The north carolina delegation
congressional officials …
North Carolina is a relatively diverse and electorally stable congressional delegation.
Of the 16 class members, four are female, and 12 are male. Three are minority representation through the end of the year. Three are lawyers, one has a medical degree, four hold doctorates, and six have Master’s degrees.
Several members of the North Carolina congressional delegation are military. One member is a former speaker of the North Carolina House.
The current average tenure for the delegation is 3.1 terms, assuming everyone completes their service by the end of 2026. The longest-serving member has been in Congress for 11 terms.
Four members of the North Carolina delegation are freshmen in the House, with one Senator serving their first term as well.
When you look at these profiles, we have given each a letter grade for their effort this Congress, based on various factors, which you will find in What Is Thomas Looking For? These letter grades are probably pretty familiar to you if you have ever been a school student (we hope the answer to that is we all have!)
If you see a meager score for a particular member, it will probably be due to one or two key factors: ethics challenges or anti-democratic behavior.
Republicans have been hit hard on their lack of push back on former and now current President Trump and their support of election denying in the 2020 presidential campaign. The unanswered soaring deficit on their watch, the dismantling of allied relationships around the globe, and opposition to funding anti-authoritarian initiatives. The denial of climate change weighs heavily on us as well. We make no secret that transparency and Government in the Sunshine are essential to us, and we further argue that some have been awful stewards of this category. For example, four of the 16 North Carolina delegation members voted to overturn the 2020 presidential election results the same evening Trump supporters stormed the United States Capitol.
Democrats have been hit hard for their lack of progress on critical matters because they control the United States Senate and have a razor-close margin in the U.S. House of Representatives. They have not been innovative or necessarily insistent on finding rational, reasonable solutions to the problems plaguing the American public today. We want to see more and better.
Both have been dinged for being too partisan and not collaborative where evident. In our opinion, being too doctrinaire and obstructionist to good government in the 21st century is not acceptable.
We are also indicating what we believe today might be the outcome of these Members’ 2026 elections. The overwhelming majority of House members were re-elected in 2024, and one of the United States Senators is up for re-election this season.
Our prospect ratings fall into three categories:
Safe Bet - which means what it means. These members of Congress are running strong and look to be overwhelming prospects for re-election at this time. We do, however, reserve the right to re-categorize their chances if necessary.
It’s A Race - means this race is too close to call, and we can not reasonably predict who will win this seat.
Nudging - means the seat is leaning one way or another for this candidate. We have just a small number of current members of Congress in this category. Stay tuned!
So, would you like to meet these fascinating North Carolinians? If so, keep reading on!
what is thomas looking for?
There is one potentially vulnerable race Thomas is watching in North Carolina for 2026:
NC01 - Don Davis’ seat (Incumbent D - It’s a Race)
the senators
Credit: US Sen. Thom Tillis
United States Senator thom tillis (r)
The senior senator from North Carolina is Thom Tillis, a former state house speaker. Now completing his second term in the Senate, Tillis is a member of the Finance Committee; the Veterans’ Affairs Committee; the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee; and the Judiciary Committee. He is married, the father of two, and a graduate of the University of Maryland.
Thomas Take: Up for re-election in 2026
Thomas Rank: C
Credit: US Sen. Ted Budd
United states senator ted Budd (r)
North Carolina’s junior senator was elected in 2022 to his first term. A graduate of Appalachian State University with a Master’s degree from both Dallas Theological Seminary as well as Wake Forest University, Senator Budd was a member of the U.S. House from 2017 to 2023. He is a member of the Armed Services Committee; Commerce, Space, and Transportation Committee; the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee; the Joint Economic Committee; and the Select Committee on Intelligence. Senator Budd is married and the father of three.
Thomas Take: Not Up For Re-Election in 2026
Thomas Rank: D
the representatives
Credit: US Rep. Don Davis
district 1 - u.s. rep. don davis (D)
Congressman Don Davis is an Air Force veteran who graduated from the United States Air Force Academy. He also has a graduate degree and a doctorate from East Carolina University. His district borders Virginia in the northeast corner of the state. Davis is a member of the Armed Services Committee and the Agriculture Committee. The Congressman, who is married, is serving his second term.
Thomas Take: It’s a Race
Thomas Rank: B
district 2 - U.S. Rep. deborah ross (D)
Congresswoman Deborah Ross represents a district in the Wake County area. Ross is a graduate of Brown University and earned her law degree from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. Before her House service, Ross lost a U.S. Senate seat in 2016. She was elected to Congress in 2020 and is in her third term. The married Congresswoman is a member of the Judiciary and Science, Space, and Technology committees.
Thomas Take: Safe Bet Democrat
Thomas Rank: B
Credit: US Rep. Deborah Ross
Credit: U.S. Rep. Greg Murphy
District 3 - U.S. Rep. Greg Murphy (R)
Congressman Greg Murphy is a member of the Ways and Means Committee, House Administration, and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. A three-term member, Congressman Ferguson represents a district on the Atlantic Ocean side of the state which includes the Outer Banks region. He is a graduate of Davidson College and holds a medical degree from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. The Congressman is married.
