NCGA Updates: March 2026 Primary Results and What This Means for November
March 3, 2026
Updated April 8, 2026
The polls have closed — and North Carolina's political landscape is shifting in real time.
On Wednesday, March 25, the NC State Board of Elections unanimously certified the 2026 primary election results for all state and local contests. This includes the race for NC Senate District 26. After 15 years at the helm of the senate, President Pro Tempore Phil Berger (R) conceded defeat to Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page (R), who won by 23 votes.
In our last post, we laid out everything you needed to know heading into the Primary Elections — the races to watch, the supermajority stakes in the NC General Assembly, and the candidates who could reshape NC heading into the 2027–2028 legislative session. Now, it's time to see how it has played out:
Federal
U.S. Senate race in November will be Roy Cooper (D) v. Michael Whatley (R).
In District 1, the winner is Laurie Buckhout (R). She will face incumbent Don Davis (D) in November.
In District 4, the winner is Valerie Foushee (D). She will face Mahesh Ganorkar (R) in November.
The State Board of Elections has not yet certified the races for U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives Districts 1, 3, 6, 10, 11, and 13 – the Board is expected to certify those contests in April.
State
Below, we break down the State Legislature key results and what they mean for the November General Election — and for the balance of power in the NC General Assembly.
Key Takeaways
NC Senate – Key Races
Senate District 26 – Sam Page (R) has won the race against incumbent Sen. Phil Berger by 23 votes. After multiple recounts affirmed these results, Sen. Berger conceded the race on March 24, ending his 15-year tenure as the top NC Senate leader.
Page will face Steve Luking (D) in the November general election. In 2024, Berger won this district, defeating Luking (D) with 54.1% of the vote.
Senate District 34 – Kevin Crutchfield (R) is the winner over incumbent Sen. Chris Measmer (R).
Senate District 1 – Jerry Tillet (R) is the winner and will face Melissa Zehner (D) in November. Note that in 2024’s General Election, Sen. Hanig (R) won this District with 57.2% of the vote.
What to watch in November
Significant leadership impacts as a result of the District 26 Senate Race (Sen. Berger v. Page)
5 incumbent Senators are running unopposed in November (all Democrats)
Republican supermajority is at risk — a loss of just one Republican seat ends their 30–20 supermajority.
NC House – Key Races
Incumbent losses (Republicans)
District 65 – Seth Woodall (R) is the winner of this race, and incumbent Rep. Reece Pyrtle (R) will not be returning.
House District 79 – Darren Armstrong (R) is the winner of this race, and incumbent Rep. Keith Kidwell (R) will not be returning.
District 110 – Caroline Eason (R) is the winner of this race, and incumbent Rep. Kelly Hastings (R) will not be returning.
District 118 – Jimmy Rogers (R) is the winner of this race, and incumbent Rep. Mark Pless (R) will not be returning.
Incumbent losses (Democrats)
House District 106 – Winner Rev. Dr. Rodney Sadler (D) will run unopposed in November. Incumbent Rep. Carla D. Cunningham (D) will not be returning.
House District 23 – Winner Patricia Smith (D) will run against Brent Roberson (R) in November. Incumbent Rep. Shelly Willingham (D) will not be returning.
House District 99 – Winner Veleria M. Levy (D) will run unopposed in November. Incumbent Rep. Nasif Majeed (D) will not be returning.
Incumbent winners
District 27 – Winner and incumbent Rep. Rodney Pierce (D) will run against Kenneth Bentley Jr. (R) in November.
What to watch in November
Of the 4 Democrats that voted with Republicans on Veto Overrides this biennium, 1 resigned his seat (Cecil Brockman) and the other 3 have lost their Primaries (Reps. Cunningham, Willingham, Majeed) and will not be returning to the General Assembly. They could still vote with Republicans to override vetoes during the upcoming Short Session.
9 incumbents are not seeking re-election (8 Republicans, 1 Democrat), guaranteeing at least 9 new House members.
20 incumbents are running unopposed in November (19 Democrats, 1 Republican) — a near-certain group of returning members for the 2027 session.
Republicans are one seat short of a House supermajority — a gain of just one seat in November would give them veto-proof control of both chambers.
NC Senate Results
These are the results of the NC Senate Primary Elections, certified by the State Board of Elections.
NC House Results
These are the results of the NC House of Representatives Primary Elections, certified by the State Board of Elections.
Member Changes Since the Primaries
The landscape of the November general election has already shifted since primary day. These two members will not be returning for the Short Session and will not be on the ballot in November:
Rep. Mike Clampitt (R – District 119) passed away after a battle with cancer. Rep. Clampitt had served four terms in the House and had won his primary. He was on the November ballot at the time of his passing. A replacement has not yet been appointed as of April 4.
Sen. Graig Meyer (D – District 23) resigned on March 31 after announcing his retirement from the state Senate to become Executive Director of the North Carolina Justice Center. Democratic Party leaders have nominated Jonah Garson as his replacement.
Both seats will be filled heading into 2027, adding two more new faces to an already-changing legislative landscape.
Races with No November Contest
Several House races were determined after the primary elections – they face no opponent in the general election and will serve in the 2027 legislative session.
House District 38 – Incumbent and winner Rep. Abe Jones (D)
House District 45 – Incumbent and winner Rep. Frances Jackson (D)
House District 50 – Incumbent and winner Rep. Renée Price (D)
House District 79 – Winner Darren Armstrong (R)
House District 99 – Winner Veleria Levy (D)
House District 106 – Winner Rodney Sadler (D)
Along with those listed above, the following members will be returning for the 2027-2028 legislative session, as they did not face primary challengers and are running unopposed in the general election.
We will be sharing profiles on these members in the coming months – stay tuned.
The Bigger Picture: What Primary Results Mean for November Elections
New Senate Leadership?
Sam Page won the Senate District 26 race, which means longtime Senate Leader Phil Berger will not be returning for the 2027-2028 legislative session. The Republican Senate Caucus will nominate a new leader, and several senators are already being mentioned as potential contenders, including Sens. Ralph Hise, Amy Galey, Todd Johnson, Brent Jackson, and Michael Lee.
New Faces = New Relationships
With 1 Senate incumbent and 7 House incumbents losing their primaries, plus 9 House incumbents not seeking reelection, the window to get ahead of the 2027 session is open right now — knowing who the incoming members are before they're sworn in means advocates and lobbyists can start building relationships today, well before the competition catches up.
The Supermajority Question
The math remains razor-thin heading into November: Republicans are one seat away from losing their Senate supermajority and one seat away from gaining one in the House — but a noteworthy dynamic has emerged on the Democratic side: all four House Democrats who crossed the aisle to vote with Republicans on veto overrides during the 2025 long session will not be returning in 2027, which could meaningfully change the calculus around future override attempts even if the partisan seat count stays the same.
Stay Ahead with Roboro
If you want to stay ahead of legislative developments, bill movement, and member changes heading into the 2027 session, Roboro is built for exactly that.
Questions or data requests? Email us at hello@roboro.ai
Roboro AI provides legislative intelligence for advocacy professionals. All information is current as of April 8, 2026. Election results will be updated as they become available.
