NCGA Updates: 2026 General Election Results and What This Means for the 2027-2028 Session

Updated November 8, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. ET

NOTE: All information is current as of 3:00 p.m. on November 8, 2026 with 100% of precincts reported. We’ve included unofficial results below and will be making updates as final election results become available. Source: NC State Board of Elections

The polls have closed – and North Carolina’s political landscape for the 2027-2028 session is taking shape in real time.

Voters weighed in on races up and down the ballot, including an open U.S. Senate seat, all 14 U.S. House seats, and all 170 seats in the North Carolina General Assembly (NCGA).

In our March primary results post, we laid out everything you needed to know heading into Election Day – the races to watch, the seats already decided, and the candidates who could reshape the NCGA in the 2027-2028 legislative session. Now, we have learned how these races played out.

As a reminder, all 170 seats in the NCGA – 50 Senate seats and 120 House seats – are on the ballot in 2026. Members serve two-year terms, so the entire legislature is elected every cycle.

Federal

• U.S. Senate

  • Former Gov. Roy Cooper (D) is the winner of the open seat vacated by retiring Sen. Thom Tillis (R), defeating former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley (R) 58.7% to 39.1% with 100% of precincts reporting. This gives North Carolina its first Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate since 2008.

• U.S. House

  • All 14 of North Carolina’s U.S. House seats were on the ballot in 2026. The two races rated toss-ups going into Election Day were the 1st and 11th Districts. Democrats appear to have held District 1 and flipped six other seats (Districts 5, 6, 9, 11, 13, and 14), which would give them 10 of the state’s 14 seats, up from 4. Three races are within the 1% margin that allows a candidate to request a recount: Districts 3, 5 and 7.

State

Below, we break down the State Legislature key results and what they mean for the balance of power in the NC General Assembly.

Key Takeaways

• Republicans appear to have lost 27 seats – 26 flipped from Republican to Democrat and 1 from Republican to Unaffiliated. No seats flipped from Democrat to Republican.
• 21 incumbents appear to have lost their seats – 3 in the Senate and 18 in the House.
• At least 38 new faces will join the NCGA in January – 5 in the Senate and 33 in the House.
• Republicans appear to have lost their veto-proof supermajority in the Senate – Based on unofficial results, they appear to have 26 seats in the Senate (need 30 for supermajority).
• Democrats appear to have won the House – With an apparent 71 of 120 seats (one short of a Democratic supermajority), Democrats will hold a House majority for the first time since the 2010 election.
• Six races remain too close to call as of publication – Senate District 24 and House Districts 9, 20, 62, 63, and 93 are all within the 1% margin that allows a candidate to request a recount.

Member Changes Since the Primaries

The General Assembly has seen several member changes since the March 3 primary, driven by resignations, mid-year appointments, and candidates stepping on or off the ballot. In addition to the changes below, the November ballot also shifted in other districts where challengers withdrew and parties named replacement nominees, leaving several incumbents unopposed. Those updates are reflected in the district tables.

Senate

• District 1 (Bertie, Camden, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Hertford, Northampton, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Tyrrell)

  • Sen. Bobby Hanig (R) did not seek re-election for this upcoming legislative session. He resigned from office on August 24, and Jerry Tillett (R), already the November nominee, was appointed to the seat on September 3. Sen. Tillett ran as the incumbent against Melissa Zehner (D) and retained the seat.

• District 18 (Granville, Wake)

  • Sen. Terence Everitt (D) resigned from office on May 1 and withdrew from the ballot. Haseeb Fatmi (D)was appointed to the seat on May 21. Sen. Fatmi ran as the incumbent against Chris Stock (R) and Brad Hessel (L) and retained the seat.

• District 23 (Caswell, Orange, Person)

  • Sen. Graig Meyer (D) resigned from office on March 31 and withdrew from the ballot. Jonah Garson (D)was appointed to the seat on April 10. Sen. Garson ran as the incumbent against Laura Pichardo (R) and retained the seat.

