Democrats Take NC House as Vote Shifts Power in Raleigh

RALEIGH, N.C. Democrats secured a majority in the North Carolina House of Representatives on Tuesday, ending 15 years of Republican control in the lower chamber. The shift in power occurred as voters rejected Republican incumbents in districts that had long been considered safe. This marks the first time since 2010 that the Democratic Party has held the majority in the state house.

The political landscape in Raleigh began to change after former Governor Roy Cooper won the state Senate race by a wide margin. His victory helped pull down-ballot races in his favor. House Minority Leader Robert Reives of Chatham and Randolph counties addressed supporters at a rally in Raleigh on Tuesday night. Reives expressed surprise at the scale of the win. “Oh my God I don’t know what to say,” Reives told the crowd. He added that the party had listened to voters seeking relief.

As of Wednesday afternoon, election results showed Democrats leading in 71 House races. Republicans currently hold 71 seats and had a 72-seat supermajority as recently as 2024. The new Democratic majority is close to a supermajority, which would allow the party to pass legislation with a smaller margin. In the state Senate, Democrats trail 24-26. One race remains too close to call. State Senator Danny Britt of Robeson County is winning his district by 268 votes. That narrow margin is likely to trigger a recount. If Democrats win that seat, Lieutenant Governor Rachel Hunt will cast tie-breaking votes to give them a majority in both chambers.

Republican efforts to protect seats in competitive districts fell short. State Representatives Erin Paré of Wake County and Brian Echevarria of Cabarrus County campaigned on a constitutional amendment to limit property tax increases. The amendment passed statewide. However, Echevarria lost by double digits to Democrat Chris Bishopp. Paré lost by nine points to Democrat Winn Decker. Speaker of the House Destin Hall of Caldwell and Watauga counties issued a statement congratulating Reives. Hall noted that Republicans faced a difficult political environment. “All across the country during this election cycle, Republicans faced the worst political environment of our lifetimes,” Hall wrote. He said he was proud of the hard work done by House Republican members and candidates.

Governor Josh Stein was scheduled to hold a post-election news conference at 1 p.m. on Wednesday. His remarks were streamed live. Democrats will not formally take control of the House until newly elected officials are sworn in in January. That timeline allows the current Republican majority to start a new legislative session and enact changes to state policy before power transfers.