Unopposed Candidates Dominate in North Carolina’s Upcoming Elections
In an unusual twist for the 2026 election cycle, twenty state legislators in North Carolina are poised to secure their seats unchallenged. This phenomenon is predominantly evident among Democrats, who dominate these unopposed races in left-leaning districts.
Notable figures in the Triangle area running without opposition include Representatives Vernetta Alston, Zack Hawkins, and Sarah Crawford, along with Senator Natalie Murdock, all from Durham and Raleigh. They are joined by Rep. Ray Jeffers of Roxboro.
Elsewhere, unchallenged Democratic candidates include Reps. Mike Colvin of Fayetteville, Tracy Clark and Pricey Harrison of Greensboro, Kanika Brown of Winston-Salem, and Brian Turner of Asheville. The list further extends to Senators Michael Garrett and Gladys Robinson, both from Greensboro.
Mecklenburg County presents the highest concentration of uncontested races. Here, Reps. Terry Brown, Julia Greenfield, Carolyn Logan, Laura Budd, Aisha Dew, and Jordan Lopez, alongside Senators Mujtaba Mohammed and DeAndrea Salvador, all run unopposed.
Andrew Dunn, a conservative commentator, remarked on the absence of Republican contenders in several districts, stating, “You don’t get a prize for fielding candidates,” via a post on the social media site X. He suggested that this strategy allows resources to be concentrated where they are more impactful.
On the Republican side, Rep. Wyatt Gable of Jacksonville stands as the sole unopposed candidate. However, the Democrats have reportedly recruited an unaffiliated candidate who plans to petition for ballot access to challenge him.
Despite these unopposed races, House Democrats have proudly announced candidates in all 120 legislative districts. They claim this strategy signifies a “renewed commitment from communities across North Carolina to contest every seat and offer voters real choices.”
Among these candidates, two are unaffiliated and must gather over 2,000 signatures to qualify for the ballot. Asjiah West and Leah Knox are the candidates hoping to challenge incumbents Rep. Wyatt Gable and Rep. Keith Kidwell, respectively.
Sam Lozier, House Democratic Caucus spokesperson, clarified, “These candidates have until noon on primary election day to get signatures from 4% of the total number of registered voters in their district, as required by law.”
Every Congressional district and statewide judicial race in North Carolina will see candidates from both major parties. For the U.S. Senate, both former Gov. Roy Cooper and Michael Whatley, ex-chairman of the Republican National Committee, are front-runners for their respective parties, though they face multiple primary challengers.
Unanimous Support for Early Voting Schedules
With the candidate lineup finalized, the State Board of Elections approved early voting schedules for March’s primary in all but 13 counties. The 87 county plans had already received unanimous endorsement from local boards, showcasing bipartisan cooperation.
An examination by Common Cause revealed that 24 counties are offering fewer early voting hours or locations than in the 2022 midterm primary. Nineteen counties are cutting weekend hours, while Lenoir County is removing three voting sites and Sunday hours.
Bob Phillips, Common Cause executive director, expressed concerns: “It’s encouraging that members of election boards can work in a bipartisan manner to create their plans,” he noted in a news release, but added, “we are concerned that in too many cases, voters are losing opportunities they had four years ago.”
Contrastingly, Wake and Mecklenburg counties are expanding early voting access, with Wake County increasing its sites from eight to twelve compared to 2022.
State Board of Elections Chairman Francis De Luca emphasized the importance of the unanimous decisions, stating, “I think the key word here is unanimous,” at the board’s meeting.
However, 13 counties remain without approved early voting plans due to board disagreements, particularly over Sunday voting. This includes debates in places like Guilford over university campus sites, which will be resolved in a forthcoming state board meeting.
North Carolina’s early voting period is scheduled to run from February 12-28, preceding the March 3 primary.
