2026 NC Primary Primer

Thank you for joining us this Saturday morning. Now that pre-primary fundraising reports are mostly published, we’re offering a preview of the state of play in the top state and federal races. Election Day is March 3, and early voting is already underway.

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Key Party Accounts

It’s instructive to look at the fundraising figures for state and national committees, as they can support the candidates they see as most critical to winning or maintaining majorities. It’s unusual for party committees to get involved in primaries, but it does happen on occasion, including spending money to promote a primary candidate of the opposite party that’s viewed as unelectable. 

Just as we covered in our 2026 political preview, the RNC continues to hold a significant cash advantage. For the beginning of 2026, the RNC reported $95.1 million on hand, compared to the DNC’s $14.1 million. Democrats also carry $17.5 million in debt, while the RNC reported none.

Figures for the House and Senate campaign arms are more competitive. The NRCC reported $50.8 million in cash on hand, compared to the DCCC’s $49.2 million. On the Senate side, the NRSC held $19.4 million, while the DSCC reported $21.8 million.

U.S. Senate (open seat)

Most political observers view Democrat Roy Cooper and Republican Michael Whatley as locks to win their respective primary elections. Both candidates are stashing cash in advance of the general election. We will offer deeper analysis once this campaign advances into the general election.

Cooper reported raising $18.0 million this cycle and has $12.4 million on hand. Whatley has raised $5.2 million and holds $3.7 million in cash on hand.

Congressional District 1 (incumbent: Democrat Don Davis)

Incumbent Don Davis (D), considered among the most moderate Democrats in Congress, defeated Republican challenger Laurie Buckhout in 2024 by less than 2%. Since then, this district has been reconfigured to better favor Republicans. Cook Political Report currently ranks the district as “Lean R.” President Trump won this district 55.3% to 44.7%. 

Buckhout is again seeking to challenge Davis, but she’ll have to get past several well-funded primary challengers first. State Sen. Bobby Hanig, Carteret County Sheriff Asa Buck, Lenoir County Commissioner Eric Rouse, and attorney Ashley-Nicole Russell are all vying for the chance to compete against Davis in a gettable district. 

Buckhout, who after her 2024 loss joined the Trump administration as a cybersecurity advisor, has more than $2 million on hand. But each of her rivals has six figures in the bank as of the latest filing, which is enough for viability. 

A poll released this week by Emerson College shows Buckhout leading Buck by four points, 26%-22%, which is within the margin of error. Hanig registered at 11%, and the other two were in single digits with 36% undecided.

According to the latest filings, Davis has raised $2.1 million this cycle and holds $1.9 million in cash on hand. In the Republican primary, Buckhout has raised $2.0 million and reports $2.0 million on hand, with $3.5 million in debts/loans owed. Rouse has raised $534,000 and reports $419,000 on hand, with $500,000 in debts/loans owed. Hanig has raised $307,000 and holds $234,000 on hand, with $100,500 in debts/loans owed. Buck has raised $248,000 and reports $233,000 on hand, with $59,000 in debts/loans owed. Russell has raised $202,000 and has $195,000 on hand, with $152,400 in debts/loans owed.

Congressional District 11 (incumbent: Republican Chuck Edwards)

Two-term congressman Chuck Edwards (R) faces a well-funded primary challenger, Adam Smith, in this western North Carolina district. Smith is a military veteran who is premising his campaign on his volunteer work following Hurricane Helene, and he has more cash on hand than Edwards. But Edwards has what’s often so valuable in Republican primaries it simply cannot be priced: President Donald Trump’s endorsement. 

Even though this district is rated “Likely R” by Cook Political Report, national Democrats view it as a potential pick-up opportunity if the campaign environment further deteriorates for Republicans. Democrat Jamie Ager appears poised to claim the Democratic nomination. He has four times the cash on hand as the other four Democrats combined. President Trump won this district 54% to 44.5% 

According to the latest filings, Smith has raised $787,000 this cycle and reports $698,000 in cash on hand, compared to Edwards’ $584,000 raised and $460,000 on hand.

On the Democratic side, Ager has raised $732,000 and holds $481,000 in cash on hand. Among the other Democrats, Richard Hudspeth has raised $125,000 and reports $54,000 on hand, Paul Maddox has raised $81,000 and holds $36,000, and Zelda Briarwood has raised $36,000 with $31,000 on hand. Lee Whipple’s fundraising figures were not immediately available from the FEC.

Senate District 26 (Incumbent: Republican Phil Berger)

This Rockingham and Guilford county district is the most-watched primary in North Carolina at any level of government. Incumbent Republican Phil Berger has overseen and helped orchestrate North Carolina’s conservative shift as leader of the state Senate since 2011. Long-time Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page, whose tenure has seen multiple scandals involving drug abuse and sexual misconduct at the jail he oversees, hopes to unseat Berger. 