Thomas Take: Safe Bet Republican
Thomas Rank: D
District 4 - U.S. Rep. valerie foushee (d)
Representing central North Carolina in the Durham area, Congresswoman Valerie Foushee serves on the Science, Space, and Technology Committee and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and is a second-term member having first been elected in 2022. Married and the mother of two, Foushee is a graduate of the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.
Thomas Take: Safe Bet Democrat
Thomas Rank: B
Credit: US Rep. Valerie Foushee
Credit: US Rep. Virginia Foxx
district 5 - U.S. rep. virginia foxx (r)
Virginia Foxx is an eleven-term member of the U.S. House who represents a district that comprises the northwest corner of the state in the Piedmont Triad and Appalachian area. A graduate of the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, with a graduate and a doctorate from the University of North Carolina Greensboro, Congresswoman Fox is a member of the Education and Workforce Committee; the Oversight and Government Reform Committee; and chairs the Rules Committee. She is married and the mother of one.
Thomas Take: Safe Bet Republican
Thomas Rank: F
district 6 - U.S. rep. Addison mcdowell (r)
The sixth district runs through the Piedmont Triad area and includes Greensboro and Winston-Salem. Freshman Congressman Addison McDowell earned an undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina Charlotte, is the married father of two, and serves on the Natural Resources Committee; the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee; and the Budget Committee.
Thomas Take: Safe Bet Republican
Thomas Rank: Too early to rank
Credit: US Rep. Addison McDowell
Credit: US Rep. David Rouzer
district 7 - U.S. rep. david rouzer (r)
U.S. Representative David Rouzer represents the southernmost district in North Carolina around the Wilmington area down to the South Carolina border. A seven-term member of the House, Congressman Rouzer is a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee; the Science, Space, and Technology Commitee; and the Agriculture Committee. He is a graduate of North Carolina State University and is not married.
Thomas Take: Safe Bet Republican
Thomas Rank: D
district 8 - U.S. Rep. mark harris (r)
Freshman Congressman Mark Harris represents a district that encompasses the Southern Piedmont region. A graduate of Appalachian State University with a doctorate and graduate degree in divinity from the Southeastern Baptist Seminary, the Congressman serves on the Agriculture Committee; the Education and Workforce Committee; and the Judiciary Committee. He is married and the father of three.
Thomas Take: Safe Bet Republican
Thomas Rank: Too early to rank
Credit: US Rep. Mark Harris
Credit: US Rep. Richard Hudson
district 9 - U.S. rep. richard hudson (R)
Representing south-central North Carolina, seven-term Congressman Richard Hudson serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The married father of one is a graduate of the University of North Carolina Charlotte.
Thomas Take: Safe Bet Republican
Thomas Rank: D
district 10 - u.s. rep. pat harrigan (r)
Congressman Pat Harrigan is a freshman member who serves a district in the central-western part of the state. He is a member of the Armed Services Committee and the Science, Space, and Technology Committee. Married and the father of two, Harrigan is a former member of the Army who graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point.
Thomas Take: Safe Bet Republican
Thomas Rank: Too early to rank
Credit: US Rep. Pat Harrigan
Credit: US Rep. Chuck Edwards
district 11 - U.S. Rep. chuck edwards (r)
Congressman Chuck Edwards is a second-term member of Congress who represents western North Carolina. He serves on the Appropriations and Budget committees. Edwards attended Blue Ridge Community College, is married, and is the father of two.
Thomas Take: Safe Bet Republican
Thomas Rank: B
district 12 - U.S. Rep. alma adams (d)
Congresswoman Alma Adams serves a district that includes the northern and eastern parts of Charlotte. A six-term member of the House, Congresswoman Adams holds a doctorate from the Ohio State University, and both an undergraduate and graduate degree from North Carolina A&T State University. She is the mother of two and serves on the Agriculture Committee and the Education and Workforce Committee.
Thomas Take: Safe Bet Democrat
Thomas Rank: B
Credit: US Rep. Alma Adams
Credit: US Rep. Brad Knott
district 13 - U.S. Rep. brad knott (r)
Freshman Congressman Wiley Nickel serves central North Carolina around Wake County. A member of the Homeland Security Committee; the Judiciary Committee; and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Knott graduated from Baylor University and earned his law degree from Wake Forest University, He is married and the father of two.
Thomas Take: Safe Bet Republican
Thomas Rank: Too early to rank
district 14 - U.S. Rep. tim moore (r)
Representing the area west of Charlotte, freshman Congressman Tim Moore serves of the Financial Services and Budget committees. The Unmarried father of two graduated from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and earned his law degree from Oklahoma City University.
Thomas Take: Safe Bet Republican
Thomas Rank: Too early to rank
Credit: US Rep. Tim Moore