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←2022
U.S. Senate, North Carolina
Democratic primary Republican primary General election
Election details
Filing deadline: December 19, 2025
Primary: March 3, 2026 Primary runoff: May 12, 2026 General: November 3, 2026
How to vote
Poll times: 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Voting in North Carolina
Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Toss-up DDHQ and The Hill: Pending Inside Elections: Toss-up Sabato's Crystal Ball: Toss-up
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds U.S. House battlegrounds Federal and state primary competitiveness Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2026
See also
U.S. Senate, North Carolina U.S. Senate •1st •2nd •3rd •4th •5th •6th •7th •8th •9th •10th •11th •12th •13th •14th North Carolina elections, 2026 U.S. Congress elections, 2026 U.S. Senate elections, 2026 U.S. House elections, 2026 Alabama U.S. Senate raceAlaska U.S. Senate raceArkansas U.S. Senate raceColorado U.S. Senate raceDelaware U.S. Senate raceGeorgia U.S. Senate raceIdaho U.S. Senate raceIllinois U.S. Senate raceIowa U.S. Senate raceKansas U.S. Senate raceKentucky U.S. Senate raceLouisiana U.S. Senate raceMaine U.S. Senate raceMassachusetts U.S. Senate raceMichigan U.S. Senate raceMinnesota U.S. Senate raceMississippi U.S. Senate raceMontana U.S. Senate raceNebraska U.S. Senate raceNew Hampshire U.S. Senate raceNew Jersey U.S. Senate raceNew Mexico U.S. Senate raceNorth Carolina U.S. Senate raceOklahoma U.S. Senate raceOregon U.S. Senate raceRhode Island U.S. Senate raceSouth Carolina U.S. Senate raceSouth Dakota U.S. Senate raceTennessee U.S. Senate raceTexas U.S. Senate raceVirginia U.S. Senate raceWest Virginia U.S. Senate raceWyoming U.S. Senate raceSubmit

Voters inNorth Carolinawill elect one member to theU.S. Senate in the general election on Nov. 3, 2026. Incumbent Sen.Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), who first assumed office in 2015, announced that he would not seek re-election in 2026.

According toThe Cook Political Report's Amy Taylor, Tillis' retirement makes the seat a "top pickup opportunity" for Democrats in the 2026 election cycle.^[1] Taylor also wrote, "The vulnerability of this seat, however, does not alter the overall Senate math for 2026. Even if Democrats were to win here in 2026, they'd still need to flip three more seats, including at least two in deep red states, in order to win a bare majority."^[1]

North Carolina State University's Steven Greene said, "Tillis is widely disliked by a number of Republicans who maybe wouldn't turn out to vote for him. And it's possible that the Republicans are able to come together more unified behind a fresh face."^[2]

As of Feb. 10, 2026, noteworthy declared and potential candidates included the following.Click here to view all of the candidates for the seat.

• Roy Cooper (D), who served asgovernor of North Carolina from 2017 to 2025 (Declared)
• Michael Whatley (R), who served as chair of the RNC from March 2024 to August 2025 (Declared)

North Carolina Attorney GeneralJeff Jackson (D) and U.S. Rep.Deborah Ross (D-N.C.) gained media attention as possible Democratic candidates but have all said they will not run for the seat.^[3][4] U.S. Rep.Richard Hudson (R-N.C.), former North Carolina Lt. Gov.Mark Robinson, former U.S. Rep.Mark Walker (R-N.C.), and formerRepublican National Committee (RNC) co-chair Lara Trump gained media attention as possible Republican candidates but have all said they will not run for the seat.^[5][6][7]

North Carolina’s delegation to theU.S. House of Representatives includes four Democrats and 10 Republicans. The state’s two U.S. Senators—Tillis and Sen.Ted Budd (R-N.C.)—are Republicans. The state's most recent Democratic senator wasKay Hagan (D), who served from 2009 to 2015.

In the six presidential elections from 2004 to 2024, Republican presidential candidates won the state with the exception of the 2008 election. In the2020 presidential election,Donald Trump (R) won 50% of the vote toJoe Biden’s (D) 49%. In2024, Trump won 51% of the vote toKamala Harris’ (D) 48%.

North Carolina has a divided government where neither party holds atrifecta. Democrats control the governorship, while Republicans control bothlegislative chambers. North Carolina’s last Republican governor wasPat McCrory (R), who served from 2013 to 2017.

