What’s At Stake In The North Carolina Primary

This week, the road to the midterms formally begins as primary elections are held in several states to determine the nominees for this November. Despite the rampant unpopularity of President Donald Trump, the Democratic Party is still facing widespread disapproval for its tepid response to the Trump administration and lack of cohesive vision for the future. As a result, there have been several upsets where more progressive candidates have beaten more established Democrats. A similar battle appears to be taking shape in North Carolina, where incumbent Rep. Valerie Foushee is facing a primary challenge from Durham County Commissioner Nida Allam.

NPR reports that Foushee is running for her third term and is endorsed by several elected Democratic officials, including North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein. Allam has endorsements from Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and the progressive-leaning Justice Democrats group. Sanders recently joined Allam during a rally in Durham. 

“Nida is a proven fighter with the courage to take on corporate power, to take on billionaires, to take on billionaire-funded Super PACs like crypto and AIPAC and all of these special interest groups who think they can buy American democracy,” Sanders said at the event.

While the race is somewhat under the radar nationally, both candidates are being backed by millions in outside spending. NC Newsline reports that $4.5 million in outside money has been spent so far on the race, with Foushee receiving 53% of that money. Should Allam win, despite Foushee leading in spending and receiving several notable endorsements, it would be yet another signal that Democratic voters are moving further left than the Democratic establishment. 

North Carolina was one of several states that entered a mid-decade redistricting effort to maintain the GOP’s control of the House. While Foushee is still favored to win the primary, AP reports that the new map could make Foushee’s path to victory a bit more complicated. 

From AP:

In the 4th Congressional District in the heavily Democratic Raleigh-Durham area, Democratic U.S. Rep. Valerie Foushee faces a primary rematch with Durham County Commissioner Nida Allam, who placed second behind Foushee in a crowded 2022 Democratic field that included former American Idol star Clay Aiken. Allam has the endorsement of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders …

… In the 4th Congressional District race, challenger Allam carried her home county of Durham – the largest in the district – in the 2022 primary against Foushee, while Foushee prevailed in Orange County and won by wide margins in the district’s four smaller counties. The newly redrawn 4th District still includes Durham and Orange, but it picks up parts of Wake and Chatham counties, while losing the four small counties where Foushee did best. If Allam and Foushee split Durham and Orange by similar margins as in 2022, the result in Wake could be decisive.

Another more interesting race in North Carolina is who will replace Republican Sen. Thom Tillis. He announced his retirement last June, giving Democrats a real chance to flip a Senate seat. While all signs point toward the Democrats flipping the House, the Senate will be an uphill battle, which isn’t helped by redistricting, making this the least competitive midterm race in modern history. Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper is the favored front-runner to secure the Democratic nomination for Tillis’ Senate seat.

On the Republican side of the Senate race, Michael Whatley, the former Republican National Committee chair who was endorsed by President Donald Trump, appears to be the front-runner. This is largely due to how much money he raised compared to the five other opponents in the field, and recent polling shows the majority of North Carolina’s Republican voters support him. 

While Whatley may have the support of Republican voters in the primary, Cooper has never lost an election and is a known name in North Carolina politics, making him a formidable player in the race for Tillis’ seat. Many of Cooper’s wins have come as a result not only through appealing to Democratic voters, but also by managing to sway some Republican voters in his favor as well. 

Whether it’s a Senate seat potentially being put into play with Cooper gaining the nomination, or the Democratic Party receiving yet another sign that voters want them go further left, the North Carolina primaries hold some real weight on the national level. 

SEE ALSO:

North Carolina Primaries Show Cracks In Republican Party

ICYMI: North Carolina Groups Push Back On Racist GOP Voting Maps