Voters Cast Ballots in North Carolina Congressional Races
North Carolina voters cast ballots for several congressional seats, including a high-profile rematch in the 1st District and a projected Democratic win in the 9th District.
Voters in North Carolina cast ballots on November 3, 2026, for several congressional seats amid a national trend of early Democratic victories. In the 1st Congressional District, Democratic incumbent Don Davis faced Republican challenger Laurie Buckhout and Libertarian candidate Tom Bailey. The race served as a rematch of the 2024 election but took place under new congressional boundaries approved in October 2025, which shifted 500,000 residents and added coastal communities such as Carteret and Craven counties to the district.
Davis campaigned on a platform of rural health care, agriculture, and job creation. Buckhout, a retired Army colonel, ran on the America First agenda of President Donald Trump, focusing on national defense and border security. While unofficial results for the 1st District remained pending after polls closed at 7:30 p.m., other results in the state emerged quickly.
In the 9th Congressional District, NBC News projected a victory for Democrat Richard Ojeda II. This win contributed to a broader projection that Democrats are securing control of Congress, which analysts characterize as a sharp rebuke of Donald Trump.
