Democratic wave in NC flips a sixth Congressional seat as counting wraps up

Last Tuesday was a good night for North Carolina Democrats, who rode a blue wave to upset five Republican congressional incumbents. As counting continues, one more seat appears to have been added to that list.

After provisional and cured absentee ballots were counted Tuesday, in unofficial results, Democratic former state lawmaker Raymond Smith appears to have defeated Republican U.S. Rep. Greg Murphy in the race for the state’s 3rd Congressional District. 

In unofficial returns on election night, Murphy held a slim lead of 233 votes over Smith. But as provisional ballots were added to the unofficial totals, Smith overtook Murphy with a net gain of 526 votes. With all counties reporting, Smith now leads by 293 votes. 

Libertarian candidate Daniel Cavender received 3,007 votes, many times the difference between the two frontrunners. 

If the tally holds in official results, Murphy’s will be the sixth Republican seat Democrats flipped in North Carolina this midterm election, changing the makeup of the state’s congressional delegation from 10 Republicans and four Democrats to 11 Democrats and three Republicans. 

Murphy has held the 3rd District, considered a safe Republican seat, since 2019.

Last year, at the urging of President Donald Trump, Republican state lawmakers sought to unseat Democrat Don Davis in the 1st Congressional District by making the district more Republican-leaning. They did that by swapping some Democratic voters out of Davis’ 1st District into Murphy’s 3rd District.

Republicans went on to lose both the 1st and the 3rd Districts, an outcome sometimes called a “dummymander.”

There could still be very minor changes to the final tallies. Military and overseas votes that were mailed by Election Day will still be counted if they’re received by 5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12. The ballots of voters whose eligibility has been successfully challenged could still be removed. 

The counties will hold their canvasses Friday, Nov, 13. The race is subject to a recount if requested by the second-place candidate once the canvass is completed.