Why Rep. Tim Moore faces progressive party-switcher in Charlotte’s GOP primaries
In 2026, all 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives are up for grabs, including House Districts 8, 12 and 14, all located in the Charlotte area.
The 14th district Republican primary will pit incumbent Tim Moore against Kate Barr – who admits she’s not really a Republican – while three challengers face off in the Democratic race. Longtime incumbent Alma Adams faces a Democratic challenger in the 12th district race, while two Democrats are vying to take on Republican incumbent Mark Harris in the 8th district contest.
North Carolinians in the March 3rd election choose which candidate from each political party will be on the November ballot. The Charlotte Observer asked each local candidate in this year’s races where they stand on issues like health care, immigration and the economy.
U.S. House District 14
North Carolina’s 14th congressional district covers parts of north and south Charlotte as well surrounding areas including Huntersville. It circumvents the center of the city, stretching to the South Carolina border and extending west over Gastonia, Shelby, Forest City and Morganton.
The seat is currently held by Republican Tim Moore, former speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives. Moore, 55, was first elected to his congressional post in 2024.
Moore’s only challenger in the Republican primary is Kate Barr, a former Democrat who decided to run as a Republican in order to make a statement about partisan gerrymandering. The district is drawn to heavily favor Republicans.
“In recent years, I’ve focused on civic engagement and democracy reform, founding organizations that help voters understand gerrymandering and reclaim political power,” Barr told The Observer. “I’m a progressive who entered the Republican primary because gerrymandered maps guarantee a Republican wins my district’s general election.”
Barr, 43, is a Davidson behavioral scientist who previously ran an unconventional campaign for a state Senate seat against Republican Sen. Vickie Sawyer in 2024. Her slogan “Clear eyes, full heart, can’t win” was meant to highlight gerrymandering producing highly partisan districts.
“This is about holding corrupt leaders accountable, no matter what letter they have next to their name,” Barr said in a previous statement to The Observer about her 2026 candidacy. “I’m not pretending that I suddenly woke up a Republican. I’m the same person I’ve always been. My values haven’t changed. My message hasn’t changed. Voters deserve to have their voices heard. Full stop.”
Barr and Moore both said they want to bring down costs for consumers. But when it comes to policy, they don’t agree on much.
Barr’s top priority is to pass legislation to ban partisan gerrymandering. She also wants to eliminate federal income tax on the first $100,000 a family earns while raising taxes on corporations and the wealthy. Barr supports expanding Medicaid and restoring Affordable Care Act subsidies.
Barr also disagrees with the Trump administration’s approach to immigration enforcement. She believes immigration law enforcement should involve “expanded immigration courts, worker-protecting visa programs and an end to wasteful, harmful enforcement tactics.”
Moore said his top priority is reducing costs, bringing down inflation and addressing housing affordability. He said the best way to do that is creating a “pro-growth” economic environment that encourages businesses to expand.
“I believe we grow the economy by letting the private sector lead,” Moore told The Observer. “That’s how we create jobs and raise wages.”
Moore does not believe in expanding Affordable Care Act subsidies. Instead, he said Americans need a free-market solution that “puts patients in control.”
Moore didn’t say directly whether he approves of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement tactics specifically.
“I support enforcing the law. If someone is in this country illegally and violates our laws, they should be held accountable,” Moore said. “Keeping citizens safe at home, at school and in their communities should be the basic function of all levels of government.”
Three candidates are vying to be the Democratic nominee for the District 14 race:
- Brent Caldwell, 38, is a Charlotte attorney and former campaign staffer for Barack Obama and former congresspeople Sheri Bustos and Ron Klein.
- LaKesha Womack, 48, is a Charlotte business owner who founded Womack Consulting Group in 2005.
- Ahmid Kargbo, 25, is a Huntersville native and first-generation American who worked in information technology before being laid off in December 2024.
All three cited increasing health care access and affordability as a main priority and support extending Affordable Care Act subsidies. Kargbo said he would support Medicare-for-all legislation, and Caldwell called for a public health insurance option.
Each also emphasized the importance of easing costs for the middle and working class.
“We cannot measure success by markets alone while people struggle to afford health care, housing, education and transportation,” Womack said. “I would align federal spending to lower everyday costs, invest in public education and workforce development, support small businesses and ensure economic growth delivers stability and opportunity for working families and communities.”
U.S. House District 12
North Carolina’s 12th congressional district covers Charlotte’s center, stretching from Pineville up to Mallard Creek, from Bradfield Farms on the east to Charlotte-Douglas International Airport on the west. It’s drawn to heavily favor a Democrat.
The seat is currently held by Democratic Rep. Alma Shealey Adams, 79, who was first elected to that office in 2014. Prior, she served in the North Carolina House of Representatives from 1994 until she won her congressional seat.
Adams listed her main priorities as “the four H’s”: housing, health care, hunger and higher education.
Monaca Maye Williamson, 49, will face Adams in the Democratic primary. Williamson is a long-time public school educator who prioritizes lower energy prices and lower taxes.
Both Adams and Williamson are staunch supporters of the Affordable Care Act and want to expand Medicaid. They also oppose the tactics used by the Trump administration for immigration enforcement.
There are two Republicans running in the District 12 primary: Jack Codiga and Addul Ali.
Codiga, 28, works in commercial real estate and cited election reform as a top priority. He supports nationwide voter identification requirements and “other safeguards.”
He said the American economy is “rigged against working Americans,” and said he supports “free-market solutions” rather than expanding subsidies or welfare.
Ali, 47, is the chief operating officer of TUC Media, a media consulting and production company. He previously served as chairman of the Cabarrus County GOP and later, chairman of the 12th District GOP. He previously ran against Adams for the 12th district seat in 2024.
Ali’s top priorities are affordability and safety, and if elected, he hopes to form a District 12 taskforce on crime, comprising community leaders and law enforcement.
Both Codiga and Ali Codiga oppose expanding Medicaid or the Affordable Care Act.
U.S. House District 8
North Carolina’s 8th congressional district covers parts of south and north Charlotte and its eastern suburbs, including Matthews, Waxhaw, Weddington and Monroe. It stretches east over Rockingham and southeast all the way to Lumberton.
District 8 is currently held by Republican Rep. Mark Harris, who claimed a narrow victory in the 2018 District 9 race but gave up his seat amid credible election fraud claims. Since then, districts have been redrawn, and Harris was elected to represent District 8 in 2024. He does not have a primary challenger.
However, there are three candidates on the ballot for the Democratic nomination in March: Kevin Clark, Jesse Oppenheim and Colby Watson.
Oppenheim announced Jan. 28 after receiving “unexpected medical news” that he is suspending his campaign.
“After talking it over with my wife, family and our doctors, it’s become clear that my focus needs to be with the family for the next several months,” Oppenheim said in a video posted to Facebook.
However, with the election not far away, Oppenheim’s name will still appear on the ballot.
Watson responded to The Observer’s candidate questionnaire, while Clark did not. Clark also does not appear to have a campaign website.
Watson said his top priority is “restoring trust and accountability in government.”
“Public office was never meant to be a path to wealth, but a position of responsibility and duty,” he said. “We need stronger oversight, real transparency and leaders who serve the people, not powerful interests.”
Watson wants to restrict investors from buying single family homes and increase the supply of affordable housing. He also wants to decrease taxes for the middle and working class.
He also supports expanding Medicaid and maintaining ACA subsidies, eventually moving toward “universal, affordable coverage.”
