(The Center Square) – Through the March 31 first quarter, cash on hand advantage are $18.4 million to $2.5 million for Democrat Roy Cooper over Republican Michael Whatley in North Carolina’s U.S. Senate race, according to the Federal Elections Commission.
In the state’s 1st Congressional District, the difference is $2.8 million to $1.4 million for Democratic U.S. Rep Don Davis over Republican retired Col. Laurie Buckhout. Both contests are deemed pivotal to majority advantage in the Senate and House of Representatives, respectively.
The Senate race, including outside political action committee spending, is expected to break records for a U.S. Senate seat.
Republican Sen. Thom Tillis opted not to seek a third term for the six-year assignment. Cooper and Whatley easily won March primaries and meet Libertarian candidate Shannon Bray.
The 1st Congressional District and the 3rd were redrawn in October in an attempt to help Republicans gain another seat in the House. The latter didn’t even have a Democratic candidate two years ago against Republican incumbent Rep. Dr. Greg Murphy.
Beaufort, Hyde, Dare, Craven, Pamlico and Carteret counties change from the 3rd to the 1st; Wilson, Wayne, Greene and Lenoir counties change from the 1st to the 3rd. The only district of 14 with closer than 13% difference in 2024 was the win by Davis over Buckhout in the 1st District.
They’ll have a Round 2 of sorts Nov. 3.
Elsewhere in races for the U.S. House of Representatives:
• 2nd Congressional District: Incumbent Democratic Rep. Deborah Ross of Raleigh has more than $1.3 million cash on hand. There’s no report for Raleigh Republican Eugene Douglass or Cary Libertarian Matthew Laszacs.
• 3rd Congressional District: Incumbent Republican Rep. Dr. Greg Murphy of Greenville has more than $2.6 million cash on hand. Democratic challenger Raymond Smith of Goldsboro has $41,000 and Lexington Libertarian Daniel Cavender is without a report.
• 4th Congressional District: Incumbent Democratic Rep. Valerie Foushee of Hillsborough emerged from a tough primary with more than $30,000 cash on hand. Pittsboro Republican Max Ganorkar has nearly $17,000 and there is no report for Durham Libertarian Guy Meilleur.
• 5th Congressional District: Incumbent Republican Rep. Virginia Foxx of Banner Elk has more than $3.2 million cash on hand. Wilkesboro Democrat Chuck Hubbard has more than $12,000. There’s no report for Ronda Libertarian Robert Luffman.
• 6th Congressional District: Incumbent Republican Rep. Addison McDowell of Bermuda Run has more than $277,000 cash on hand. Democrat Cyril Jefferson of High Point has just more than $3,100.
• 7th Congressional District: Incumbent Republican Rep. David Rouzer of Wilmington has cleared $2 million cash on hand. Linden Democrat Dr. Kimberly Hardy has more than $53,000 and Wilmington Libertarian Maad Abu-Ghazalah has less than $600.
• 8th Congressional District: Incumbent Republican Rep. Rev. Mark Harris of Indian Trail has just under $400,000. Monroe Democrat Colby Watson has just over $1,800.
• 9th Congressional District: Incumbent Republican Rep. Richard Hudson of Southern Pines has nearly $1.5 million cash on hand. Aberdeen Democrat Richard Ojeda has more than $224,000.
• 10th Congressional District: Incumbent Republican Rep. Pat Harrigan of Hickory has more than $440,000 cash on hand. Winston-Salem Democrat Ashley Bell has nearly $5,700 and Winston-Salem Libertarian Steven Feldman has more than $1,200.
• 11th Congressional District: Incumbent Republican Rep. Chuck Edwards of Flat Rock has more than $487,000 cash on hand. Fairview Democrat Jamie Ager has more than $1.1 million, and Greensboro Libertarian Travis Groo is without a report.
• 12th Congressional District: Incumbent Democratic Rep. Alma Adams of Charlotte has more than $468,000 cash on hand. Charlotte Republican Addul Ali has a zero balance.
• 13th Congressional District: Incumbent Republican Rep. Brad Knott of Raleigh has more than $588,000 cash on hand. Sanford Democrat Paul Barringer has more than $448,000. There is no report for Sanford Libertarian Steven Swinton.
• 14th Congressional District: Incumbent Republican Rep. Tim Moore of Kings Mountain has nearly $1.6 million cash on hand. Charlotte Democrat Lakesha Womack has negative balance of more than $1,000.
For candidates without a report, the Federal Elections Commission – if there is at least a name entry on file – in standard repeated language says the reasons could be still processing data; no filing for the time period was made; or the filing deadline (it was Saturday in this case) hasn’t passed.
