2026 Election Candidates

There are 435 voting members of the US House of Representatives from 435 districts, and all of them are up for election in 2026. Currently Republicans have a 218 members and Democrats have 212; 4 seats are vacant. Sixty incumbent representatives are not running for reelection. District 11 in Western North Carolina has been reliably Republican since 2010. The last three congresspersons holding North Carolina seats in the US House of Representatives—Mark Meadows, Madison Cawthorn, and Chuck Edwards—have ended their terms in notoriety. The current house margin is very narrow; the 11th still leans right, but the same under-addressed matters that loom in the  US Senate persist; among them are corruption, healthcare costs and accessibility, economic inequality, affordability, military entanglements, perceived bias in federal courts, tariffs and trade wars, seemingly unlimited presidential power, and the unreleased Epstein files. The House is the only legislative body in Congress that can initiate impeachment proceedings and revenue bills. 

North Carolina is a crucial swing state that may help decide which political party has control of the U.S. Senate, one of the two legislative bodies in Congress. Currently there are 53 Republicans and 45 Democrats in the U.S. Senate. North Carolina’s senators are Ted Budd (R) and Thom Tillis (R), who is retiring. A Republican and Democrat are competing for Tillis’s seat; the victor will be in office for the next 6 years. The Senate is often deadlocked because the balance of Republicans to Democrats is very close. Important issues to address include: the US budget, costs of healthcare and accessibility, economic inequality, military entanglements, tariffs and trade wars, ethics violations, and the unreleased Epstein files. The Senate serves as a crucial check on the President; presidential appointments (cabinet members, judges, ambassadors, etc.) must be confirmed by the Senate. Only the Senate can conduct impeachment trials, serving as jury and judge.

The North Carolina Supreme Court is the highest court in the state. It has seven members, one chief justice and six associate justices. Each justice serves an eight-year term, with a mandatory retirement age of 76. In 2026, the seat of current justice Anita Earls (D) is up for re-election. She is being challenged by Sarah Stevens (R). Currently there are 5 Republican justices and 2 Democrat justices. The North Carolina Supreme Court is the ultimate appellate court; its rulings decide constitutional rights, criminal justice, civil rights, personal freedoms, redistricting, utililty rate increases, and disputes about the state legislature. Challenged laws will be struck down or upheld. If the state legislature passes laws that are challenged as hostile, this court may decide if the constitution allows them. This year, one focus may be a response to rulings on reproductive rights. 

The North Carolina Court of Appeals is composed of 15 judges who are elected for 8-year terms. Three judgeships are up for statewide election in 2026, two currently held by democrats and one vacated by a democrat. All other seats are currently held by Republicans. These judges hear appeals of cases already tried; you have to go through this court to get to the Supreme Court. Example of why it matters: In 2023 and 2024, North Carolina General Assembly redrew the federal and state legislative districts with the explicit intention of eliminating one of the state’s few remaining Democrats in Congress. At the time, former NC Supreme Court Judge Bob Orr (a republican) declared, “The Founders would be spinning in their graves at the thought that the government that they’ve created could now rig the elections.” In 2026 the NC Court of Appeals dismissed a challenge to this partisan gerrymandering.  (NC Newsline, May 2026).

NC Court of Appeals Seat 1 currently held by Judge John Arrowood

North Carolina district #118 was redrawn in 2025 to reinforce its strong Republican majority. The district’s outgoing representative, Mark Pless (R), was defeated in the  Republican primary by Jimmy Rogers. Rogers criticized Pless for legislative acts that he felt undermined Haywood County services and town governments. Large district deficits and public resentment over incomplete recovery from Hurricane Helene may threaten its usual Republican victory.  

The North Carolina Senate has 50 members who serve two-year terms.  Elections for all 50 seats will be held on November 3, 2026. Currently 30 members of the Senate are Republicans and 20 are Democrats, giving Republicans the number needed to override any vetoes by Governor Stein. Democrats have not had a majority in the state since 2010. State senators oversee the state budget, confirm executive branch appointments, participate in redistricting, propose and vote on laws, and override vetoes. 

The North Carolina Senate has 50 members who serve two-year terms.  Elections for all 50 seats will be held on November 3, 2026. Currently 30 members of the Senate are Republicans and 20 are Democrats, giving Republicans the number needed to override any vetoes by Governor Stein. Democrats have not had a majority in the state since 2010. State senators oversee the state budget, confirm executive branch appointments, participate in redistricting, propose and vote on laws, and override vetoes. 

The five-member Board of County Commissioners shapes direction and services of Haywood County. Commissioners control funding for services, hire key administrators, budget, oversee public services, make appointments to the public health board, determine zoning, set taxes, approve new positions, and hear citizen concerns (haywoodcountync.gov, Branch.vote). Four-year terms are staggered. Presently, all seats are held by Republicans. Midterm elections will fill three vacated seats, which has the potential to result in a mix of democrats, republicans, and unaffiliated members. 

A big talking point in the race for the nomination in the Haywood County sheriff’s race reflected the culture of the sheriff office’s impact on staff retention. There’s been an exodus—more than 50 employees—in the past few years. Also, as the county grows by leaps and bounds, and so do law enforcement challenges: escalating caseloads, more child abuse, staff shortages, climbing hard drug use, mounting homelessness, and recognizing humane and effective treatment for mental health challenges.

Four seats are open on the Haywood County Board of Education; three of the seats are uncontested, and only one seat, Beaver Dam (Clyde), has more than one candidate. Well-run school boards focus on student success and learning, welcome shared leadership, plan for contingencies, foster community engagement, hire and fire personnel, and tackle budget issues, among other concerns.  This fiscal year, the problem is sizable: Haywood County schools face a three-million-dollar shortfall due to declining enrollment, increased operating costs, and federal and state cutbacks. 

A Soil and Water Conservation District is a non-regulatory agency; it administers the North Carolina Agriculture Cost Share Program, which “is intended to reduce runoff of sediment, nutrients, animal wastes and pesticides into the state’s surface waters. The program offers cost-sharing for conversion of fields and pastures into permanent cover including trees, wildlife cover or both. Participating landowners are reimbursed up to 75% of the average cost of the control practices used” (NC Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services). Haywood County’s board of supervisors has five members, three of whom are elected and two of whom are appointed by the North Carolina Soil and Water Conservation Commission to serve 4-year terms. The Haywood Soil and Water Conservation District Board oversees soil and watershed management, develops conservation plans, and allocates funds to agricultural and environmental programs. It also sponsors educational programs for county students and teachers. Water and soil conservation is increasingly relevant in the wake of Hurricane Helene (and other storm-related flooding) as well as evaluating and addressing threats to the environment and land posed by runaway development.