4 compelling races to watch in North Carolina’s state legislative primaries | Opinion
In North Carolina, competitive primaries in state legislative races aren’t widespread, and only occasionally are they high-profile enough to draw significant public attention.
In 2026, that might be different.
There are a number of interesting primaries for state House and Senate on both the Democratic and Republican sides. The most fascinating by far is in Senate District 26, where Senate president pro tem Phil Berger will try to defend his seat against a formidable challenge by Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page. The most recent polling shows Page maintaining a substantial lead despite Berger’s fundraising advantage and his endorsement from President Donald Trump.
But there are several other storylines that will be worth watching as March grows closer.
Here are just a few:
A rematch from 2024
Former state Rep. Michael Wray was ousted in the Democratic primary for this district in 2024 by only a few dozen votes in a race that led to election protests and recounts. Wray, one of the more socially conservative Democrats in the legislature, faced scrutiny for frequently siding with the Republican majority, including on veto override votes. He voted with Republicans more than any other member
Two years later, Wray is attempting to take back his old seat from Rep. Rodney Pierce, who beat him in 2024. Pierce is an educator and historian who is also a plaintiff in a racial gerrymandering lawsuit filed over state Senate districts in 2023. The district is in northeastern North Carolina around Roanoke Rapids.
The race is already interesting. Gov. Josh Stein has endorsed Pierce, and Wray has urged Republican voters to change their party affiliation in order to support him in the primary. On top of that, another Democratic lawmaker has alleged Wray has a history of racist remarks. Given that Wray voted with Republicans more than any other Democrat in the House, the outcome of this primary could help determine whether Republicans will be able to cling to any kind of working supermajority and override Stein’s vetoes for the next two years.
The most vulnerable Democratic incumbent?
Also on the Democratic side, the primary for House District 106 is worth watching. That district is currently represented by Rep. Carla Cunningham, who will be arguably the most vulnerable Democratic incumbent in March’s primary. Cunningham helped override Stein’s veto of a controversial immigration enforcement bill earlier this year. That vote was accompanied by an even more controversial floor speech in which Cunningham claimed immigration is “destabilizing our communities” and that “all cultures are not equal.”
Cunningham now faces a primary challenge from multiple Democrats, the most notable of which is pastor and community advocate Rodney Sadler. Sadler, who announced his campaign in September, has already raised a healthy amount of money.
Cunningham has held the seat for more than 10 years, so unseating her will be an uphill battle unless her constituents are truly frustrated by her actions. But she has since tried to walk back some of her remarks, an indication that she might see a tough fight ahead.
More Republican primaries than usual
Most of the high-profile primaries in recent years have been on the Democratic side, while Republican incumbents tend to cruise to reelection. But in 2026, an unusually high number of GOP incumbents will have to defend their seats, and the number of contested Republican primaries is actually higher than on the Democratic side.
One to keep an eye on is in House District 113, southwest of Asheville, where incumbent Rep. Jake Johnson is challenged by former lawmaker Mike Hager, who served as House Majority Leader before his resignation in 2016. Hager believes there hasn’t been enough attention on local issues in his community, and he has been openly critical of current Republican leadership in Raleigh As deputy majority whip, Johnson is part of that leadership.
Another primary worth watching is over in eastern North Carolina, where Rep. Keith Kidwell will face a primary challenge in House District 79. His opponent is farmer and local businessman Darren Armstrong, who will likely push back against Kidwell for his opposition to a shrimp trawling ban and agricultural bills pushed by the Senate this year. That’s something that created a rift between House Freedom Caucus conservatives like Kidwell and other Republicans, so it could be an interesting display of intraparty dynamics.
