U.S. Senate — North Carolina
An open seat race after Thom Tillis announced his retirement, making North Carolina one of the most competitive Senate battlegrounds of the 2026 cycle.
Jeff Jackson is a veteran and former North Carolina state senator who currently serves as NC Attorney General after winning in 2024. He is widely known for his viral social media videos explaining complex policy issues in plain language, earning him a national following.
Shannon Bray is a cybersecurity professional and Libertarian Party candidate from North Carolina. He has run for Senate previously, consistently advocating for privacy rights, non-interventionism, and ending the War on Drugs. He brings a tech-industry perspective to federal policy.
Matthew Hoh is a Marine Corps veteran and former State Department official who resigned in protest over the Afghanistan War in 2009. He is an anti-war activist and advocate for veterans' mental health. He received over 1.7% of the vote in the 2022 NC Senate race.
Addison McDowell is a North Carolina entrepreneur and conservative activist who has emerged as a leading Republican candidate for the open Senate seat. Running on a Trump-aligned America First platform, he has built grassroots support across the state and leads early Republican primary polling.
Chuck Edwards has represented North Carolina's 11th congressional district since 2023. A former NC State Senate majority whip, he won the seat once held by Madison Cawthorn. Western North Carolina's only member of Congress, he focuses on agriculture, rural economic development, and outdoor recreation.
| Year | Winner | Margin | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Thom Tillis Republican | +1.8% | Cal Cunningham Democrat |
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