See the full list of candidates running in North Carolina’s 2026 elections
Key Takeaways
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Candidates filed for North Carolina’s 2026 races during Dec. 1–19 filing window.
- Primary is March 3, general election Nov. 3; key U.S. Senate seat is open.
- Ballot includes all 14 U.S. House seats, full state legislature and judicial races.
Candidates are off and running for the 2026 elections.
In the searchable, sortable tables below, we’ve compiled the candidates who have filed their paperwork to run for office in North Carolina.
The filing period opened Dec. 1 and closed at noon Dec. 19.
The primary is March 3 and the general election is Nov. 3. The ballot includes:
- A U.S. Senate seat. Republican Sen. Thom Tillis decided not to seek another term, and this seat is one of the country’s most closely watched contests in 2026.
- All 14 of North Carolina’s U.S. House seats. All 14 members of the state’s House delegation are running for reelection, including in two newly redrawn eastern districts.
- All 120 seats in the state House.
- All 50 seats in the state Senate.
- State and local judicial races. Those include a state Supreme Court race in which Democratic Justice Anita Earls, who is seeking another term, is being challenged by Republican Rep. Sarah Stevens.
- Many local elections, including races for county and municipal offices and school boards.
To find out what districts you live in, check your voter record here.
Jordan Schrader and Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi contributed to this report.
This story was originally published December 19, 2025 at 12:00 PM.
Jordan Schrader
The News & Observer
David Raynor
The News & Observer