May 18, 2022
North Carolina held its 2022 primary election on May 17th with nearly 1.4 million ballots cast across the state. Of North Carolina’s 7,236,469 registered voters, 20% participated in the primary election this year – up from 14% in the 2018 midterm primary election. Close to 2% voted absentee by mail, 39% voted during the one-stop early voting period, and 59% voted in-person on Election Day.
The primary election was originally scheduled for March 8th but was postponed when the new legislative and congressional maps were struck down by the NC Supreme Court. After months of legal battles and a court-ordered redraw of the districts, a panel of trial judges approved the state legislature’s newly drawn districts for the NC House and Senate, but selected a congressional map drawn by outside experts appointed by the NC Supreme Court. Both the NC House and Senate maps still favor Republican majorities but include more competitive districts. The new congressional map produces more safe seats for Democratic candidates and fewer tossup seats than the map proposed by the Republican-led legislature.
All 170 members of the North Carolina General Assembly are up for re-election in 2022, with many legislators in new districts or double-bunked against other incumbents. Primary election winners will advance to represent their party in the November 8th general election.
Durham County
As a result of the redistricting process, Durham County’s new state legislative districts include House Districts 2, 29, 30 and 31, and Senate Districts 20 and 22. The Durham County legislative delegation lost Rep. Robert Reives (D) in House District 54 after the redistricting process, but all other incumbents in Durham County are running for re-election including Democratic legislators Sen. Natalie Murdock, Sen. Mike Woodard, Rep. Vernetta Alston, Rep. Zack Hawkins and Rep. Marcia Morey. The current Durham Delegation did not face primary challengers in Tuesday’s election. The following legislators will appear on the ballot in November:
House District 2 (no primary competitors)
-Ray Jeffers (D)
-Gavin Bell (L)
-Larry Yarborough (R) – Incumbent
House District 29 (no primary competitors)
-Vernetta Alston (D) – Incumbent
House District 30 (no primary competitors)
-Marcia Morey (D) – Incumbent
-Guy Meilleur (L)
-William Antico (R)
House District 31 (no primary competitors)
-Zack Hawkins (D) – Incumbent
-Sean Haugh (L)
Senate District 20 (no primary competitors)
-Natalie Murdock (D) –Incumbent
-Alvin Reed (R)
Senate District 22
-Mike Woodard (D) – Incumbent
-Ray Ubinger (L)
-Larry Coleman (R)
Wake County
Wake County’s new state legislative districts include House Districts 11, 21, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 49 and 66, and Senate Districts 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18. The following legislators will appear on the ballot in November:
House District 11 (no primary competitors)
-Allison Dahle (D) –Incumbent
House District 21 (no primary competitors)
-Ya Liu (D)
-Joshua Morris (L)
-Gerard Falzon (R)
House District 33
-Rosa Gill (D) – Incumbent
-Chris Costello (L)
-Stephanie Dingee (R)
House District 34
-Grier Martin (D) – Incumbent
-Kat McDonald (L)
-Ashley Seshul (R)
House District 35
-Terence Everritt (D) – Incumbent
-Joseph Serio (L)
-Fred Von Canon (R)
House District 36 (no primary competitors)
-Julie von Haefen (D) – Incumbent
-Kyle Ward (L)
-John Harris (R)
House District 37
-Christine Kelly (D)
-Christopher Robinson (L)
-Erin Pare (R) – Incumbent
House District 38 (no primary competitors)
-Abe Jones (D) – Incumbent
-Christopher Mizelle (L)
House District 39 (no primary competitors)
-James Roberson (D) – Incumbent
-Greg Jones (R)
House District 40
-Joe John (D) – Incumbent
-Michael Nelson (L)
-Marilyn Avila (R)
House District 41 (no primary competitors)
-Maria Cervania (D)
-Travis Groo (L)
-Bruce Forster (R)
House District 49 (no primary competitors)
-Cynthia Ball (D) – Incumbent
-Michael Oakes (L)
-David Robertson (R)
House District 66
-Sarah Crawford (D)
-Micao Penaflor (L)
-Ives Brizuela de Sholar (R)
Duke LifePoint Delegation
Duke LifePoint’s legislative delegation ranges from the eastern part of North Carolina in Wilson County all the way to the west in Swain County. The following legislators will appear on the ballot in November:
Wilson County Races (Wilson Medical Center)
Senate District 4
-Toby Fitch (D) – Incumbent
-Buck Newton (R)
House District 24 (no primary competitors)
-Linda Cooper-Suggs (D) –Incumbent
-Ken Fontenot (R)
Lee County Races (Central Carolina Hospital)
Senate District 12
-Richard Chapman (D)
-Jim Burgin (R) – Incumbent
House District 51 (no primary competitors)
-Malcolm Hall (D)
-John Sauls (R) – Incumbent
Catawba County Races (Frye Regional Medical Center)
Senate District 45 (no primary competitors)
-Austen Gilbert (D)
-Dean Proctor (R) – Incumbent
House District 96 (no primary competitors)
-Jay Adams (R) – Incumbent
Jackson County Races (Harris Regional Hospital)
Senate District 50 (no primary competitors)
-Karen Burnette McCracken (D)
-Kevin Corbin (R) – Incumbent
House District 119 (no primary competitors)
-Al Platt (D)
-Mike Clampitt (R) – Incumbent
Haywood County (Haywood Regional Medical Center)
Senate District 50 (no primary competitors)
-Karen Burnette McCracken (D)
-Kevin Corbin (R) – Incumbent
House District 118 (no primary competitors)
-Josh Remillard (D)
-Mark Pless (R) – Incumbent
Vance County (Maria Parham Health)
Senate District 11 (no primary competitors)
-Mark Speed (D)
-Lisa Stone Barnes (R) – Incumbent
Senate District 32 (no primary competitors)
-Terry Garrison (D) – Incumbent
-Frank Sossamon (R)
Franklin County (Maria Parham Franklin)
Senate District 11 (no primary competitors)
-Mark Speed (D)
-Lisa Stone Barnes (R) – Incumbent
House District 7 (no primary competitors)
-Matthew Winslow (R) – Incumbent
Person County (Person Memorial Hospital)
Senate District 23
-Graig Meyer (D)
-Landon Woods (R)
House District 2 (no primary competitors)
-Ray Jeffers (D)
-Gavin Bell (L)
-Larry Yarborough (R) – Incumbent
Rutherford County (Rutherford Regional Health System)
Senate District 48 (no primary competitors)
-Stephanie Justice (D)
-Tim Moffitt (R)
House District 113
-Jake Johnson (R) – Double-bunked incumbent
Swain County (Swain Community Hospital)
Senate District 50 (no primary competitors)
-Karen Burnette McCracken (D)
-Kevin Corbin (R) – Incumbent
House District 119 (no primary competitors)
-Al Platt (D)
-Mike Clampitt (R) – Incumbent