Greensboro's African American Community Newspaper since 1967
There was no poor performance finger-pointing towards African American voters last week. Given the massive Democratic success of the 2026 midterm elections, it became undeniably clear that the Black vote, especially here in the South, was key to the “blue tsunami” that enveloped the races and wrested long held legislative power away from Republicans.
According to WRAL-TV, “What North Carolina Republicans didn’t realize until Election Day, party insiders say, was how many Republican voters would stay home and how many unaffiliated voters would break for Democrats.”
Across the country, Americans fed up with the policies of the Trump Administration, and how the Iran war, high tariffs and alleged corruption all contributed to driving up the cost of gasoline, food, and overall quality of living, packed the polls with their protest votes starting with early voting.
Black voters throughout the South were additionally angry about Republican-led Southern states like Texas, Alabama, Louisiana, and Tennessee using the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that effectively gutted the 1965 Voting Rights Act last April to redistrict majority Black voting districts out of existence.
“So much of what this administration has done has been to roll back the protections that give us access to the ballot, while simultaneously flooding us with propaganda that tells us that it doesn’t matter,” Nadine Smith, president and CEO of Color of Change, which worked to mobilize voters across the South before the election, told The Guardian. “What you saw was Black voters showing up in the face of an administration that has spent two years attacking our rights, weakening voter protections and redrawing maps specifically to diminish Black political power.”
“Once again, Black voters have proven that we are not bystanders in this country, we are its builders,” said Derrick Johnson, President and CEO of the NAACP. “The Trump Administration tried every trick in the book to block voters from the polls, but we showed up and showed out, and we voted. This election’s outcomes are not the finish line. They’re a reminder that we the people have the power. And keeping that power requires us to vote, hold elected officials accountable, and fight for our freedom.”
Here in North Carolina, impressive early voting numbers totaled more than 2.8 million ballots, with Democrats leading the balloting with 1,085,328, outpacing Republican voting 738,748 and unaffiliated voting 995,434
Of those final early voting numbers, Black voters totaled 599,251 statewide. In terms of North Carolina voter registration, African American voters are 1,520,489.
Updated Nov. 3rd, 2026 Election Day stats weren’t available at press time.
Those exceptional North Carolina early voting numbers, especially for Black voters who vote primarily Democratic traditionally, yielded extraordinary election night results.
Among them, commanding victories for former Governor Roy Cooper in his race for the U.S. Senate, and Associate Justice Anita Earls in winning a second eight-year term on the N.C. Supreme Court.
“It is the honor of my life to be elected to serve another term on the Supreme Court. I am so grateful to everyone who worked so hard to make this victory possible,” Justice Earls said in a statement. “Thank you for your trust, North Carolina!”
In addition, all three incumbent Black North Carolina Democratic Congresspeople - Don Davis in the redrawn Republican-leaning First District, Valerie Foushee in the Fourth District and Alma Adams in the 12th District – will be joined by two new African American Democrats, LaKesha Womack, who defeated first-term Republican and former North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore in Congressional District 14; and Cyril Jefferson, the mayor of High Point, who unseated first-term Republican Rep. Addison McDowell in the Congressional 6th District. Jefferson is the first African American to represent the Sixth.
As a result of the midterm elections unofficially, whereas Republicans led the North Carolina Congressional delegation 10-4, as of January, Democrats will lead the delegation 10-4. The five Democrats listed above will be joined by Congressional incumbent Democrat Deborah Ross (D, District 2) along with newly elected N.C. Congressional Democrats Richard N. Ojeda II (9th District), Jamie Ager (11th District), Paul Barringer (13th District). At press time, two races remain uncertified as votes are still being counted with District 5 Democratic candidate Chuck Hubbard still leading Republican Virginia Foxx. District 3 Democratic candidate Raymond Smith narrowly trails incumbent Republican Rep. Greg Murphy with 99 percent of the vote tabulated.
12th Congressional District incumbent Democrat Alma Adams of Mecklenburg County will lead North Carolina’s Congressional delegation in Washington. Adams won her seventh full term in Congress overwhelmingly, 81 percent to 19 percent over GOP challenger Jack Codina.
In the N.C. House, for the first time in sixteen years, Democrats took back the majority from Republicans, unofficially winning 71 House districts compared to the GOP holding on to just 48. Unaffiliated candidate April Montgomery won her House District 51 race and is expected to caucus with Democrats. Thus, the 72-seat block would provide give Democrats with a supermajority in the North Carolina House.
Rep. Robert Reives III, representing Chatham and Randolph Counties and currently the house minority leader, is now considered most likely to be elected the new North Carolina state House speaker. Reives will be only the second African American behind Daniel T. Blue of Wake County to hold this position.
In the state Senate, there were still elections up in the air at press time that could determine whether Democrats could claim that legislative chamber as well. If there is a 25-25 tie between Republicans and Democrats, Lt. Gov. Rachel Hunt will break the tie.
There were Black success stories throughout the South as a result of the “blue tsunami,” with former Atlanta Gov. Keisha Lance Bottoms being elected the first African American woman elected governor of Georgia and in the United States. Wisconsin and Nevada elected their first African American Governors, Democrats David Crowley and Aaron Ford respectively. Florida elected Republican Byron Donalds to be its first African American governor.
Vote counts continue in two U.S. Senate races as Democratic candidates Mary Peltola of Alaska and Scott Colom of Mississippi continue to widen their respective leads over Republican incumbents Dan Sullivan (Alaska) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (Miss.).
Although this election saw several successes, many Black activists say the Democratic Party needs to invest more money in the South to achieve even better results.
“In the cold of winter, people began marching in Eastern North Carolina,” wrote Bishop William Barber of Repairers of the Breach. “We saw an historic turnout in the primary, and we put out the invitation for thousands to march. You joined hands with others in your communities and led a thousand marches to the polls. Your witness inspired others. Together, we celebrate the largest midterm turnout in U.S. history today.”
