(The Center Square) – Making official her May 10 declaration, North Carolina Republican U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx led the second week of filing for the 2026 midterms.
If successful, the New York City native from Banner Elk would win a 12th term – tied for second most of Republicans from the state with the late Jim Broyhill. The late Howard Coble won 16 terms, serving 30-plus years before health challenges led to his 2015 resignation.
Democrat Robert Lee Doughton, between 1911 and Jan. 3, 1953, served more than 41 years in 21 terms in a record that still stands.
Republican Reps. Addison McDowell of Bermuda Run and Tim Moore of Kings Mountain also filed for reelection in the last week.
The incumbents filed the first week included Republican Reps. Chuck Edwards of Flat Rock in the 11th Congressional District, Pat Harrigan of Hickory in the 10th, Richard Hudson of Southern Pines in the 9th, Rev. Mark Harris of Indian Trail in the 8th, and Dr. Greg Murphy in the 3rd; and Democratic Reps. Valerie Foushee in the 4th and Deborah Ross in the 2nd.
Forty-two challengers have filed across the 14 U.S. House seat elections.
Filing opened Dec. 1 and will conclude Friday at noon.
The U.S. Senate race led by Democrat Roy Cooper and Republican Michael Whatley picked up more candidates for primaries. Lumberton Democrat Marcus Williams filed Friday and Charlotte Republican Margot Dupre filed Thursday.
There are four Republicans and three Democrats for the Super Tuesday primaries March 3.
North Carolinians this year will choose a U.S. senator, all 14 U.S. House representatives, one state Supreme Court judge and three appellate justices. All 170 seats in the General Assembly – 50 in the Senate, 120 in the House of Representatives – are also on the ballot. There are no statewide referenda.
Only presidential cycle years have longer ballots for the more than 7.6 million voters in the nation’s ninth largest state.