Page’s campaign is backed by several hundred thousand dollars in hard-to-trace “dark money,” likely involving special interests who oppose Berger’s conservative policy choices as well as Democratic-aligned interests that have long been stymied by Berger’s leadership. 

According to the latest filings, Berger has raised $2.4 million this cycle and reports $1.6 million in cash on hand. Page has raised $45,000 and holds $29,000 on hand. 

Senate District 34 (incumbent: Republican Chris Measmer)

Republican Sen. Chris Measmer was appointed to replace former Sen. Paul Newton as Cabarrus County’s senator. Newton is now UNC-Chapel Hill’s general counsel. Measmer runs a family business and formerly led the Cabarrus County Board of Commissioners. He faces primary challenger Kevin Crutchfield, who previously served in the state House before losing to Rep. Brian Echevarria in a 2024 primary. 

Neither candidate posted high fundraising totals, and Crutchfield’s cash on hand appears to primarily come from a personal loan. Measmer has raised $40,000 this cycle and reports $9,000 in cash on hand. Crutchfield has raised $31,000 and holds $28,000 on hand, including $27,000 in loans.

Senate District 12 (incumbent: Republican Jim Burgin)

Sen. Jim Burgin has represented this safe Harnett County-anchored district for four terms. He is a leader in the Senate on health policy issues. Burgin faces a primary challenge from Tim McNeil, a former county commissioner who sought the state Senate seat in 2012 but lost in the primary. As of this writing, McNeil’s campaign finance report has not been publicly posted.

Burgin has raised $46,600, with $25,000 in cash on hand, and no debts or loans owed. McNeil’s campaign finance report was not publicly available as of this writing.

House District 113 (incumbent: Republican Jake Johnson)

Former House Majority Leader Mike Hager is trying to unseat Rep. Jake Johnson in a closely-watched primary contest in western North Carolina. Hager told WUNC he is seeking a return to Raleigh, in part, because of the General Assembly’s failure to agree on a budget. Both candidates have posted six-figure fundraising hauls.  

Hager has raised $210,600 this cycle and reports $158,000 in cash on hand. Johnson has raised $183,100 and holds $119,000 on hand.

House District 79 (incumbent: Keith Kidwell)

Four-term coastal Republican Keith Kidwell faces an internecine war, with primary challenger Darren Armstrong running with support from Kidwell’s own Republican colleague, Rep. Jimmy Dixon. 

Kidwell told WUNC that Dixon recruited a primary challenger to unseat him because of Kidwell’s opposition to an agriculture policy Kidwell supports. “So Jimmy got mad at me for that, and went and dug up a primary opponent for me,” Kidwell said.

Armstrong, the challenger, formerly led the U.S. Grains Council and appeared alongside Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler at a campaign event in December, according to WUNC.  Kidwell has raised $66,000 this cycle and reports $11,000 in cash on hand, with no debts or loans owed. Armstrong has raised $55,000 and reports $39,000 in cash on hand. His report shows a $25,000 loan from the candidate.

House District 37 (incumbent: Republican Erin Paré)

Rep. Erin Paré is one of only two Republicans representing Wake County in the General Assembly. Paré comfortably won reelection in 2024 by more than 6%, but she is vulnerable if the political atmosphere continues to sour for Republicans.

Three Democrats are vying for the nomination to take on Paré. Winn Decker has a background in public education and diversity consulting, according to WRAL. Ralph Clements, a health care consultant, works with “dozens of hospitals across the US,” according to his campaign website. And Marcus Gadson is an associate professor of law at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Only Paré’s campaign finance report is publicly available as of this writing, and she has a sizeable six-figure war chest that she can continue building for the general election.

Paré has raised $187,300 this cycle and reports $182,400 in cash on hand, with no debts or loans owed. On the Democratic side, Gadson has raised $34,000 and holds $31,800 on hand, while Clements has raised $8,300 and reports $11,900 in cash on hand. Decker’s campaign finance report was not publicly available as of this writing.

House District 27 (incumbent: Democrat Rodney Pierce)

Rep. Rodney Pierce and former Rep. Michael Wray face one another in a rematch of the 2024 primary, which Pierce won by just 34 votes. Wray voted with Republicans on some matters, which prompted former Gov. Roy Cooper to back Pierce in the 2024 primary. Governor Josh Stein followed suit, giving Pierce his endorsement over Wray. Whoever wins the primary will likely win the general election. Pierce has significantly outraised Wray this cycle, though Wray entered the race with a substantial cash balance and currently reports more cash on hand. 

According to the latest filings, Pierce has raised $157,400 this cycle and reports $91,800 in cash on hand. Wray has raised $18,000 and holds $116,100 on hand. Neither candidate reports any debts or loans owed.

There are many more primaries happening around the state, listed for your convenience below.