overall, North Carolina's violent crime rate ranks in the middle nationally, undercutting characterizations of the state as uniquely dangerous ahead of a closely watched Senate race.

The Justice Department announced indictments against 18 people in North Carolina for allegedly voting illegally in the 2024 election, bringing the state's total to 30 cases tied to that election cycle. Federal grand juries in Charlotte and Greensboro returned charges spanning all three of the state's federal districts, with defendants including lawful permanent residents from countries such as Nigeria, the Dominican Republic, France, Cuba, and Argentina accused of falsely claiming citizenship to register or vote. One defendant allegedly cast ballots dating back to 2000. The indictments arrive as the Trump administration intensifies voter fraud investigations ahead of the midterms, with charges carrying penalties up to five years in prison and $250,000 in fines.

Charlotte voters will weigh in on Election Day, Nov. 3, on three separate bond measures totaling $425 million: $280 million for transportation improvements, $125 million for affordable housing, and $20 million for neighborhood projects. The bonds would be funded by investors and repaid by the city with interest, requiring voter approval since public funds service the debt. Mayor Robert Harrington said the borrowing lets the city accelerate projects rather than wait for cash reserves to build, citing Charlotte's top bond rating. He said the housing funds would support developers building affordable units and rent assistance, though he does not expect rents to drop. Harrington maintained the bonds will not require a tax increase.

South Carolina Republicans returned to the polls Tuesday to pick a nominee for the Senate seat long held by the late Lindsey Graham, who died in July after winning renomination in June. Sen. Darline Graham, appointed to fill her brother's term and backed by President Trump and Sen. Tim Scott, faced Rep. Ralph Norman in a runoff after neither cleared a majority in the Aug. 11 primary; third-place finisher Rep. Russell Fry endorsed Graham. The winner faces Democrat Annie Andrews in the fall.

In Georgia's 13th Congressional District near Atlanta, Democrats Everton Blair and Marcye Scott, daughter of late Rep. David Scott, competed in a runoff to serve the remainder of Scott's term after topping a five-candidate field in July. Neither is seeking the full term beginning in 2027; that contest will pit Democratic state Rep. Jasmine Clark against Republican Jonathan Chavez in November. Both races drew attention as tests of turnout and party strength ahead of the 2026 midterms, now 70 days off.