November 9, 2022
Results from Tuesday’s midterm elections were highly anticipated, with control of the NC General Assembly, NC Supreme Court, US House and US Senate up for grabs. Issues driving voters to the polls included abortion access, the economy, and crime, among others. While North Carolina saw a “red wave” as predicted, it wasn’t as widespread as Republicans hoped for in some races.
NC General Assembly
All eyes were on the NC General Assembly races on Tuesday, where House and Senate Republicans sought to regain a supermajority in both chambers. Republicans currently hold a 69-51 majority in the House and a 28-22 majority in the Senate. A handful of highly competitive districts determined the outcome of election results. As predicted, Republicans picked up the two seats necessary to gain a supermajority in the Senate (30R-20D), but fell one seat short of gaining a supermajority in the House (71R-49D). This outcome means Democratic Governor Roy Cooper’s vetoes won’t be automatically overridden, and Republican leaders in the House will have to persuade Democrats to cross party lines to override a veto or to enact legislation over the objections of the Governor.
All of Durham County’s Democratic incumbent legislators won re-election, and Durham County will see one new NC House member (Ray Jeffers) due to redistricting.
- Vernetta Alston (D), House District 29
- Zack Hawkins (D), House District 31
- Marcia Morey (D), House District 30
- Ray Jeffers (D), House District 2
- Natalie Murdock (D), Senate District 20
- Mike Woodard (D), Senate District 22
In Wake County, Democrats held on to every seat and won the open seats they were predicted to win. Wake County’s one Republican legislator (Erin Pare) also won her re-election.
- Allison Dahle (D), House District 11
- Ya Liu (D), House District 21
- Rosa Gill (D), House District 33
- Tim Longest (D), House District 34
- Terence Everitt (D), House District 35
- Julie vonHaefen (D), House District 36
- Erin Pare (R), House District 37
- Abe Jones (D), House District 38
- James Roberson (D), House District 39
- Joe John (D), House District 40
- Maria Cervania (D), House District 41
- Cynthia Ball (D), House District 49
- Sarah Crawford (D), House District 66
- Lisa Grafstein (D), Senate District 13
- Dan Blue (D), Senate District 14
- Jay Chaudhuri (D), Senate District 15
- Gale Adcock (D), Senate District 16
- Sydney Batch (D), Senate District 17
- Mary Wills Bode (D), Senate District 18
The Duke LifePoint Delegation in rural parts of the state will see more Republican legislators next session due to redistricting, with Republicans taking the win in Wilson County, Lee County, Catawba County, Jackson County, Haywood County, Vance County, Franklin County, Rutherford County, and Swain County. Democrats Graig Meyer and Ray Jeffers will represent Person County.
NC Supreme Court
Democrats currently hold a 4-3 majority on the NC Supreme Court, with two competitive seats on the ballot on Tuesday. Republicans Richard Dietz and Trey Allen won both races, shifting the court to 5 Republicans and 2 Democrats. The outcome of the races could determine the trajectory of major policy issues in North Carolina for years to come, including redistricting, voter ID requirements, public education funding and abortion access.
Federal Races
For an analysis of NC’s federal races, sign up to receive updates from Duke Government Relations and Duke Health Government Relations.
The Election Results Dashboard from the NC State Board of Elections reflects the most accurate election results. County election boards will certify election results on November 18th, and the NC State Board of Elections will certify final results on November 29th.