Moore, other incumbents roll in Charlotte-area congressional primaries
Congressional incumbents Tim Moore, Alma Adams and Pat Harrigan rolled to easy primary victories Tuesday across Charlotte and the region.
Fourteen seats in the U.S. House of Representatives are up for grabs in North Carolina in November, including three that touch parts of Charlotte. Voters went to the polls Tuesday in this year’s primaries to select Democratic and Republican nominees for each contest.
Here are the results so far in local congressional races:
Moore, Womack win in District 14
The 14th District Republican primary pitted incumbent Moore against Kate Barr — who admits she’s not really a Republican — while three challengers faced off in the Democratic race.
The 14th Congressional District covers parts of north and south Charlotte as well surrounding areas including Huntersville. It circumvents the center of the city, stretching over Ballantyne to the South Carolina border and extending west over Gastonia, Shelby, Forest City and Morganton.
Moore led Barr 83% to 17% Tuesday night with 138 of 142 precincts reporting, on his way to a decisive victory.
“This strong support reflects confidence in the results that I’ve delivered and the North Carolina values I’ll continue to fight for,” Moore said in a statement on Facebook Tuesday evening. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to keep serving and ready to win in November.”
Moore, former speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives, was first elected to his congressional post in 2024. His only challenger in the Republican primary this year was Barr, a self-described progressive who ran as a Republican in order to make a statement about partisan gerrymandering. The 14th District is drawn to heavily favor Republican candidates.
Barr 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.
There were three candidates in the Democratic contest: Brent Caldwell, LaKesha Womack and Ahmid Kargbo.
Caldwell is a Charlotte attorney and former campaign staffer for Barack Obama and former congresspeople Sheri Bustos and Ron Klein. Womack is a Charlotte business owner who founded Womack Consulting Group in 2005. Kargbo is a Huntersville native and first-generation American who worked in information technology before being laid off in December 2024.
Womack led the Democratic race with 52% of the vote and 138 of 142 precincts reporting. Caldwell and Kargbo followed with 42% and 6%, respectively.
Adams, Codiga win in District 12
North Carolina’s 12th Congressional District covers almost all of Charlotte, 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.
Democrat Adams has held the seat since 2014. She served in the North Carolina House of Representatives from 1994 until she won her congressional seat.
Monaca Maye Williamson, a long-time public school educator, was Adams’ sole challenger in this year’s primary.
Adams led Williamson 79% to 21% with 125 of 145 precincts reporting, securing the nomination easily.
Republicans Jack Codiga and Addul Ali faced off for the Republican nomination. Codiga works in commercial real estate, and Ali is the chief operating officer of TUC Media, a media consulting and production company.
Ali previously served as chairman of the Cabarrus County GOP and later, chairman of the 12th District GOP. He ran against Adams for the 12th District seat in 2024.
Codiga led Ali with 67% of the vote, headed for victory.
Watson wins nomination in 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.
Three Democrats were on the ballot in this year’s primary, though one suspended his campaign in late January due to “unexpected medical news.”
Jesse Oppenheim announced he was stepping away from his bid for Congress Jan. 28. However, it was too late to take his name off the ballot.
Meanwhile, Colby Watson and Kevin Clark vied for the Democratic nomination in this year’s primary.
Watson led the race with 48% of the vote and 189 of 194 precincts reporting. Clark followed with 37%.
The Associated Press called the race for Watson at 9:49 p.m. Watson will take on Republican Mark Harris, who did not have a primary challenger this year.
Harris claimed a narrow victory in the 2018 District 9 race but gave up his seat amid credible claims of ballot harvesting that ended with felony charges for one of his campaign employees. Harris later called it a “manufactured scandal.”
Congressional district maps were redrawn in 2023, creating new boundaries for the 8th District that heavily favor Republicans.
Other races from Concord to Winston-Salem
NC’s 6th Congressional District stretches from Concord to Greensboro and is currently represented by Republican Addison McDowell.
McDowell was first elected to the office in 2024 and has no primary challenger this year. Four candidates are vying for the Democratic nomination: Beau Blair, Keith Davenport, Cyril Jefferson and Alysa Kassay.
Jefferson won with 39% of the vote with all precincts reporting. Kassay followed with 34%, Davenport with 17% and Blair trailed with 10%.
The 10th Congressional District of North Carolina stretches from Lincoln and Catawba counties up to Winston-Salem. It’s currently represented by Republican Harrigan, who was first elected to the seat in 2024.
In the Republican primary, Harrigan faced Matthew Sin, his sole challenger. Harrigan coasted past Sin with 88% of the vote.
Harrigan posted a statement to X Tuesday around 9:35 p.m.
“It is the honor of my life to serve you in the United States Congress, and I am proud to keep carrying the conservative banner for our state and our country,” he said.
The crowded Democratic primary featured six candidates: West Caudle, Ashley Bell, Mir Yarfitz, Ralph Scott. Jr., Marcus Pearson and Harry Morley. With all but two precincts counted, Bell won with 48% of the vote, followed by Caudle, who had 16%.
This story was originally published March 3, 2026 at 8:51 PM.