As of Feb. 10, 2026,The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter,Inside Elections with Nathan Gonzales, andLarry Sabato's Crystal Ball each rated the general electionToss-up.Click here for more information on race forecasts.

The outcome of this race will affect the partisan balance of theU.S. Senate in the 120th Congress. Thirty-three of the 100 U.S. Senate seats are up for election, and another two seats are up forspecial election. Democrats hold 13 of the seats up for election, and Republicans hold 22.

Currently, Republicans have a 53-45 majority in the chamber.^[8] To read more about the U.S. Senate elections taking place this year,click here.

This is one of nine openU.S. Senate races this year in which an incumbent isnot running for re-election. Across the country, four Democrats and five Republicans are not running for re-election — more than any year since 2012. In2024, eight incumbents — four Democrats, two Republicans, and two independents — did not seek re-election.

For more information about the primaries in this election, click on the links below:

• United States Senate election in North Carolina, 2026 (March 3 Democratic primary)
• United States Senate election in North Carolina, 2026 (March 3 Republican primary)

Candidates and election results

General election

The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

The primary will occur on March 3, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. Additional general election candidates will be added here following the primary.

General election for U.S. Senate North Carolina

Brian McGinnis,Shannon Bray, andShaunesi Deberry are running in the general election for U.S. Senate North Carolina on November 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		Brian McGinnis (G)
		Shannon Bray (L)
		Shaunesi Deberry (Independent)

---

	There are noincumbents in this race.
= candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. Senate North Carolina

The following candidates are running in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate North Carolina on March 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		Robert Colon
		Roy Cooper
		Justin Dues
		Daryl Farrow
		Orrick Quick
		Marcus Williams

---

	There are noincumbents in this race.
= candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Wiley Nickel (D)
• Alyssia Hammond (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. Senate North Carolina

The following candidates are running in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate North Carolina on March 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		Don Brown
		Richard Dansie
		Thomas Johnson
		Michele Morrow
		Elizabeth Anne Temple
		Michael Whatley

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	Incumbents arebolded and underlined.
= candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Margot Dupre (R) (Disqualified, appeared on ballot)
• Brooks Agnew (R)
• Andy Nilsson (R)
• Thom Tillis (R)

Libertarian primary election

The Libertarian primary election was canceled.Shannon Bray advanced from the Libertarian primary for U.S. Senate North Carolina.

Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completedBallotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, clickhere.

Brian McGinnis

Party:Green Party

Incumbent: No

Submitted Biography:  "My name is Brian McGinnis. I will not accept donations from any corporate groups. I represent the people of North Carolina. I will represent an anti war, pro social services perspective in Congress. I believe our education system is failing and is in dire need of increased funding instead of federal cuts. I am a veteran and the VA is far too hard to access and needs to be better staffed. If political leaders cared about its veterans it would reserve involving our military for imminent national security instead of wars based on greed."

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Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses,click here.

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I will not accept money from corporate donors as Democrats and Republicans do. Therefore I will vote with peoples inalienable rights as most important deciding factor. I will not look to pad my own pockets and one term is all I am looking for and term limits need to be instated.

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Income inequality is dividing our country's population and therefore weakening our national strength. A country divided cannot stand. The have-nots must be listened to and I am here to bring them the tools they need to succeed.

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America is amped and ready to re-industrialize and I am here for it. I will vote to spur on ecologically responsible ways to get American manufacturing and energy stronger and stronger.

Shaunesi Deberry

Party:Independent

Incumbent: No

Submitted Biography:  "Born and raised in Durham North Carolina, I’ve been blessed to live and travel global. Upon my return to the United States after living in Antalya Turkey, I gained a new found respect for America. I graduate in 2002 from Hillside High School, after on and off again attendance of both HBCU’s and PWI’s I gained my Bachelor of Science in Management in 2024 with a focus on organizational behavior. I’m the mother of two daughters of which both I homescooled.Professionally I have over 15 years of experience in telecommunications, wireless, non- profit management, human/education rights advocacy, organizational leadership and strategic digital solutions ranging from individuals to Fortune 500 companies. I’ve sat on boards ranging from local to National PTA as well as the NAACP. I’ve testified and advocated by Amicus Brief and oral testimony in MD and NC general assembly’s and Court of Appeals litigation and most recently I represented myself pro se’ and secured a partial acquittal in a criminal case in Anne Arundel County. I’ve successfully won an appeal pro se’ in the MD Office of Administrative Hearings.In high school I was one of the first students to take an online course over twenty four years ago and that sparked my interest in computers and navigating the forthcoming digital era. I believe that this interest is what took me to new heights in my adult journey to help others adapt to the “new world” of digital navigation and social media in government and politics."

