Ed.’s Notes: The following article is the final installment in a two-part series covering the 2026 midterm elections. Read Part One here.
Democrats posted strong gains in the 2026 midterm elections, winning control of both the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate.
When the new Congress convenes in January 2027, we will have plenty of new members and staffers to meet.
North Carolina’s results were central to massive change in Washington, DC. From the U.S. Senate to the U.S. House, North Carolina’s voters shaped the national political landscape.
Below is where things stand as of this writing. We conclude with thoughts on what to expect for the rest of 2026 in Congress and what to expect in 2027.
U.S. Senate: Cooper Wins the Open Seat for Democrats
In June 2025, Senator Thom Tillis said he would not run again, and the open seat soon became one of the most closely watched Senate races in the country. Former two-term Governor Roy Cooper, a Democrat, ran against Republican Michael Whatley, a North Carolina native and former chair of the Republican National Committee who had never run for elected office.
According to unofficial returns, Cooper won decisively, 58.72% to 39.09%, flipping the seat and becoming the first Democrat to win a U.S. Senate race in North Carolina since Kay Hagan in 2008. His six-year term begins January 3, 2027. Serving alongside Republican Senator Ted Budd, he gives North Carolina a split delegation. Senator Budd is expected to run for reelection in 2028. Until then, we are waiting to see whether Senator-elect Cooper and Senator Budd can build a bipartisan approach at least on some issues.
U.S. House: New Maps, New Members
When Republicans in the General Assembly redrew the U.S. House districts in 2025, they intended to create districts that favored eleven Republican candidates and three Democratic candidates. It did not work out that way. Before Election Day, Democrats held four of the state’s fourteen House seats; they now lead in ten races. If those leads hold, North Carolina Democrats would control a majority of the state’s Congressional delegation for the first time since 2013.
The Winners
- Four of the four incumbent Democratic members were reelected:
- District 1: Don Davis defeated Republican Laurie Buckhout in a district redrawn to favor the Republican candidate.
- District 2: Deborah Ross won reelection in her safe Democrat district.
- District 4: Valerie Foushee won reelection in her safe Democrat district.
- District 12: Alma Adams won reelection in her safe Democrat district.
- One of the ten incumbent Republican members was reelected without any doubt:
- District 8: Mark Harris won reelection in his safe Republican district.
- Three other Republican incumbents appear poised to win reelection, but these are so close that a recount could change the result.
- District 3: Greg Murphy leads 49.4% to 49.3%.
- District 7: David Rouzer leads 49.9% to 49.1%.
- District 10: Pat Harrigan leads 49.7% to 48.7%.
The Changes
- District 5: Democrat Chuck Hubbard defeated eleven-term Republican Virginia Foxx, but a recount could give the win to Foxx because the margin is only about 100 votes. Foxx is one of the most powerful Republicans in the U.S. House, where she chairs the Rules Committee.
- District 6: Democrat Cyril Jefferson defeated one-term Republican Addison McDowell.
- District 9: Democrat Richard N. Ojeda II defeated seven-term Republican Representative Richard Hudson. Hudson is among the top leaders in the US House Republican caucus.
- District 11: Democrat Jamie Ager flipped the seat held by Republican Chuck Edwards, who withdrew from the election and was replaced by Republican NC House member Jennifer Balkcom.
- District 13: Democrat Paul Barringer defeated one-term Republican Brad Knott.
- District 14: Democrat Lekesha Womack defeated one-term Republican Tim Moore.
Special note: If the margins in the final November 13 vote tally are less than 1% in any House district, we expect a recount.
Before the Gavels Change Hands: What to Expect in the Lame-Duck Session
The new majorities will not take over until January. In the meantime, the outgoing Congress returns with a long list of must-pass legislation. The lame-duck session begins November 9 and is expected to run until Christmas, with a Thanksgiving break, leaving no more than five legislative weeks to finish this work. The end of a congressional term often gives departing members and outgoing chairs both the freedom and the incentive to close out unfinished business.
Federal Budget
The biggest deadline is December 11, when the short-term spending continuing resolution that has kept the federal government open since October 1 expires. A government shutdown on December 12 is unlikely, but possible. Congress tries to pass 12 annual appropriations bills, but none has become law. The House Appropriations Committee has approved all 12, while the Senate has not taken up any of them. With so little time left, Congress is unlikely to pass the bills individually, so lawmakers will likely choose between combining them into a single omnibus package that sets spending for the year or passing another short-term spending law. Democrats, who take control in January, may prefer the short-term option so they can make the final spending decisions next year.
Agriculture
The Farm Bill, which covers crop programs and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), expired on September 30. Before the pre-election recess, the Senate Agriculture Committee reported a 2026 farm bill on a party-line 12–11 vote, and the Senate may take it up during the lame-duck session. A comprehensive farm bill is a realistic year-end goal, but if negotiations stall, another extension is the likely fallback.
Armed Services and National Defense
Congress also needs to pass the annual defense policy bill for fiscal year 2027, known as the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The NDAA sets defense policy and authorizes funding for the military, including construction and other defense projects. The House passed its version in July, but the bill has stalled in the Senate. Even so, Congress has passed an NDAA every year for more than 60 years. Given North Carolina’s large military presence, the bill matters for bases and military communities across the state, and most observers expect it to pass before the end of the year.
FEMA
The National Flood Insurance Program also expires on December 11. If it lapses, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) would stop selling and renewing flood insurance policies, and the program’s borrowing authority would drop from $30.425 billion to $1 billion. Congress has extended the program on a short-term basis 36 times since late 2017, and another short extension attached to the spending bill is the most likely outcome.
Healthcare
Several health care programs expire on December 31. These include funding for community health centers and Medicare add-on payments for Medicare-dependent and low-volume hospitals, which many of North Carolina’s rural hospitals rely on. Congress often extends programs like these as part of a government funding package.
What Happens Next?
The 2026 election is a turning point for North Carolina in Washington, DC. The state flipped a Senate seat to Democrats, now has one senator from each party, and will send the most Democrats to the House since 2012, all of which will change how the state’s priorities are advanced in Congress. Still, some races have not been called, recounts may follow, and final results may not be clear for weeks. All results remain unofficial until counties finish their canvass and the State Board of Elections certifies them.
With Democrats leading the committees and setting the agenda in Congress, Democratic members of the state’s delegation stand to gain influence, while Republican members will have to adjust to life in the minority. Alma Adams will become the senior Democrat member of the delegation. If Virginia Foxx loses, David Rouzer will become the senior Republican member of the delegation.
For organizations that engage with Congress, the practical takeaway is to begin building relationships with incoming members and their staff now, while also maintaining contact with incumbents whose races remain unresolved.
As always, Ward and Smith’s Government Relations team is poised to advise clients during these massive changes in Washington, DC.
This recap covers North Carolina’s federal races. For results in the General Assembly and other state races, read Part 1 of our election coverage.
