Cash on hand advantage in a nationally watched pivotal U.S. Senate race has eclipsed $18 million in North Carolina.
Democrat Roy Cooper of Raleigh has $20.7 million cash on hand and total receipts since Jan. 1, 2025, of $34.9 million, according to filing with the Federal Elections Commission. Republican Michael Whatley of Gastonia has $2.5 million cash on hand and total receipts $8.4 million.
Two others are on the ballot. Libertarian Shannon Bray of Angier does not have a report with the Federal Elections Commission. The Green Party’s Michael Dublin of Garner has $10,000 cash on hand and total receipts of $25,000.
Republican Sen. Thom Tillis opted not to seek a third term for the six-year assignment.
Absentee ballots go into the mail in seven weeks on the first Friday in September. Voter registration deadline is Oct. 9; and in-person early voting starts Oct. 15. Election Day is Nov. 3, with absentee ballots required to be in by 7:30 p.m.
The state’s other race in Congress getting heavy scrutiny across the nation is where districts were redrawn in October. General Assembly lawmakers changed the boundaries in the 1st Congressional District and 3rd Congressional District with a state purpose to win the northeastern area in the former, something the party has not done since the 1882 election.
The belief is Grand Old Party support would remain strong enough to stay seated in the 3rd District. Each of the other 12 districts remain unchanged, with Democrats favored to win three urban areas and Republicans poised to take the remainder.
In the 1st Congressional District, incumbent Democratic Rep. Don Davis of Snow Hill has $3.5 million cash on hand and total receipts of $4.2 million. Republican Laurie Buckhout of Edenton has $1.8 million cash on hand and total receipts of $3.7 million. Libertarian Tom Bailey of Greensboro does not have a report.
Elsewhere in federal filings through Wednesday’s reporting deadline:
• 2nd Congressional District: Incumbent Democratic Rep. Deborah Ross of Raleigh has nearly $1.3 million cash on hand and $1.6 million in total receipts. There’s no report for Raleigh Republican Eugene Douglass or Cary Libertarian Matthew Laszacs.
• 3rd Congressional District: Incumbent Republican Rep. Dr. Greg Murphy of Greenville has more than $2.6 million cash on hand and total receipts of $2.3 million. Democrat Raymond Smith has $41,000 cash on hand and total receipts of $115,000. Lexington Libertarian Daniel Cavender does not have a report.
• 4th Congressional District: Incumbent Democratic Rep. Valerie Foushee of Hillsborough has more than $47,000 cash on hand and total receipts of $912,000. Pittsboro Republican Max Ganorkar has $17,000 cash on hand and total receipts of $5,500. There’s no report for Durham Libertarian Guy Meilleur.
• 5th Congressional District: Incumbent Republican Rep. Virginia Foxx of Banner Elk has more than $3.3 million cash on hand and total receipts of $1.6 million. Wilkesboro Democrat Chuck Hubbard has more than $99,000 and cash receipts of $394,000. There’s no report for Ronda Libertarian Robert Luffman.
• 6th Congressional District: Incumbent Republican Rep. Addison McDowell of Bermuda Run has more than $381,000 cash on hand and total receipts of $1.2 million. High Point Democrat Cyril Jefferson has $13,000 cash on hand and total receipts of $199,000.
• 7th Congressional District: Incumbent Republican Rep. David Rouzer of Wilmington has $2.3 million cash on hand and total receipts of $1.9 million. Linden Democrat Dr. Kimberly Hardy has $53,000 cash on hand and total receipts of $205,000. Wilmington Libertarian Maad Abu-Ghazalah has $450 cash on hand and total receipts of $7,300.
• 8th Congressional District: Incumbent Republican Rep. Rev. Mark Harris of Indian Trail has $517,000 and total receipts of $1 million. Monroe Democrat Colby Watson has $2,300 cash on hand and total receipts of $39,000. The Green Party’s Bo Whitehead of Charlotte does not have a report.
• 9th Congressional District: Incumbent Republican Rep. Richard Hudson of Southern Pines has $1.3 million cash on hand and total receipts of $3.2 million. Aberdeen Democrat Richard Ojeda has $224,000 and total receipts of $1.9 million.
• 10th Congressional District: Incumbent Republican Rep. Pat Harrigan of Hickory has $451,000 cash on hand and total receipts of $1 million. Winston-Salem Democrat Ashley Bell has $26,000 cash on hand and total receipts of $84,000. Libertarian Steve Feldman of Winston-Salem has $1,300 cash on hand and total receipts of $36,000.
• 11th Congressional District: Incumbent Republican Rep. Chuck Edwards of Flat Rock has $485,000 cash on hand and total receipts of $939,000. Fairview Democrat Jamie Ager has $2.1 million cash on hand and total receipts of $3 million. There is no report for Greensboro Libertarian Travis Groo.
• 12th Congressional District: Incumbent Democratic Rep. Alma Adams of Charlotte has $456,000 cash on hand and total receipts of $370,000. Charlotte Republican Jack Codiga has $2,500 cash on hand and total receipts of $15,100.
• 13th Congressional District: Incumbent Republican Rep. Brad Knott of Raleigh has $707,000 cash on hand and total receipts of $1.3 million. Sanford Democrat Paul Barringer has $514,000 cash on hand and $1 million in total receipts. Sanford Libertarian Steven Swinton does not have a report.
• 14th Congressional District: Incumbent Republican Rep. Tim Moore of Kings Mountain has $1.5 million cash on hand and total receipts of $1.5 million. Charlotte Democrat Lakesha Womack has a cash on hand balance of minus-$1,000 and total receipts of $11,000.
For candidates without a report, the Federal Elections Commission – if there is at least a name entry on file – in standard repeated language says the reasons could be still processing data; no filing for the time period was made; or the filing deadline (it was Wednesday in this case) hasn’t passed.