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Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses,click here.

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Mental Wellness Matters: Stigmas surrounding mental “illness” creates instant civil rights violations when ignorantly or incompetently addressed. As a mental wellness advocate who openly advocates for person’s with hidden disabilities I plan to bring federal ADA compliant expertise to assuring we redefine what mental “illness” is and more importantly how to assure citizens are able to maintain their mental wellness with effective resources for such.

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Self Sustainability is Possible: Between both school, work, and family I bring expertise on navigating through adversity and the highs and lows of implementing effective real life strategies to sustain whether a single individual or in a two person household with children. This expertise will help Americans access to state and federal resources to assure they aren’t hindered by their temporary adversities and can effectively maintain or revamp their lives as needed.

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Business Solutions exist for all: I’ve been a small business owner/entrepreneur off and on for years. American’s need to know trades matter. I bring expertise in ensuring whether it’s a Fortune 500 company or individual it is possible to get started and excel in a business that can grow both your dreams and the economy. Most people aren’t aware of the resources for such. Together we can change this.

Voting information

See also:Voting in North Carolina

Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses

Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completedBallotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Shaunesi Deberry (Independent)

Mental Wellness Matters: Stigmas surrounding mental “illness” creates instant civil rights violations when ignorantly or incompetently addressed. As a mental wellness advocate who openly advocates for person’s with hidden disabilities I plan to bring federal ADA compliant expertise to assuring we redefine what mental “illness” is and more importantly how to assure citizens are able to maintain their mental wellness with effective resources for such.

Self Sustainability is Possible: Between both school, work, and family I bring expertise on navigating through adversity and the highs and lows of implementing effective real life strategies to sustain whether a single individual or in a two person household with children. This expertise will help Americans access to state and federal resources to assure they aren’t hindered by their temporary adversities and can effectively maintain or revamp their lives as needed.

Business Solutions exist for all: I’ve been a small business owner/entrepreneur off and on for years. American’s need to know trades matter. I bring expertise in ensuring whether it’s a Fortune 500 company or individual it is possible to get started and excel in a business that can grow both your dreams and the economy. Most people aren’t aware of the resources for such. Together we can change this.

Brian McGinnis (G)

I will not accept money from corporate donors as Democrats and Republicans do. Therefore I will vote with peoples inalienable rights as most important deciding factor. I will not look to pad my own pockets and one term is all I am looking for and term limits need to be instated.

Income inequality is dividing our country's population and therefore weakening our national strength. A country divided cannot stand. The have-nots must be listened to and I am here to bring them the tools they need to succeed.

America is amped and ready to re-industrialize and I am here for it. I will vote to spur on ecologically responsible ways to get American manufacturing and energy stronger and stronger.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Shaunesi Deberry (Independent)

-Mental Health

-Environmental Regulations-Workplace Safety-Education Funding-Social Security and Welfare-Immigration

-Judicial Nominations

Brian McGinnis (G)

Ending wars to stop human suffering. Using America's strength to help the suffering populations of the world. Ramping up manufacturing and energy in NC with furniture and other factories, as well solar farms in rural areas with low economies.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Shaunesi Deberry (Independent)

I don't look up to people. No one is perfect. I do however commend both President Trump and Elon Musk for the confidence and fortitude they've had individually to see the pain points in our country and act fast on effective solutions.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Shaunesi Deberry (Independent)

The Bible. Although re-written multiple times, you can always reference the stories to situations in politics that can include greed, growth, lessons, and rebuilding.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Shaunesi Deberry (Independent)

Transparency, Fortitude, Competence, and Experience. We've seen too many "perfectly polished" elected officials. They have all the titles and accolades but nothing about them represents everyday people. Their bios are bland with elite organizations and networks but nothing says " I've gotten that eviction notice", "I have a mugshot", "I know exactly how it feels to experience aftermath of decisions of non relatable elected officials".

