North Carolina's 2022 Midterm Election Results

In the Tar Heel state, more than 3.7 million North Carolinians cast their ballots in this year’s midterm elections. The pivotal races included a highly competitive bid for U.S. Senate, key congressional races, state House and Senate seats and closely watched judicial races.

Below are the preliminary election results for federal and state races as of November 9 at 6am ET.

U.S. Senate

With the retirement of U.S. Senator Richard Burr (R), North Carolina had an open seat for the U.S. Senate. The race was costly and competitive, with polls having the candidates Cheri Beasley (D), the former Chief Justice of the N.C. Supreme Court, and Ted Budd (R), a three-term congressman, neck and neck until the very end. Holding a three-percent lead, Budd was declared the winner. Democrats have not won a U.S. Senate race in North Carolina since 2008.

Cheri Beasley (D)	1,775,716	47.08%
Ted Budd (R)	1,891,342	50.71%

U.S. House of Representatives

Based on the 2020 Census, North Carolina gained an additional congressional seat, with 14 members of the U.S. House now heading to Washington, D.C. Out of the 14 districts, two races received the most attention.

U.S. House—1^st Congressional District

Congressman G.K. Butterfield, who has served Northeastern North Carolina since 2004, is retiring at the end of his term. For the open seat, six-term state Senator Don Davis (D) ran against Republican candidate Sandy Smith, an entrepreneur who lost against Butterfield in the 2020 election. After Tuesday’s general election, Davis will now represent the 1^st Congressional district.

Don Davis (D)	133,729	52.27%
Sandy Smith (R)	122,128	47.73%%

U.S. House—13^th Congressional District

State Senator Wiley Nickel (D) and political newcomer Bo Hines (R) competed in a race that was considered the only swing seat under the court-ordered redistricting maps. Nickel, a former staffer to President Barack Obama and a two-term state senator, won the race against Hines, who was endorsed by President Donald Trump.

Bo Hines (R)	133,291	48.68%
Wiley Nickel (D)	140,531	51.32%

As a result of Democrats winning these two congressional seats, North Carolina’s Congressional delegation will be tied with seven Republicans and seven Democrats. 

The results of all 14 North Carolina Congressional races can be found here.

N.C. General Assembly

Republicans had a good election night and will maintain solid control of both chambers in the General Assembly, with Senate Republicans winning a supermajority. 

N.C. House of Representatives

In the House, Republicans fell one seat short of a supermajority, with a total of 71 Republicans and 49 Democrats heading into the 2023-2024 biennium. Tuesday’s election leaves the House without a veto-proof majority.

This election cycle had incumbents who faced challenges in competitive districts such as House Minority Leader Robert Reives (D-Chatham), who won re-election for a fifth term. Rep. Brian Farkas (D-Pitt) lost his race against Dr. Tim Reeder (R), an emergency medicine physician in Greenville. Reeder’s win adds another medical doctor to the state House, as Rep. Kristin Baker (R-Cabarrus) is the only physician currently serving in the legislature.

Incumbents from the state House who lost their bids for re-election include Rep. Larry Yarborough (R-Person), Rep. Howard Hunter (D-Pasquotank), Rep. James Gailliard (D-Nash), Rep. Terry Garrison (D-Vance), Rep. Ricky Hurtado (D-Alamance), Rep. Brian Farkas (D-Pitt) and Rep. Linda Cooper-Suggs (D-Wilson).

The results of key competitive House races can be found below, and the results for all 120 N.C. House races can be found here.

NC HD 5	Howard Hunter III (D)*	13,375	46.03%%
	Bill Ward (R)	15,683	53.97%
NC HD 9	Brian Farkas (D)*	14,607	49.22%
	Tim Reeder (R)	15,069	50.78%
NC HD 20	Ted Davis, Jr. (R)*	18,895	51.49%
	Amy Block DeLoach (D)	17,801	48.51%
NC HD 24	Linda Cooper-Suggs (D)*	12,700	45.75%
	Ken Fontenot (R)	15,058	54.25%
NC HD 25	Allen Chesser (R)	17,813	52.96%
	James Gailliard (D)*	14,995	44.58%
NC HD 32	Terry Garrison (D)*	13,342	48.61%
	Frank Sossamon (R)	14,107	51.39%
NC HD 35	Terence Everitt (D)*	18,914	51.71%
	Fred Von Canon (R)	16,592	46.34%
NC HD 43	Elmer Floyd (D)	11,614	44.79%
	Diane Wheatley (R)*	14,318	55.21%
NC HD 48	Garland Pierce (D)*	11,997	53.47%
	Melissa Swarbrick (R)	10,438	46.53%
NC HD 54	Walter Petty (R)	18,574	44.90%
	Robert Reives (D)*	22,796	55.10%
NC HD 63	Ricky Hurtado (D)*	13,237	48.79%
	Stephen Ross (R)	13,895	51.21%
NC HD 73	Brian Echevarria (R)	13,354	49.22%
	Diamond Staton-Williams (D)	13,779	50.78%
NC HD 74	Carla Catalan Day (D)	18,045	47.36%
	Jeff Zenger (R)*	20,053	52.64%
NC HD 98	John Bradford III (R)*	17,925	51.23%
	Christy Clark (D)	17,064	48.77%
NC HD 103	Bill Brawley (R)	18,120	47.79%
	Laura Budd (D)	19,797	52.21%

