Early voting begins today. Here’s what to watch for in the 2026 NC primaries

The 2026 NC primaries are about to kick off, setting up key congressional, state legislative and judicial elections in November.

by Brandon Kingdollar and Christine Zhu, NC Newsline
February 12, 2026

North Carolina’s 2026 primary elections are about to kick off, setting up key congressional, state legislative and judicial races in November. Here are the races NC Newsline is watching.

Early voting begins at 8 a.m. on Thursday. Voters who are not already registered will have the opportunity to do so at polling sites until the end of the early voting period at 3 p.m. on Feb. 28. Election day in the primary is March 3.

North Carolina’s semi-closed primary system means voters who are registered as a Democrat or Republican can only vote in their party’s primary. Unaffiliated voters can pick which primary they want to vote in. The state’s other recognized political parties, Libertarian and Green, do not have primaries on the ballot this year.

U.S. Senate race kicks off

The Senate race that is expected to be one of the most contested, expensive races in the country in November will formally name its candidates this primary. Both the Republican and Democratic primaries have a clear frontrunner.

The Democratic Party is expected to nominate popular two-term Gov. Roy Cooper, who has not garnered significant competition since announcing his run in July. Cooper has already built a formidable war chest, bringing in nearly $18 million in 2025.

On the Republican side, former RNC Chair Michael Whatley has a wide polling lead and the crucial endorsement of President Donald Trump, despite low name recognition. His challengers include attorney Don Brown and education activist Michele Morrow, both of whom criticized his performance leading the recovery from Hurricane Helene.

State Senate leader in neck-and-neck race

North Carolina Senate leader Phil Berger, left, in 2023. Berger is facing probably the toughest primary challenge of his career in 2026. (AP Photo/Hannah Schoenbaum)

The most powerful Republican in the state Senate is facing the toughest primary challenge of his career.

Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger (R-Rockingham), who has led his party in the upper chamber of the General Assembly for more than two decades, is in a tight race with Rockingham Sheriff Sam Page.

While state Senate primaries are often sleepy affairs, Berger and his allies have poured millions into the race as recent polls have shown him either ahead or behind his opponent by just a few points.

“This race is a jump ball with a slight edge to Sam Page’s campaign,” said Republican pollster Marc Rotterman in a statement. “The question is, can Sam Page compete financially with Senator Berger’s massive war chest, or is this a race where the base has already made up their mind on the incumbent?”

Should Berger lose his race, it would leave Republicans in the Senate without the leader that has steered their caucus since they won control of the legislature in 2010.

Battle for the courts continues

While the crucial state Supreme Court race is set with incumbent Democrat Justice Anita Earls and Republican challenger Rep. Sarah Stevens (R-Surry) running unopposed in their parties, the primaries will decide key Court of Appeals matchups in the three seats up for election, all of which are held by Democrats.

In Court of Appeals Seat 1, two Republicans are vying to face off against Cooper appointee Judge John Arrowood, who will be competing in his first election. Administrative Law Judge Michael Byrne boasts a trifecta of endorsements from police advocacy groups, while Superior Court Judge Matt Smith has local support in Union County, where he resides.

Neither party will hold a primary for Court of Appeals Seat 2, where incumbent Democrat Judge Toby Hampson is challenged by Judge George Bell, a Republican serving on the Superior Court.

The only statewide Democratic judicial primary will decide the nominee for Court of Appeals Seat 3. Incumbent Judge Allegra Collins declined to seek reelection. Wake County District Court Judge Christine Walczyk is set to face off against James Whalen, an attorney who represented Justice Allison Riggs in the monthslong challenge to her election victory. Gaston County District Judge Craig Collins is unopposed as the Republican candidate for Seat 3.

U.S. House primaries see expensive contests

State Sen. Bobby Hanig, Army veteran Laurie Buckhout, divorce attorney Ashley-Nicole Russell, and Carteret County Sheriff Asa Buck are facing off in the GOP primary for the 1st Congressional District. The winner will run against U.S. Rep. Don Davis in the general election for North Carolina’s most competitive U.S. House race.

The 2024 match between Davis and Buckhout was the state’s priciest congressional race of that election cycle.

In the 3rd Congressional District, former state Rep. Raymond Smith and veteran Allison Jaslow are squaring off  for the Democratic nomination. Democrats believe the latest round of redistricting has made the formerly safe Republican district slightly more competitive for Democrats.

Smith has the endorsement of the Congressional Black Caucus, while Jaslow previously served as the CEO of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. The winner will face incumbent Republican Rep. Greg Murphy in November.

The 4th Congressional District Democratic primary is a repeat of the 2022 contest between incumbent U.S. Rep. Valerie Foushee and Durham County Commissioner Nida Allam.

The pair reported similar fundraising numbers in 2025 — $361,919 for Foushee, and $334,740 for Allam.

Foushee has faced criticism from Allam and other Democrats for accepting donations from the pro-Israel lobbying group American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Meantime, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) is stumping for Allam, holding an event with her in Durham on Friday.

NC Newsline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. NC Newsline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Laura Leslie for questions: [email protected].