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Shaunesi Deberry (Independent)

Emotional intelligence and emotional maturity.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Shaunesi Deberry (Independent)

While the ability to impeach stands out to me the most, this position at its core focuses on lawmaking and assuring our president is accountable and in compliance for the people.

What legacy would you like to leave?

Shaunesi Deberry (Independent)

If you have a pulse and internet access, you can do anything, literally.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

Shaunesi Deberry (Independent)

The OJ Simpson trial. I was about 11 at the time. It showed me that wealth does not equate to perfection nor keep you from the criminal justice system.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Shaunesi Deberry (Independent)

My first job was a volunteer candy striper at Duke Hospital. I had it for the summer. Most amazing experience gaining wisdom from the residents.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Shaunesi Deberry (Independent)

A Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl. This is my favorite book because it motivates you to become self aware and change your perspective in situations that others would deem negative.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Shaunesi Deberry (Independent)

Ferris Bueller. Sometimes you need to disconnect and just go for an adventure.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Shaunesi Deberry (Independent)

Happy by Pharrell.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Shaunesi Deberry (Independent)

Getting others to respect boundaries I've set.

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

Shaunesi Deberry (Independent)

Transitioning the public into the digital era.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

Shaunesi Deberry (Independent)

I'm having a complex time understanding why term limits never existed for most. This is imperative to assure the leadership is able to adapt to the current residents and citizens it serves. Also, that the officials are able to relate be it age, cultural, education, etc. It's clear we needed term limits years ago and now more than ever.

What qualities does the U.S. Senate possess that makes it unique as an institution?

Shaunesi Deberry (Independent)

The ability to revamp outdated laws, establish new laws, conform key appointments and other things that will help aid states in streamlining efficiency and also the ability to look into impeachment when things aren't appearing to align with our core mission.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for senators to have previous experience in government or politics?

Shaunesi Deberry (Independent)

Absolutely not. I believe senators need to have real life experience. I'd want to see my senators previous EBT Card. I want to see how they've navigated a divorce with small children. I'd want to see how they handled their business failing. We need senators who can show you how they've achieved anything they are campaigning to assure you can benefit from. Most previous experience in government or politics only shows a one sided view which essentially can end up being false advertisement.

What do you think of the filibuster?

Shaunesi Deberry (Independent)

For the most part the filibuster is to stall things. We should have a sense of urgency especially in the current state of America and politics. While I'm open to it, the reasoning would have to have some serious logic.

Is there a particular senator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Shaunesi Deberry (Independent)

John F. Kennedy Jr.

Tell us your favorite joke.

Shaunesi Deberry (Independent)

What do you call a fake noodle? An impasta!

How would you evaluate a judicial nominee?

Shaunesi Deberry (Independent)

Demand that previous members of the public who've had personal experience with the nominee speak on their character, temperament, and ability to remain impartial.

What kind of relationships would you build with other senators?

Shaunesi Deberry (Independent)

Quality relationships. This position isn't to make friends, it's to make solutions. Results driven and solutions based relationships that assure success for all.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Shaunesi Deberry (Independent)

For sure. Everyone won't always agree. However because of the sense of urgency needed to assure we streamline relief to citizens that don't infringe on their right to the pursuit of happiness we must compromise here and there to move forward.

How should the U.S. Senate use its investigative powers?

Shaunesi Deberry (Independent)

Allow more resources to feedback from the public.

What criteria would you apply when deciding whether to confirm presidential appointees to their Cabinet?

Shaunesi Deberry (Independent)

Titles and accolades are cute, but I need to see their emotional intelligence, personal development, how they navigate adversity, how they handle conflict resolution. Anybody can have a title, we are serving others and your undergrad college, organization affiliation, or net worth don't tell the public enough about your character. I'd need more details.

What committees interest you?

Shaunesi Deberry (Independent)

All of them

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

Shaunesi Deberry (Independent)

If we have to be transparent and accountable about our dollars, the government has to be as well. Line for line, penny for penny.

You can ask candidates in this race to fill out the survey by clicking their names below:

• Shannon Bray

Polls

See also:Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

Polls are conducted with a variety of methodologies and havemargins of error orcredibility intervals.^[9] The Pew Research Center wrote, "A margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points at the 95% confidence level means that if we fielded the same survey 100 times, we would expect the result to be within 3 percentage points of the true population value 95 of those times."^[10] For tips on reading polls fromFiveThirtyEight,click here. For tips from Pew,click here.