*Indicates incumbent

N.C. Senate

In the Senate, Republicans added two seats, so that Republicans will hold a 30-to-20 majority when Senators are sworn into office in January.  As a result of the election, the Senate gains a veto-proof supermajority.

Competitive races in the Senate included ones with incumbents such as Sen. Sydney Batch (D-Wake), who will return to the legislature for another term.  In addition, redistricting created open seats in this year’s election that included Senate District 18 (SD 18), where Mary Wills Bode (D) and E.C. Sykes (R) fought a competitive race for a district that includes part of Wake and Granville Counties. 

As a result of the midterm elections, incumbent Sen. Toby Fitch (D-Wilson) will not return to the General Assembly.

The results of key competitive Senate races can be found below, and a link to all 50 N.C. Senate races can be found here.

NC SD 3	Bobby Hanig (R)*	37,822	52.55%
	Valerie Jordan (D)	34,146	47.75%
NC SD 4	Milton (Toby) Fitch (D)*	28,333	42.40%
	Buck Newton (R)	38,496	57.60%
NC SD 7	Michael Lee (R)*	44,336	51.22%
	Marcia Morgan (D)	42,226	48.78%
NC SD 11	Lisa Stone Barnes (R)*	41,502	54.93%
	Mark Speed (D)	34,046	45.07%
NC SD 17	Sydney Batch (D)*	44,305	51.55%
	Mark Cavaliero (R)	39,772	46.27%
NC SD 18	Mary Wills Bode (D)	41,979	51.15%
	E.C. Sykes (R)	37,925	46.21%
NC SD 19	Val Applewhite (D)	30,219	52.42%
	Wesley Meredith (R)	27,424	47.58%
NC SD 21	Tom McInnis (R)*	36,232	54.85%
	Frank McNeill (D)	29,830	45.15%
NC SD 42	Rachel Hunt (D)	46,687	54.69%
	Cheryl Russo (R)	38,677	45.31%

*Indicates incumbent

N.C. Supreme Court

With the terms expiring for two of the seven Supreme Court justices, this election cycle was critical for determining the future political makeup of the court. Prior to the November 8^th election, the high court was made up of four Democrats and three Republicans.

Justice Sam Ervin (D) ran for re-election to the state Supreme Court against Trey Allen (R). Appellate court judges, Lucy Inman (D) and Richard Dietz (R), ran for the open seat vacated by retiring Justice Robin Hudson (D). 

Both Republican candidates won election to the Supreme Court. The Court will now have a five-to-two Republican majority. Because of the way N.C. Supreme Court races are staggered, Republicans are guaranteed a majority on the Court until at least 2028.

N.C. Supreme Court—Associate Justice Seat 3

Richard Dietz (R)	1,950,323	52.59%
Lucy Inman (D)	1,758,273	47.41%

N.C. Supreme Court—Associate Justice Seat 5

Trey Allen (R)	1,941,991	52.39%
Sam Ervin IV (D)	1,764,509	47.61%

 

N.C. Court of Appeals

Four of the state’s 15 appellate court seats were up for election this year. Donna Stroud (R), who has served as Chief Judge for the Court of Appeals, won her re-election, while John Tyson (R) won his rebid for the appellate court. Former legislator Darren Jackson (D) will not return to the bench, and Julee Flood (R) won the open seat vacated by Judge Lucy Inman (D). 

Prior to the election, the bench was comprised of 10 Republicans and 5 Democrats. Based on Tuesday’s election, Democrats lost two of their seats. The Court of Appeals will have 12 Republicans and 3 Democrats starting in January.

N.C. Court of Appeals—Seat 8

Julee Flood (R)	1,941,252	52.62%
Carolyn Jennings Thompson (D)	1,747,634	47.38%

N.C. Court of Appeals—Seat 9

Brad Salmon (D)	1,673,631	45.40%
Donna Stroud (R)*	2,012,454	54.60%

*Indicates incumbent

N.C. Court of Appeals—Seat 10

Gale Murray Adams (D)	1,734,513	47.05%
John Tyson (R)*	1,951,890	52.95%

N.C. Court of Appeals—Seat 11

Darren Jackson (D)*	1,727,967	46.94%
Michael Stading (R)	1,953,052	53.06%

*Indicates incumbent