House

• District 32 (Granville, Vance)

  • Rep. Bryan Cohn (D) originally did not seek re-election for the upcoming legislative session and sat out the March primary. When Democratic nominee Curtis McRae withdrew from the ballot on June 5, Rep. Cohn returned to the race and was named to replace him. He ran as the incumbent against former Rep. Frank Sossamon (R), a rematch of 2024, when Cohn unseated Sossamon by just 228 votes, and retained the seat.

• District 90 (Surry, Wilkes)

  • Rep. Sarah Stevens (R) resigned from office on June 16. Dan Kiger (R), who won the March primary, was appointed to the seat on June 23. Rep. Kiger ran as the incumbent against Ken Badgett (D), and retained the seat.

• District 117 (Henderson)

  • Rep. Jennifer Balkcom (R) left the race on August 10 to become the Republican nominee for Congress in NC-11 after Rep. Chuck Edwards suspended his campaign. Chelsea Walsh (R) was named to replace her on the ballot. Walsh ran against Lynne Russo (D) for the open seat, and lost to incoming Rep. Russo.

• District 119 (Jackson, Swain, Transylvania)

  • After Rep. Mike Clampitt (R) died on March 18, Anna Ferguson (R) was appointed to the seat on April 16. Rep. Ferguson ran as the incumbent against Mark Burrows (D), and lost to incoming Rep. Burrows.

NC Senate Results

As of 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, this is a quick look at the status of the NC Senate.

• Currently, there are 30 Republicans and 20 Democrats in the Senate – exactly the three-fifths majority Republicans need to override a veto.
• Going into 2027, it appears that there will be 26 Republicans and 24 Democrats, pending any recounts, which would break the Senate’s veto-proof majority.
• 4 districts appear to have flipped from Republican to Democrat, and none from Democrat to Republican.
• At least 5 districts appear to have member changes - the 2 seats in which the incumbents lost their primaries (Districts 26 and 34) plus 3 incumbents who appear to have lost on Tuesday.

NC House Results

As of 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, this is a quick look at the status of the NC House.

• Currently, there are 71 Republicans, 47 Democrats, and 2 unaffiliated members in the House - one Republican seat short of the 72 needed to override a veto.
• Going into 2027, it appears that there will be 48 Republicans, 71 Democrats, and 1 unaffiliated member, pending any recounts. This would give Democrats a House majority for the first time since the 2010 election.
• 22 districts appear to have flipped from Republican to Democrat, and 1 from Republican to unaffiliated, and none from Democrat to Republican.
• At least 33 districts appear to have member changes - the 4 seats already settled in the primaries (Districts 22, 79, 99, and 106), 11 open seats, and 18 incumbents who appear to have lost on Tuesday.

New Faces in the 2027-2028 Session

For government affairs teams, knowing who the incoming members are before they’re sworn in means relationship building can start now.

Here is the full list of anticipated new members, including the four new members in the NC House who were already decided ahead of Election Day, as they ran unopposed in November.

Roboro will share detailed new member profiles in the coming weeks ahead of session – stay tuned.

New Members Who Ran Unopposed

House District 22 – Wellie Jackson (R)

Wellie Jackson (R) defeated Jerol Kivett in the March 2026 Republican primary election for District 22 (Bladen, Sampson). Incumbent Rep. William D. Brisson did not seek re-election for the 2027-2028 legislative session. Democratic nominee Jimmy Melvin later withdrew from the ballot, leaving Jackson unopposed in November.

House District 79 – Darren Armstrong (R)

Darren Armstrong (R) defeated incumbent Rep. Keith Kidwell (R) in the March 2026 Republican primary election for District 79 (Beaufort, Dare, Hyde, Pamlico). With no November opponent, he will join the House for the 2027-2028 session.

House District 99 – Veleria Levy (D)

Veleria Levy (D) defeated incumbent Rep. Nasif Majeed (D) in the March 2026 Democratic primary election for District 99 (Mecklenburg). With no November opponent, she will join the House for the 2027-2028 session.

House District 106 – Rodney Sadler (D)

Rodney Sadler (D) defeated incumbent Rep. Carla D. Cunningham (D) in the March 2026 Democratic primary election for District 106 (Mecklenburg). With no November opponent, he will join the House for the 2027-2028 session.