Below we provide results for polls froma wide variety of sources, including media outlets, social media, campaigns, and aggregation websites, when available. We only report polls for which we can find a margin of error or credibility interval. Know of something we're missing?Click here to let us know.

Campaign finance

General election race ratings

See also:Race rating definitions and methods

Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets:The Cook Political Report,Inside Elections,Sabato's Crystal Ball, andDDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:

• Safe andSolid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
• Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
• Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.^[11]
• Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.

Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.^[12][13][14]

Ballot access

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. Senate candidates in North Carolina in the 2026 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in North Carolina, clickhere.

Election history

The section below details election results for this state's U.S. Senate elections dating back to 2016.

2022

See also:United States Senate election in North Carolina, 2022

General election

General election for U.S. Senate North Carolina

Ted Budd defeatedCheri Beasley,Shannon Bray,Matthew Hoh, andMichelle Lewis in the general election for U.S. Senate North Carolina on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Ted Budd (R)	50.5	1,905,786
		Cheri Beasley (D)	47.3	1,784,049
		Shannon Bray (L)	1.4	51,640
		Matthew Hoh (G)	0.8	29,934
		Michelle Lewis (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	137
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	2,378

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	There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 3,773,924
= candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Michele Parks (Independent)
• Marc White (Independent)
• Charles Roberson (Independent)
• Susan Gaddy (Independent)
• Brenda Rodriguez (Independent)
• Hayden Boyette (Independent)
• Barry Caulder (Independent)
• Kimrey Rhinehardt (Independent)
• Adrien Meadows (Independent)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. Senate North Carolina

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate North Carolina on May 17, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Cheri Beasley	81.1	501,766
		James Carr Jr.	3.5	21,903
		Alyssia Hammond	3.4	21,005
		Marcus Williams	2.8	17,446
		Constance Johnson	2.0	12,500
		Everette Newton	1.6	10,043
		Chrelle Booker	1.6	9,937
		Brendan K. Maginnis	1.1	7,044
		Robert Colon	1.1	6,904
		Greg Antoine	0.8	5,179
		Tobias LaGrone	0.8	5,048

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	There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 618,775
= candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Jenna Hamrick (D)
• Richard Watkins (D)
• Keith Davenport (D)
• Erica Smith (D)
• Jeff Jackson (D)
• Ava Edwards (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. Senate North Carolina

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate North Carolina on May 17, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Ted Budd	58.6	448,128
		Pat McCrory	24.6	188,135
		Mark Walker	9.2	70,486
		Marjorie K. Eastman	2.9	22,535
	Submit photo	David Flaherty	1.0	7,265
		Kenneth Harper Jr.	0.9	7,129
		Jennifer Banwart	0.4	3,088
	Submit photo	Charles Moss	0.4	2,920
		Leonard L. Bryant	0.4	2,906
		Benjamin Griffiths	0.4	2,870
		Debora Tshiovo	0.4	2,741
		Lee Brian	0.3	2,232
		Lichia Sibhatu	0.3	2,191
	Submit photo	Drew Bulecza	0.3	2,022

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	There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 764,648
= candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Rene Borghese (R)
• James Gaghan (R)
• Carlton Ellerby (R)
• Marty Cooke (R)
• Jon Warren (R)
• Len McBride (R)

Libertarian primary election

The Libertarian primary election was canceled.Shannon Bray advanced from the Libertarian primary for U.S. Senate North Carolina.

2020

General election

General election for U.S. Senate North Carolina

IncumbentThom Tillis defeatedCal Cunningham,Shannon Bray, andKevin E. Hayes in the general election for U.S. Senate North Carolina on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Thom Tillis (R)	48.7	2,665,598
		Cal Cunningham (D)	46.9	2,569,965
		Shannon Bray (L)	3.1	171,571
		Kevin E. Hayes (Constitution Party)	1.2	67,818

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	Incumbents arebolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 5,474,952
= candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Jeremy Thomas (Independence Party)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. Senate North Carolina

Cal Cunningham defeatedErica Smith,Trevor Fuller,Steve Swenson, andAtul Goel in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate North Carolina on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Cal Cunningham	56.9	717,941
		Erica Smith	34.8	438,969
	Submit photo	Trevor Fuller	3.8	48,168
	Submit photo	Steve Swenson	2.7	33,741
		Atul Goel	1.8	22,226

