03/07/2024

Brooks Pierce Capital Dispatch 3.6.24

North Carolina voters on Tuesday selected party nominees in important federal and state races.

What happened on March 5?

Note: Results are unofficial at this point until certified later in March by county boards of elections and the State Board of Elections.

The State Board of Elections reports that about 1.8 million people voted across the state yesterday, which is about 24 percent of registered voters.

To win a nomination, a candidate must receive 30 percent of the vote. In races where that did not occur, the second-place finisher can call for a runoff election, which would be held on May 14.

Statewide Offices

Voters this year will elect ten statewide office holders to four-year terms. Five incumbents are running for reelection and there are five open seats. Here are the nominees after Tuesday’s primary with their vote percentage noted:

• Governor: Attorney General Josh Stein (D)(70%) v. Lt. Governor Mark Robinson (R)(65%)
• Lt. Governor: State Senator Rachel Hunt (D-Mecklenburg)(70%) won her primary. There may be a runoff between Republicans Hal Weatherman (former Chief of Staff for Lt. Governor Dan Forest) (20%) and Forsyth County District Attorney Jim O’Neill (16%).
• Attorney General: Congressman Jeff Jackson (D-Mecklenburg)(55%) v. Congressman Dan Bishop (R-Mecklenburg)(unopposed)
• Agriculture: Steve Troxler (R)(incumbent)(69%) v. Fayetteville farm operations specialist Sarah Taber (D)(unopposed)
• Insurance: Mike Causey (R)(incumbent)(61%) v. State Senator Natasha Marcus (D-Mecklenburg)(78%)
• Secretary of State: Elaine Marshall (D)(incumbent)(unopposed) v. Gaston County Commissioner Chad Brown (R)(43%)
• Labor: Charlotte City Councilman Braxton Winston (D)(unopposed) v. Raleigh lawyer Luke Farley (R)(37%)
• Auditor: Jessica Holmes (D)(incumbent—appointed in December 2023)(unopposed). There may be a runoff between Republicans Jack Clark (Wake County CPA)(23%) and Dave Boliek (Fayetteville lawyer and UNC-CH Trustee)(22%).
• Treasurer: State Representative Wesley Harris (D-Mecklenburg)(67%) v. Investment Advisor Brad Briner (R)(40%)
• Superintendent of Public Instruction: Home schooling advocate Michelle Morrow (R) defeated Catherine Truitt (R)(incumbent) by 52% to 48% v. former Guilford County Superintendent Mo Green (D)(66%)

General Assembly

All 170 legislative seats are on the 2024 ballot.    

Republicans currently hold “supermajorities” (60 percent of those present and voting) in both houses (30 to 20 in the Senate and 72 to 48 in the House) that allow them to override gubernatorial vetoes. It is likely that the Republicans will maintain their majorities due in part to the district lines. Democrats filed candidates in almost every district (unlike the 2022 election), which could bolster their political prospects.

Although most incumbents won their primaries, some faced significant challengers. Senator Mike Woodard (D-Durham) lost to former Obama administration official Sophia Chitlik by 58% to 42%.  Representative George Cleveland (R-Onslow) lost to ECU student Wyatt Gable by 51% to 49%. It appears that Representative Kevin Crutchfield (R-Cabarrus) may have lost to Brian Echevarria (he trails by 171 votes) and Representative Michael Wray (D-Northampton) trails Rodney Pierce by 42 votes.

U.S. House

A number of contested primaries were held for the state’s 14 U.S. House seats, which are currently split 7 to 7 between the two parties. As a result of the new district lines, most political observers expect Republicans to have a majority of the state’s seats after the November election.

Here are the contests for November after this week’s primary:

• Don Davis (D-1)(Incumbent)(unopposed) v. military veteran and businesswoman Laurie Buckhout (R)(53%)
• Deborah Ross (D-2nd)(incumbent)(94%) v. Army veteran Alan Swain (60%)
• Greg Murphy (R-3rd)(incumbent)(unopposed) v. Gheorghe Cormos (L). There is no Democratic candidate.
• Valerie Foushee (D-4th)(incumbent)(unopposed) v. Air Force veteran Eric Blankenburg (R)(70%)
• Virginia Foxx (R-5th)(incumbent)(68%) v. journalist Chuck Hubbard (D)(unopposed)
• 6th CD (open seat)—there may be a runoff between Republican former lobbyist and congressional aide Addison McDowell (26%) and former Congressman Mark Walker (24%).    There is no Democratic candidate.
• David Rouzer (R-7th)(incumbent)(unopposed) v. educator Marlando Pridgen (D)(unopposed)
• 8th CD (open seat)—Pastor Mark Harris (R) appears to have won the primary with 30.44% v. entrepreneur and former Marine Justin Dues (D)(unopposed)
• Richard Hudson (R-9th)(incumbent)(83%) v. nonprofit director and former probation officer Nigel Bristow (D)(unopposed)
• 10th CD (open seat)—Army veteran and arms manufacturer Pat Harrigan (R)(41%) v. Ralph Scott, Jr. (D)(unopposed)
• Chuck Edwards (R-11th)(incumbent)(69%) v. State Representative Caleb Rudow (D)(unopposed)
• Alma Adams (D-12th)(incumbent)(unopposed) v. entrepreneur and veteran Addul Ali (R)(unopposed)
• 13^th CD (open seat)—there may be a runoff between Republican lawyer Kelly Daughtry (27%) and former prosecutor Brad Knott (19%) v. small businessman Frank Pierce (D)(unopposed)
• 14^th CD (open seat)—House Speaker Tim Moore (R)(75%) v. Army veteran and nurse Pam Genant (D)(61%)

For more information, contact a member of the Brooks Pierce Government Affairs Team.

Ed Turlington, Partner
Drew Moretz, Government Relations Advisor
Katelyn Kingsbury, Government Relations Advisor