RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — Early voting for North Carolina’s primary elections begins Thursday, encompassing both local and midterm races.
The state is poised to play a pivotal role in this election cycle, with national implications tied to the outcome.
A key race is the open Senate seat following Thom Tillis’s decision not to seek re-election. Analysts view this as a battleground contest, with Kay Hagan being the last Democrat to hold the seat before Tillis defeated her in 2014.
While the Senate race garners significant attention, competitive down-ballot races for Congressional seats, state legislatures, and local offices are also in the spotlight, with issues like immigration enforcement potentially driving voter participation. The 2022 primary saw the state’s highest midterm turnout in two decades.
There are 12 early voting locations in Wake County, part of the 319 sites statewide — 6% increase form the May 2022 primaries. Wake is among 17 counties that added locations, including Orange, Harnett, Sampson and Wilson.
SEE ALSO: NC Primary Election Day 2026 important dates, info to remember
“I think it’s clear, very clear from the elections that your vote does make a huge difference. And it’s a privilege,” said one voter at Chavis Park.
“Stop complaining. Get out to vote. People need to understand that voting has consequences. Not voting definitely has consequences,” said Cathy Leake, who voted Thursday morning. “If you’re not political, but you’re very passionate about community, it’s best to find the candidates that align with your heart, your community, and hold them accountable.”
On Thursday morning, two candidates considered frontrunners for their party’s nominations by analysts cast their votes: former Governor Roy Cooper at Chavis Park in Raleigh and former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley at the Gastonia Board of Elections.
“What I want to do is to go to Washington and to say to those D.C. insiders, this has got to change. We can’t keep giving the breaks to the billionaires and the corporations. We’ve got to fight for everyday people,” Cooper said. “And I’m so excited to take the background that I have working across the aisle, getting health care for more people, getting better, paying jobs for our state (and) take it to Washington and make things better.”
Whatley said: “I think the voters of North Carolina have made it very clear over the last several election cycles that they want a conservative champion. They want somebody who is going to fight for economic policies that will create jobs, that will raise wages, that will lower costs. They want to keep our kids and our communities safe. That is my agenda. That’s what I’m going to be fighting for every day. We’re going to be fighting for every family in every community in North Carolina.”
A spokesperson for Don Brown, who is considered one of Whatley’s main challengers for the Republican nomination, said he would vote Friday.
Early voting runs through Saturday, Feb. 28, at 3 p.m., with Election Day scheduled for Tuesday, March 3.
New Congressional Map
This is the first election since the North Carolina House approved a new Congressional voting map.
The map institutes changes to two districts: District 1 and District 3. District 1, the state’s lone swing seat, is currently represented by Democrat Don Davis, who won his election by less than 2% in 2024. Republican Greg Murphy, who did not face a Democratic challenger in 2024, represents District 3.
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Michael Perchick
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