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	There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,261,045
= candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Steve Williams (D)
• Eva Lee (D)
• Eric Mansfield (D)
• Katherine Bell-Moore (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. Senate North Carolina

IncumbentThom Tillis defeatedPaul Wright,Larry Holmquist, andSharon Hudson in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate North Carolina on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Thom Tillis	78.1	608,943
		Paul Wright	7.6	58,908
		Larry Holmquist	7.4	57,356
		Sharon Hudson	7.0	54,651

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	Incumbents arebolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 779,858
= candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Sandy Smith (R)
• Garland Tucker III (R)

Constitution primary election

The Constitution primary election was canceled.Kevin E. Hayes advanced from the Constitution primary for U.S. Senate North Carolina.

Libertarian primary election

The Libertarian primary election was canceled.Shannon Bray advanced from the Libertarian primary for U.S. Senate North Carolina.

2016

U.S. Senate, North Carolina General Election, 2016

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Richard BurrIncumbent	51.1%	2,395,376
	Democratic	Deborah Ross	45.4%	2,128,165
	Libertarian	Sean Haugh	3.6%	167,592
Total Votes				4,691,133
Source:North Carolina State Board of Elections

Election analysis

Click the tabs below to view information about demographics, past elections, and partisan control of the state.

• Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the state.
• Statewide elections - Information about recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections in the state.
• State partisanship - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.
• Demographics - Information about the state's demographics and how they compare to the country as a whole.

• Presidential elections
• Statewide elections
• State partisanship
• Demographics

See also:Presidential voting trends in North Carolina andThe Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index

Cook PVI by congressional district

Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index for North Carolina, 2026

District	Incumbent	PVI
North Carolina's 1st	Don Davis	R+1
North Carolina's 2nd	Deborah Ross	D+17
North Carolina's 3rd	Greg Murphy	R+10
North Carolina's 4th	Valerie Foushee	D+23
North Carolina's 5th	Virginia Foxx	R+9
North Carolina's 6th	Addison McDowell	R+9
North Carolina's 7th	David Rouzer	R+7
North Carolina's 8th	Mark Harris	R+10
North Carolina's 9th	Richard Hudson	R+8
North Carolina's 10th	Pat Harrigan	R+9
North Carolina's 11th	Chuck Edwards	R+5
North Carolina's 12th	Alma Adams	D+24
North Carolina's 13th	Brad Knott	R+8
North Carolina's 14th	Tim Moore	R+8

2024 presidential results by 2026 congressional district lines

2024 presidential results in congressional districts, North Carolina

District	Kamala Harris	Donald Trump
North Carolina's 1st	45.9%	53.4%
North Carolina's 2nd	67.6%	29.8%
North Carolina's 3rd	45.2%	52.8%
North Carolina's 4th	73.0%	24.8%
North Carolina's 5th	42.9%	55.0%
North Carolina's 6th	42.7%	54.9%
North Carolina's 7th	45.0%	52.7%
North Carolina's 8th	41.5%	56.4%
North Carolina's 9th	43.5%	54.4%
North Carolina's 10th	42.6%	55.2%
North Carolina's 11th	45.9%	51.9%
North Carolina's 12th	73.8%	23.6%
North Carolina's 13th	42.9%	54.7%
North Carolina's 14th	43.4%	54.4%
Source:The Downballot

2016-2024

How a state's counties vote in a presidential election and the size of those counties can provide additional insights into election outcomes at other levels of government including statewide and congressional races. Below, four categories are used to describe each county's voting pattern over the 2016, 2020, and 2024 presidential elections:Solid,Trending,Battleground, andNew. Click [show] on the table below for examples:

County-level voting pattern categories
Democratic
Status	2016	2020	2024
Solid Democratic	D	D	D
Trending Democratic	R	D	D
Battleground Democratic	D	R	D
New Democratic	R	R	D
Republican
Status	2016	2020	2024
Solid Republican	R	R	R
Trending Republican	D	R	R
Battleground Republican	R	D	R
New Republican	D	D	R

Following the 2024 presidential election,49.3% of North Carolinians lived in one of the state's74 Solid Republican counties, which voted for the Republican presidential candidate in every election from 2016 to 2024, and46.7% lived in one of21 Solid Democratic counties. Overall, North Carolina wasSolid Republican, having voted forDonald Trump (R) in 2016,Donald Trump (R) in 2020, andDonald Trump (R) in 2024. Use the table below to view the total number of each type of county in North Carolina following the 2024 election as well as the overall percentage of the state population located in each county type.

