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Triangle: Democrats lead an N.C. House majority in unofficial returns

A statewide State Board file with all precincts in showed Democratic candidates ahead in 71 of 120 House seats. WRAL and WUNC also reported the first Democratic House majority since 2010. Not certified.

UpdatedThis story has changed since it was first published.

By Alexandru Stanciu · Published

The downtown Raleigh skyline on a sunny day

File photo: Abhiram Juvvadi (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons.

What we know

Confirmed

  • An unofficial statewide results file from the North Carolina State Board of Elections for the Nov. 3, 2026, general election, with 2,626 of 2,626 precincts reporting and a file stamp of about 6:35 a.m. Eastern on Nov. 4, listed a Democratic candidate ahead in 71 N.C. House districts, a Republican ahead in 48, and unaffiliated candidate April Montgomery ahead in House District 51.Confirmed by North Carolina State Board of Elections unofficial statewide results file, accessed Nov. 4, 2026
  • WRAL independently reported that Democrats gained control of the North Carolina House for the first time since 2010, and that House Speaker Destin Hall congratulated House Democratic Leader Robert Reives early Wednesday.Confirmed by WRAL, Nov. 4, 2026
  • WUNC independently reported that Democrats will take a House majority for the first time since 2010, that Hall congratulated Reives in a news release around 1 a.m., and that several Republican House incumbents, including Wake County Rep. Erin Paré and Rep. Mike Schietzelt, trailed in preliminary results with all precincts reported in those races.Confirmed by WUNC, Nov. 3–4, 2026
  • The same State Board statewide file listed Democrat Winn Decker ahead of Republican Erin Pare in House District 37, 26,678 to 22,074, with all 14 precincts reporting, and Democrat Evonne S. Hopkins ahead of Republican Mike Schietzelt in House District 35, 25,607 to 20,994, with all 17 precincts reporting.Confirmed by North Carolina State Board of Elections unofficial statewide results file, accessed Nov. 4, 2026
  • WRAL separately wrote that the Decker and Hopkins results mean Wake County will soon have no Republican House members.Confirmed by WRAL, Nov. 4, 2026
  • In House District 51, covering Lee County and part of Moore County, the statewide file listed Montgomery with 13,919 votes (50.70%) and Republican Charles M. Taylor with 13,537 (49.30%), with all 14 precincts reporting.Confirmed by North Carolina State Board of Elections unofficial statewide results file, accessed Nov. 4, 2026
  • In N.C. Senate District 24, which includes Robeson, Hoke and Scotland counties, the statewide file listed Republican Sen. Danny Earl Britt Jr. ahead of Democrat Catina Hamm, 27,860 (50.24%) to 27,592 (49.76%), a 268-vote margin, with all 61 precincts reporting. WCNC and WRAL each reported the same Britt-Hamm totals and wrote that the margin sits inside the state's recount threshold for legislative races.Confirmed by North Carolina State Board of Elections unofficial statewide results file; WCNC; WRAL
  • WCNC and WRAL each reported that Democrats appear short of a Senate majority if Britt's lead holds, and that a Hamm overtake would leave the chamber tied with Democratic Lt. Gov. Rachel Hunt breaking ties.Confirmed by WCNC and WRAL, Nov. 4, 2026

Still unknown

  • Final certified House and Senate seat totals after provisional ballots and the county canvasses
  • Whether any candidate in a race inside the recount threshold will request a recount
  • Whether late counting changes any House district lead counted here

What this means for you

Instructions from North Carolina State Board of Elections

This site is not an elections office. Unofficial results are on the State Board's election-results site. Certified results come later from the county canvasses. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911.

What happened

Across the Triangle and the rest of North Carolina, Democratic candidates are ahead in enough N.C. House seats to form a chamber majority in unofficial returns from the Nov. 3 election, according to a statewide State Board of Elections file.

That unofficial file, with all 2,626 precincts reporting and a Nov. 4 morning stamp, showed a Democratic candidate leading in 71 of the 120 House districts, a Republican leading in 48, and unaffiliated candidate April Montgomery leading in House District 51. Those figures are not certified. A majority is 61 seats.