New Members Decided in November

Between incumbent losses on Tuesday and open seats with no incumbents on the ballot, at least 34 more seats will send new members to the legislature in January. The winners below are based on unofficial results as of 3:00 p.m on Sunday. We will update this post once results are certified.

Senate District 4 – Jess Rivera (D) [FLIP]

Jess Rivera (D) appears to have defeated Sen. Buck Newton (R) in District 4 (Greene, Wayne, Wilson), finishing ahead 51.07% to 48.93% with all precincts reporting. If the results hold, this would flip the seat to Democrats.

Senate District 7 – Jessica Bichler (D) [FLIP]

Jessica Bichler (D) appears to have defeated Sen. Michael Lee (R) in District 7 (New Hanover), finishing ahead 52.64% to 47.36% with all precincts reporting. If the results hold, this would flip the seat to Democrats.

Senate District 11 – James Gailliard (D) [FLIP]

James Gailliard (D) appears to have defeated Sen. Lisa Stone Barnes (R) in District 11 (Franklin, Nash, Vance), finishing ahead 51.37% to 46.28% with all precincts reporting. Gavin Bell (L) took 2.35%. If the results hold, this would flip the seat to Democrats.

Senate District 26 – Sam Page (R)

Sam Page (R) is the apparent winner in District 26 (Guilford, Rockingham), finishing ahead of Steve Luking (D) 53.75% to 46.25% with all precincts reporting. Senate Leader Phil Berger (R) lost the March Republican primary to Page, the Rockingham County sheriff, by 23 votes after a recount.

Senate District 34 – April Cook (D) [FLIP]

April Cook (D) is the apparent winner in District 34 (Cabarrus), finishing ahead of Kevin Crutchfield (R) 57.66% to 42.34% with all precincts reporting. Sen. Chris Measmer (R) lost the March Republican primary to former Rep. Crutchfield.

House District 5 – Sam Davis III (D) [FLIP]

Sam Davis III (D) appears to have defeated Rep. Bill Ward (R) in District 5 (Camden, Gates, Hertford, Pasquotank), finishing ahead 52.78% to 47.22% with all precincts reporting. If the results hold, this would flip the seat to Democrats.

House District 7 – Mark Speed (D) [FLIP]

Mark Speed (D) is the apparent winner of the open seat in District 7 (Franklin, Vance), finishing ahead of Cory Thornton (R) 51.56% to 48.44% with all precincts reporting. Rep. Matthew Winslow (R) did not seek re-election. This flips the seat to Democrat.

House District 9 – Claire Kempner (D) [FLIP]

Claire Kempner (D) leads Rep. Timothy Reeder (R) by 175 votes in District 9 (Pitt), 50.24% to 49.76%, with all precincts reporting. If the results hold, this would flip the seat to Democrats. The margin is within the recount threshold.

House District 20 – Tim Merrick (D) [FLIP]

Tim Merrick (D) is the apparent winner of the open seat in District 20 (New Hanover), finishing ahead of Dane Scalise (R) 50.11% to 49.89% with all precincts reporting. Rep. Ted Davis Jr. (R) did not seek re-election. If the results hold, this would flip the seat to Democrats. The margin is 101 votes, within the recount threshold.

House District 23 – Patricia Smith (D)

Patricia Smith (D) is the apparent winner in District 23 (Bertie, Edgecombe, Martin), finishing ahead of Brent Roberson (R) 61.46% to 38.54% with all precincts reporting. Rep. Shelly Willingham (D) lost the three-way March Democratic primary to Smith.

House District 25 – Lorenza M. Wilkins (D) [FLIP]

Lorenza M. Wilkins (D) appears to have defeated Rep. Allen Chesser (R) in District 25 (Nash), finishing ahead 52.67% to 44.73% with all precincts reporting. Nick Taylor (L) took 2.61%. If the results hold, this would flip the seat to Democrats.