North Carolina county-level statistics, 2024
Solid Republican	74	49.3%
Solid Democratic	21	46.7%
Trending Democratic	1	2.2%
Battleground Republican	1	0.9%
New Republican	2	0.6%
Trending Republican	1	0.3%
Total voted Democratic	22	48.9%
Total voted Republican	78	51.1%

Historical voting trends

North Carolina presidential election results (1900-2024)

• 18Democratic wins
• 14Republican wins

Year	1900	1904	1908	1912	1916	1920	1924	1928	1932	1936	1940	1944	1948	1952	1956	1960	1964	1968	1972	1976	1980	1984	1988	1992	1996	2000	2004	2008	2012	2016	2020	2024
Winning Party	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	R	R	R	R

This section details the results of the five most recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections held in the state.

U.S. Senate elections

See also:List of United States Senators from North Carolina

The table below details the vote in the five most recent U.S. Senate races in North Carolina.

U.S. Senate election results in North Carolina

Race	Winner	Runner up
2022	50.5%	47.3%
2020	48.7%	46.9%
2016	51.1%	45.3%
2014	48.8%	47.3%
2010	55.0%	42.9%
Average	50.8	45.9

Gubernatorial elections

See also:Governor of North Carolina

The table below details the vote in the five most recent gubernatorial elections in North Carolina.

Gubernatorial election results in North Carolina

Race	Winner	Runner up
2024	54.9%	40.1%
2020	51.5%	47.0%
2016	49.0%	48.8%
2012	54.6%	43.2%
2008	50.3%	46.9%
Average	52.1	45.2

See also:Party control of North Carolina state government

Congressional delegation

The table below displays the partisan composition of North Carolina's congressional delegation as of October 2025.

Congressional Partisan Breakdown from North Carolina
Party	U.S. Senate	U.S. House	Total
Democratic	0	4	4
Republican	2	10	12
Independent	0	0	0
Vacancies	0	0	0
Total	2	14	16

State executive

The table below displays the officeholders in North Carolina's top four state executive offices as of October 2025.

State executive officials in North Carolina, October 2025

Office	Officeholder
Governor	Josh Stein
Lieutenant Governor	Rachel Hunt
Secretary of State	Elaine Marshall
Attorney General	Jeff Jackson

State legislature

North Carolina State Senate

Party		As of October 2025
	Democratic Party	20
	Republican Party	30
	Other	0
	Vacancies	0
Total		50

North Carolina House of Representatives

Party		As of October 2025
	Democratic Party	49
	Republican Party	71
	Other	0
	Vacancies	0
Total		120

Trifecta control

North Carolina Party Control: 1992-2025
Fourteen years of Democratic trifectas  •  Four years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year	92	93	94	95	96	97	98	99	00	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25
Governor	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D
Senate	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R
House	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R

The table below details demographic data in North Carolina and compares it to the broader United States as of 2023.

Demographic Data for North Carolina
	North Carolina	United States
Population	10,439,388	331,449,281
Land area (sq mi)	48,623	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White	63.3%	63.4%
Black/African American	20.6%	12.4%
Asian	3.2%	5.8%
Native American	1%	0.9%
Pacific Islander	0.2%	0.4%
Other (single race)	4.8%	6.6%
Multiple	7.1%	10.7%
Hispanic/Latino	10.9%	19%
Education
High school graduation rate	89.7%	89.4%
College graduation rate	34.7%	35%
Income
Median household income	$69,904	$78,538
Persons below poverty level	13.2%	12.4%
Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau,"Decennial Census" (2020). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau,"American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2018-2023).
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the censushere.

See also

North Carolina	2026 primaries	2026 U.S. Congress elections
North Carolina congressional delegation Voting in North Carolina North Carolina elections: 2026 •2025 •2024 •2023 •2022 •2021 •2020 •2019 •2018	Democratic primary battlegrounds Republican primary battlegrounds U.S. Senate Democratic primaries U.S. Senate Republican primaries U.S. House Democratic primaries U.S. House Republican primaries	U.S. Congress elections U.S. Senate elections U.S. House elections Special elections Ballot access

External links

• Search Google News for this topic

Footnotes