Unofficial election results show Republican Congressman Greg Murphy leading by just 207 votes in the 3rd Congressional District, while Republican Laurie Buckhout concedes to Democratic Congressman Don Davis in the 1st District.
North Carolina's federal elections delivered a U.S. Senate victory for Democrat Roy Cooper, another term for Congressman Don Davis and an unexpectedly close contest for Republican Congressman Greg Murphy.
Unofficial results from the North Carolina State Board of Elections, compiled late Tuesday night, show Cooper leading Republican Michael Whatley by more than 800,000 votes. Davis holds a lead of more than 7,500 votes over Republican Laurie Buckhout, who has conceded the race.
But in the 3rd Congressional District, Murphy and Democratic challenger Raymond Smith are separated by just 207 votes.
Murphy holds narrow lead in 3rd Congressional District
One of the biggest election-night surprises came in North Carolina's 3rd Congressional District, where Murphy, a Republican who has represented Eastern North Carolina since 2019, is locked in an extremely close contest with Smith.
Unofficial results show Murphy with 115,765 votes to Smith's 115,558. Libertarian Daniel Cavender received 2,897 votes.
The margin between Murphy and Smith is just 207 votes out of more than 234,000 cast.
The district covers a large portion of Eastern North Carolina, including Greenville and parts of the coastal region.
Murphy won reelection in 2024 by a substantial margin. Tuesday's close results represent a significant change from his previous election.
The outcome remains uncertain as election officials complete their canvass and review outstanding ballots.
Davis secures another term after Buckhout concedes
Democratic Congressman Don Davis is set to return to Washington for a 3rd term after Republican challenger Laurie Buckhout conceded Tuesday night.
The contest was a rematch of their 2024 election, which Davis narrowly won.
Unofficial results show Davis receiving 151,087 votes, compared with 143,514 for Buckhout. Libertarian Tom Bailey received 9,761 votes.
In a statement Tuesday night, Buckhout acknowledged the outcome and said she had congratulated Davis.
"Tonight the voters of eastern North Carolina made their choice, and I respect it. I called Congressman Davis to congratulate him, and I wish him well, because when he succeeds for this district, we all do. But we will hold him accountable," Buckhout said.
The 1st Congressional District race attracted national attention after Republican lawmakers redrew the district's boundaries ahead of the 2026 election.
The changes were intended to improve Republican prospects in a district that Davis, a Democrat, had managed to hold in previous elections.
Despite those changes, Davis maintained his seat.
As of Wednesday morning, Public Radio East had not independently verified a public statement from Davis responding to his reelection.
Cooper wins U.S. Senate seat
Democrat Roy Cooper has defeated Republican Michael Whatley in the race for North Carolina's open U.S. Senate seat.
Cooper, who served 2 terms as North Carolina governor, will succeed Republican Senator Thom Tillis, who chose not to seek reelection.
Unofficial statewide results show Cooper receiving 2,436,477 votes, compared with 1,626,904 for Whatley.
Libertarian Shannon Bray received 55,006 votes, while Green Party candidate Michael Dublin received 35,948.
The victory flips a Republican-held Senate seat to Democrats and makes Cooper the first Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate from North Carolina since 2008.
The race drew national attention because of its importance to the balance of power in Washington.
Results remain unofficial
Election officials must still complete the canvass process before the results become official.
The extremely narrow margin in the 3rd Congressional District makes that contest particularly important to monitor as additional ballots are reviewed and counted.
