Greensboro's African American Community Newspaper since 1967
Tuesday night’s primary election races saw some incumbents face defeat. The results from the Tuesday primary contests are unofficial and preliminary, to be certified at a later date. Candidates must have won more than 30 percent of the vote in their respective races to secure their party’s nomination to run in November and avoid a May runoff.
In the Democratic primary race for the U.S. Senate, no surprise here as popular former N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper dominated a large candidate field of six to win with over 92 percent of the vote.
“I’m running because I love North Carolina,” said Cooper during his victory speech. “It’s time for a change.”
On the Republican side, former N.C. Republican Party Chairman Michael Whatley ran in an even larger field of seven, which included MAGA candidate Michele Morrow, who previously ran to be the head of the N.C. Department of Public Instruction. During that campaign, Morrow called for the execution of both former Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama. Whatley won the Republican primary for U.S. Senate with approximately 65 percent of the vote. The winner in November will succeed outgoing Republican Sen. Thom Tillis.
In the contentious and headline-making Republican primary race for N.C. Senate District 26, longtime powerful incumbent and Senate Majority Leader Phil Berger is in a two-vote dead heat with challenger, Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page. Provisional ballots and a recount may ultimately decide this race.
In the U.S. House District 12 Democratic primary race, incumbent Rep. Alma Adams dominated young challenger Monaca Williamson, 79 percent to 21 percent. Williamson, a Guilford County resident, ran outside her own district, which is legal, however, she could not vote for herself in the primary election.
On the Republican side of the District 12 primary race, Jack Codiga won the right to try to unseat Rep. Adams in November, beating opponent Abdul Ali, 67 to 33 percent.
For the U.S. House District 6 primary, High Point Mayor Cyril Jefferson, A Democrat, defeated three other primary candidates with 39.14 percent of the votes. Jefferson made history back in 2023 by becoming the youngest person ever elected mayor of the City of High Point.
In the Democratic primary race for the 4th Congressional District, incumbent Valerie Foushee faced off in a second contentious challenge from Durham County Commissioner Nida Allam, winning with less than one percent of the vote. Provisional and military ballots have yet to be counted, and Allam is expected to call for a recount.
In the Republican primary race to challenge incumbent Democratic Congressman Don Davis in the 1st Congressional District, Laurie Buckhout, who was endorsed by Pres. Trump led a field of five GOP hopefuls with more than 39 percent of the vote.
The N.C. The General Assembly redistricted the First District so that it would lean Republican for the upcoming November General Election.
Also Tuesday night, three Black Democratic State House members, who voted with the Republican majority against Democratic Governor Josh Stein and their party lost their primaries unofficially. Representatives Carla Cunningham, Shelly Willingham and Nasif Majeed all lost, according to unofficial primary results.
Cunningham, a seven-term incumbent, lost to Baptist Minister Rodney Sadler in the District 106 race for North Charlotte. Willingham, a six-term incumbent from Rocky Mount, lost to challenger Patricia Smith in the House District 23 race. And Rep. Majeed, another Charlotte incumbent, lost his race to be re-elected to House District 99 to Veleria Levy, a health care consultant.
