(The Center Square) – Democratic U.S. Rep. Valerie Foushee is set to survive a primary and be heavily favored in North Carolina’s Nov. 3 general election.
Nida Allam, her chief challenger, on Wednesday evening indicated she will accept the results without further pursuit. Foushee unofficially finished primary Election Day ahead by 1,202 votes of more than 125,000 cast, or 49.18%-48.22% – within the law for recount.
While all precincts are in, still to be counted are mailed ballots needing cures, provisional ballots, and overseas and military ballots sent by snail mail. Runoffs are in play for winning candidates with less than 30% of the vote, and requests from those finishing runner-up by less than 1% of the total votes.
Canvassing is Friday of next week. The winner takes on Republican Max Ganorkar of Pittsboro and Libertarian Guy Meilleur of Durham.
“Make no mistake,” Allam said, “we gave the establishment a run for their money. In the face of overwhelming odds, we didn’t quit. We doubled down on our values, our talents, and our belief in one another.
“With a margin this close, every vote counted, and in a democracy unbought by corporate interests, voters’ voices would actually be heard. The AI lobby just bought its first seat in Congress. But despite their millions in last-minute spending, corporate lobbies were only barely able to eke out a win – because of the movement this campaign built.”
Outside money was prevalent in a primary valued at roughly $3 million in advertising. Democracy PAC, supported by the artificial intelligence company Anthropic that is battling regulation rules, was a key backer of Foushee. Allam had support from Leaders We Deserve, Justice Democrats and the Working Families Party.
Foushee defeated Allam 46.1%-36.9% in the 2022 Democratic primary.
Foushee’s campaign priorities were democracy; immigration policy; health care; reproductive freedom; affordability for consumer staples; a progressive tax system; education; the environment; retirement security; and racial justice.
Foushee has advocated “tackling systemic racism” by ending cash bail; abolishing private prisons; and decriminalizing marijuana. She calls second-term Republican President Donald Trump “the biggest threat to democracy our nation has faced” and has joined nine amicus briefs challenging him through litigation.
Allam, daughter of Indian and Pakistani immigrants, bills herself as the first Muslim woman to hold public office in the state.
Allam campaigned on democracy, living wage, health care, education and the environment. She also stumped on environmental justice; jobs and the economy; reproductive rights; the rights of those saying they are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, and other identities such as intersex, asexual and pansexual; housing; foreign policy; and immigration.
Transgender – not added to Merriam Webster until 2016 – is a broad term with a vague definition by itself. A person using this would claim a gender identity other than male or female as they were born, as defined by state law and federal executive branch declaration.
