Democrats say which NC lawmakers’ races they’ll prioritize. Here’s who’s targeted
In politics, there is always something on the horizon. Case in point, though the North Carolina primary election results were just certified on Tuesday, Republicans and Democrats are already preparing for November and the slew of races up and down the ballot that come with it.
This includes the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee – the party committee dedicated to electing Democrats to statehouses across the country – which shared with The News & Observer a report containing a list of races it is prioritizing for November.
The races, dubbed “spotlight” races by the DLCC, were chosen to break the Republican supermajority in the General Assembly, the report says.
“Our 14 Spotlight candidates and expansive target map means that there are multiple pathways to breaking the undemocratic control that legislative Republicans currently have. These candidates represent the best that North Carolina has to offer,” DLCC President Heather Williams said in a statement in the report.
“The DLCC has invested early in both chambers and is looking forward to working alongside these incredible candidates, House Democratic Leader Robert Reives, Senate Democratic Leader Dan Blue, and other partners on the ground to create and sustain competitive, winning campaigns in November,” she said.
The committee has made a $15,000 investment in the House and Senate races as a “start” but expects to spend more in the summer, Abhi Rahman, DLCC spokesperson, told the N&O. Asked how much more would be spent, he said the DLCC could not “commit a number right now.”
The GOP supermajority means Republicans control the two chambers and can largely pass legislation without fear of facing a successful veto from the governor, who is a Democrat.
In the House, Republicans hold 72 seats, while Democrats hold 48. In the Senate, Republicans hold 30 seats and Democrats hold 20. All seats are up for reelection in November. Democrats would need to flip one seat to break the supermajority.
The Republican State Leadership Committee , which works to elect Republicans to statehouses, did not share information about target races in the state in response to a request from The N&O.
Here are the races picked as priorities for the DLCC:
Democrats’ NC Senate targets
Senate District 7: This New Hanover County race is between Democrat David Hill, Libertarian John Evans and Republican Sen. Michael Lee, who has held this seat for four terms.
Senate District 11: This race is between Democrat James Mercer and Republican Sen. Lisa Barnes, who has held this seat for two terms. This district encompasses Franklin, Nash and Vance counties.
Senate District 13: This southern Wake County race is between Democratic Sen. Lisa Grafstein, Libertarian Susan Hogarth and Republican Scott Lassiter. This district was redrawn during GOP-led redistricting, and first-term lawmaker Grafstein had to move to be able to run in the district.
Senate District 18: This Granville and Wake County race is between Republican Ashlee Adams, Libertarian Brad Hessel and Democratic Rep. Terence Everitt. This seat was previously held by Democratic Sen. Mary Wills Bode, who is not running for reelection. During last year’s legislative session, Everitt was moved to a basement office in the General Assembly by House Speaker Tim Moore after he asked the Wake district attorney to investigate Moore. During redistricting, Everitt’s House district was drawn to be a bit more favorable to the GOP.
Senate District 42: This Mecklenburg Country race is between Democrat Woodson Bradley and Republican Stacie McGinn. The seat is currently held by Sen. Rachel Hunt, who is running for lieutenant governor. Who she will face off against is still undetermined as GOP candidates Hal Weatherman and Jim O’Neill must go through a runoff election on May 14.
Democrats’ NC House targets
House District 24: This Nash and Wilson county race is between Democrat Dante Pittman and Republican Rep. Ken Fontenot, a first-term lawmaker.
House District 25: This Nash County race is between Democrat Lorenza Wilkins, Libertarian Nick Taylor and Republican Rep. Allen Chesser, a first-term lawmaker.
House District 32: This Granville and Vance county race is between Democrat Bryan Cohn, Libertarian Ryan Brown and Republican Rep. Frank Sossamon, a first-term lawmaker.
House District 35: This northeast Wake County race is between Republican Mike Schietzelt, Libertarian Michael Oakes and Democrat Evonne Hopkins. This seat is currently held by Everitt, who is not running for reelection.
House District 37: This southwest Wake County race is between Democrat Safiyah Jackson, Libertarian Christopher Robinson and Republican Rep. Erin Paré, who has held this seat for two terms.
House District 73: This Cabarrus County race is between Republican Jonathan Almond and Democratic Rep. Diamond Staton-Williams, a first-term lawmaker.
House District 98: This Mecklenburg County race is between Republican Melinda Bales and Democrat Beth Helfrich. This seat is held by Rep. John Bradford, a four-term lawmaker who ran for a congressional district but lost.
House District 105: This southeast Mecklenburg County race is between Nicole Sidman and Republican Rep. Tricia Cotham, who switched parties last year, giving the GOP a veto-proof supermajority in the legislature.
House District 115: This Buncombe County race is between Republican Ruth Smith and Democratic Rep. Lindsey Prather, who has held this seat for one term.