WRAL and WUNC each reported that the shift would give Democrats control of the House for the first time since 2010. Both wrote that House Speaker Destin Hall congratulated House Democratic Leader Robert Reives early Wednesday.

Local races in the same State Board file included southern Wake's District 37, where Democrat Winn Decker led Republican Erin Pare 26,678 to 22,074 after every precinct reported, and northern Wake's District 35, where Democrat Evonne S. Hopkins led Republican Mike Schietzelt 25,607 to 20,994 with all 17 precincts in. WRAL wrote that those Wake results mean the county will soon have no Republican House members. WUNC listed Paré and Schietzelt among Republican incumbents who trailed once their precincts were in.

In the Lee County–Moore County seat, District 51, Montgomery led Republican Charles M. Taylor 13,919 to 13,537 after all 14 precincts reported.

In Senate District 24, which includes Robeson, Hoke and Scotland counties, Republican Sen. Danny Earl Britt Jr. led Democrat Catina Hamm 27,860 to 27,592 — a 268-vote margin — with all 61 precincts in. WCNC and WRAL each carried those totals and wrote that the margin falls inside the recount threshold for legislative races. Both outlets reported that Democrats appear short of a Senate majority if Britt's lead holds, and that a Hamm overtake would leave a 25-25 Senate with Democratic Lt. Gov. Rachel Hunt breaking ties.

Certification follows the county canvasses. This site is not an elections office. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911.

Related coverage

Why it matters

Control of the N.C. House shapes state budgets and lawmaking that affect Triangle, Lee and Robeson readers. Unofficial returns show a Democratic House majority lead and a still-close Robeson-area Senate race before certification.

Updates

  1. Nov 4, 2026, 8:15 AM

    First file from the Nov. 4 morning NCSBE statewide unofficial results file (all precincts) plus WRAL, WUNC and WCNC on House control, Wake seats, Lee District 51 and Robeson-area Senate District 24.

Sources

  1. Statewide unofficial results file (NCSBE enr/20261103/data/results_0.txt; county summary stamp about 6:35 a.m. ET Nov. 4, 2,626 of 2,626 precincts: counting each NC HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT vote leader gave DEM 71 / REP 48 / UNA 1; HD 035 Hopkins 25,607–Schietzelt 20,994; HD 037 Decker 26,678–Pare 22,074; HD 051 Montgomery 13,919–Taylor 13,537; SD 024 Britt 27,860–Hamm 27,592)

    Official sourcePublished by North Carolina State Board of Elections · Checked Nov 4, 2026, 8:18 AM

  2. Democrats gain NC House majority for first time since 2010. GOP clings to Senate power, for now (WRAL / Paul Specht and Will Doran, updated Nov. 4, 2026: first Democratic House majority since 2010; Hall congratulated Reives; Decker over Paré; Hopkins over Schietzelt; WRAL wrote Wake will soon have no Republican House members; Britt lead under 300 votes with all precincts in; Senate majority unlikely if Britt holds. Text-only.)

    Published by WRAL · Checked Nov 4, 2026, 8:18 AM

  3. Democrats to take majority in NC House, fall short of Senate majority (WUNC / Colin Campbell, Nov. 3, 2026: first House majority since 2010; Hall news release congratulating Reives; Paré and Schietzelt among Republican House incumbents listed as losing in preliminary all-precinct results; Senate short of Democratic majority. Text-only.)

    Published by WUNC · Checked Nov 4, 2026, 8:18 AM

  4. Democrats win control of North Carolina House, cut gap in Senate (WCNC staff, Nov. 4, 2026: Democratic House control for first time since 2010; Britt 27,860–Hamm 27,592 / 268 votes; recount threshold; Senate majority still turns on that race; Lt. Gov. Hunt tie-breaker if tied. WCNC's published 70–49–1 House seat split is not used here; this file uses the State Board district-by-district count above. Text-only.)

    Published by WCNC · Checked Nov 4, 2026, 8:18 AM

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