House District 26 – L’Bertrice Solomon (D) [FLIP]

L’Bertrice Solomon (D) appears to have defeated Rep. Donna McDowell White (R) in District 26 (Johnston), finishing ahead 52.99% to 47.01% with all precincts reporting. If the results hold, this would flip the seat to Democrats.

House District 35 – Evonne S. Hopkins (D) [FLIP]

Evonne S. Hopkins (D) appears to have defeated Rep. Mike Schietzelt (R) in District 35 (Wake), finishing ahead 54.95% to 45.05% with all precincts reporting. If the results hold, this would flip the seat to Democrats.

House District 37 – Winn Decker (D) [FLIP]

Winn Decker (D) appears to have defeated Rep. Erin Paré (R) in District 37 (Wake), finishing ahead 54.72% to 45.28% with all precincts reporting. If the results hold, this would flip the seat to Democrats.

House District 43 – Janene Ackles (D) [FLIP]

Janene Ackles (D) appears to have defeated Rep. Diane Wheatley (R) in District 43 (Cumberland), finishing ahead 52.12% to 47.88% with all precincts reporting. If the results hold, this would flip the seat to Democrats.

House District 51 – April Montgomery (U) [previously held by R]

April Montgomery (U) is the apparent winner of the open seat in District 51 (Lee, Moore), finishing ahead of Charles M. Taylor (R) 50.70% to 49.30% with all precincts reporting. Rep. John Sauls (R) did not seek re-election.

House District 55 – Clancy Baucom (R)

Clancy Baucom (R) is the apparent winner of the open seat in District 55 (Anson, Union), finishing ahead of John J. Kirkpatrick IV (D) 55.81% to 44.19% with all precincts reporting. Rep. Mark Brody (R) did not seek re-election.

House District 59 – Elma Hairston (D) [FLIP]

Elma Hairston (D) appears to have defeated Rep. Alan Branson (R) in District 59 (Guilford), finishing ahead 51.84% to 48.16% with all precincts reporting. If the results hold, this would flip the seat to Democrats.

House District 62 – Shelly Headen (D) [FLIP]

Shelly Headen (D) leads Rep. John Blust (R) by 233 votes in District 62 (Guilford), 50.27% to 49.73%, with all precincts reporting. If the results hold, this would flip the seat to Democrats. The margin is within the recount threshold.

House District 63 – Ian Baltutis (D) [FLIP]

Ian Baltutis (D) is the apparent winner of the open seat in District 63 (Alamance), finishing ahead of Ryan Moffitt (R) 50.36% to 49.64% with all precincts reporting. Rep. Stephen Ross (R) did not seek re-election. If the results hold, this would flip the seat to Democrats. The margin is 236 votes, within the recount threshold.

House District 64 – LeVon Barnes (D) [FLIP]

LeVon Barnes (D) appears to have defeated Rep. Dennis Riddell (R) in District 64 (Alamance), finishing ahead 52.73% to 47.27% with all precincts reporting. If the results hold, this would flip the seat to Democrats.

House District 65 – Seth Woodall (R)

Seth Woodall (R) is the apparent winner in District 65 (Rockingham), finishing ahead of Gavin McGaughey (D) 63.22% to 36.78% with all precincts reporting. Rep. Reece Pyrtle (R) lost the three-way March Republican primary to Woodall.

House District 73 – Thomas Monks (D) [FLIP]

Thomas Monks (D) appears to have defeated Rep. Jonathan Almond (R) in District 73 (Cabarrus), finishing ahead 53.80% to 46.20% with all precincts reporting. If the results hold, this would flip the seat to Democrats.

House District 74 – Amy Taylor North (D) [FLIP]

Amy Taylor North (D) appears to have defeated Rep. Jeff Zenger (R) in District 74 (Forsyth), finishing ahead 57.07% to 42.93% with all precincts reporting. If the results hold, this would flip the seat to Democrats.

House District 75 – Jen Wiles (D) [FLIP]

Jen Wiles (D) appears to have defeated Rep. Donny Lambeth (R) in District 75 (Forsyth), finishing ahead 53.97% to 46.03% with all precincts reporting. If the results hold, this would flip the seat to Democrats.

