While Senate Leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, trails by two votes in his re-election bid Tuesday, which will likely lead to a recount, several other incumbents in the North Carolina General Assembly were more clearly defeated in the 2026 primary elections. In total, five Republican incumbents and three Democratic incumbents failed to emerge from their party primaries.
Republican Incumbents Defeated
Four Republican House members and one Republican senator lost primary bids:
- NC House District 65: Rep. Reese Pyrtle lost to Seth Woodall, 57% to 39%.
- NC House District 79: Rep. Keith Kidwell lost to Darren Armstrong, 52% to 48%.
- NC House District 110: Rep. Kelly Hastings lost to Caroline Eason, 54% to 46%.
- NC House District 118: Rep. Mark Pless lost to James (Jimmy) Rogers, 55% to 45%.
- NC Senate District 34: Appointed incumbent Sen. Chris Measmer lost to Kevin Crutchfield, 54% to 46%. Measmer had been appointed to the seat in 2025 after the resignation of Sen. Paul Newton.
Democratic Incumbents Defeated
Three Democratic House incumbents also lost primaries after facing challengers from the party’s left flank. Each had drawn criticism from Democrats for occasionally siding with Republicans on key votes.
- NC House District 23: Rep. Shelly Willingham lost to Patricia Smith, 56% to 44%.
- NC House District 99: Rep. Nasif Majeed lost to Veleria Levy, 69% to 26%.
- NC House District 106: Rep. Carla Cunningham lost to Rodney Sadler, 70% to 22%. Sadler had received an endorsement from Gov. Josh Stein after Cunningham voted to override Stein’s veto of House Bill 318, the Criminal Illegal Alien Enforcement Act.
Closely Watched Races
Several other primaries drew attention but did not result in clear incumbent defeats.
- NC Senate District 26: Republican Senate leader Phil Berger faces a razor-thin margin against challenger Sam Page, with Page unofficially ahead by two votes. Provisional ballots could change the race’s outcome, which won’t be official until county election officials canvass the ballots. Since the winning margin will be less than 1%, the losing candidate could seek a recount.
- NC House District 113: Incumbent Rep. Jake Johnson defeated former Rep. Mike Hager, 61% to 39%, fending off a challenge from the longtime former seat-holder.
The results reflect different dynamics within the two parties, according to Andy Jackson, director of the John Locke Foundation’s Civitas Center for Public Integrity.
“Among Republicans, the incumbent losses and close calls are a sign of dissatisfaction with the party establishment,” Jackson told Carolina Journal. “Incumbency and money do not guarantee victory.”
Jackson noted that the Republican defeats followed a clear pattern.
“Those flips were not random, though. All of the candidates backed by a group called NC Educators on the Ballot lost their primary challenges against more traditional Republican candidates.”
The Democratic losses told a different story, Jackson said, suggesting the party’s leadership had moved successfully to discipline members seen as straying from the caucus.
“The losses among Democratic incumbents tell the opposite story: of the establishment reigning in mavericks. All three of the Democratic state representatives targeted for defeat by Gov. Josh Stein (Shelly Willingham, Nasif Majeed, and Carla Cunningham) lost.”
As a result, he said, Democratic lawmakers may be more unified heading into the next legislative cycle.
“Democrats in the General Assembly will be lockstep by the time the 2027 long session starts.”