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North Carolina voters will soon get their first look at who plans to run in the midterms

PRE News & Ideas | By Annette Weston
Published December 1, 2025 at 6:31 AM EST
A ballot-marking machine is seen at an early in-person voting site at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024, in Marshall, N.C. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Stephanie Scarbrough/AP
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AP
A ballot-marking machine is seen at an early in-person voting site at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024, in Marshall, N.C. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

North Carolina voters will soon get their first look at who plans to run in the midterms.

Candidate filing for the 2026 elections opens Monday for the March primary and November general election.

Candidate filing is the legal process by which someone formally enters a race for public office, with those running submitting a notice of candidacy and paying a required filing fee -- which varies by office.

The filing period opens at noon Monday and closes at noon December 19.

The primary election is March 3, and the general election is November 3, 2026.
Annette Weston
Annette is originally a Midwest gal, born and raised in Michigan, but with career stops in many surrounding states, the Pacific Northwest, and various parts of the southeast. An award-winning journalist and mother of four, Annette moved to eastern North Carolina in 2019 to be closer to family – in particular, her two young grandchildren. It’s possible that a -27 day with a -68 windchill in Minnesota may have also played a role in that decision. In her spare time, Annette does a lot of kiddo cuddling, reading, and producing the coolest Halloween costumes anyone has ever seen. She has also worked as a diversity and inclusion facilitator serving school districts and large corporations. It’s the people that make this beautiful area special, and she wants to share those stories that touch the hearts of others. If you have a story idea to share, please reach out by email to westona@cravencc.edu.
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