House District 76 – Greg Edds (R)

Greg Edds (R) is the apparent winner of the open seat in District 76 (Rowan), finishing ahead of Scott Huffman (D) 53.18% to 46.82% with all precincts reporting. Rep. Harry Warren (R) did not seek re-election.

House District 82 – Chris Bishopp (D) [FLIP]

Chris Bishopp (D) appears to have defeated Rep. Brian Echevarria (R) in District 82 (Cabarrus), finishing ahead 55.98% to 44.02% with all precincts reporting. If the results hold, this would flip the seat to Democrats.

House District 93 – Charlie Wallin (D) [FLIP]

Charlie Wallin (D) leads Rep. Ray Pickett (R) by 228 votes in District 93 (Alleghany, Ashe, Watauga), 50.30% to 49.70%, with all precincts reporting. If the results hold, this would flip the seat to Democrats. The margin is within the recount threshold.

House District 105 – Ken McCool (D) [FLIP]

Ken McCool (D) appears to have defeated Rep. Tricia Cotham (R) in District 105 (Mecklenburg), finishing ahead 57.11% to 42.89% with all precincts reporting. Cotham’s 2023 switch from the Democratic Party gave House Republicans a supermajority at the time. If the results hold, this would flip the seat to Democrats.

House District 109 – Mark Carver (D) [FLIP]

Mark Carver (D) appears to have defeated Rep. Donnie Loftis (R) in District 109 (Gaston), finishing ahead 51.62% to 48.38% with all precincts reporting. If the results hold, this would flip the seat to Democrats.

House District 110 – Caroline Eason (R)

Caroline Eason (R) is the apparent winner in District 110 (Cleveland, Gaston), leading Mary Silver (D) 58.03% to 41.97% with all precincts reporting. Rep. Kelly Hastings (R) lost the March Republican primary to Eason.

House District 117 – Lynne Russo (D) [FLIP]

Lynne Russo (D) is the apparent winner of the open seat in District 117 (Henderson), finishing ahead of Chelsea Walsh (R) 51.74% to 48.26% with all precincts reporting. Rep. Jennifer Balkcom (R) left the race in August to become the Republican nominee in the 11th Congressional District. If the results hold, this would flip the seat to Democrats.

House District 118 – Jimmy Rogers (R)

Jimmy Rogers (R) is the apparent winner of the open seat in District 118 (Haywood, Madison), finishing ahead of Danny Davis (D) 50.79% to 49.21% with all precincts reporting. Rep. Mark Pless (R) lost the March Republican primary to Rogers.

House District 119 – Mark Burrows (D) [FLIP]

Mark Burrows (D) appears to have defeated Rep. Anna Ferguson (R) in District 119 (Jackson, Swain, Transylvania), finishing ahead 52.41% to 47.59% with all precincts reporting. Ferguson was appointed to the seat in April after Rep. Mike Clampitt (R) died. If the results hold, this would flip the seat to Democrats.

Returning Members with No November Contest

31 incumbents – 6 in the Senate and 25 in the House – had no opponent on the November ballot and will return to the General Assembly in January.

The Bigger Picture: What the Results Mean for the 2027-2028 Session

• New House Leadership

  Anticipate new House Leadership, likely led by Rep. Robert T. Reives, II (current House Minority Leader). The new Democratic Speaker will lead a majority of 71 Democratic members, or 72 if unaffiliated Rep.-elect April Montgomery caucuses with them.

• New Senate Leadership

  Sen. Phil Berger has led the NC Senate since 2011, and his primary loss in March means the chamber will elect a new President Pro Tempore when it convenes in January. Additionally, Senate Republicans no longer hold a veto-proof supermajority.

• New Faces = New Relationships

  With 21 incumbents losing their elections on Tuesday and several more not seeking re-election, the window to get ahead of the 2027-2028 session is already open. Knowing who the incoming members are and what issues they care about before they’re sworn in means lobbyists and government affairs teams can start building relationships today, in preparation for the upcoming long session.

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Roboro provides legislative intelligence for advocacy professionals. All information is current as of 3:00 p.m., 11/08/2026. Official election results will be updated as they become available.