Democrats led in every contested partisan race on the Watauga County ballot on Tuesday, according to unofficial results, and ran ahead statewide. Ashe and Avery counties went the other way.
In North Carolina’s 5th Congressional District, Democrat Chuck Hubbard leads Republican Rep. Virginia Foxx by 99 votes. The margin is narrow enough that a recount is possible before a winner is declared. The Associated Press had not called the race as of early Wednesday.
With all precincts reporting, Hubbard had 139,034 votes to Foxx’s 138,935, about 48.7% each, according to unofficial results from the N.C. State Board of Elections. Libertarian Robert Luffman got about 2.6%. Foxx led for most of the night. Her lead disappeared when the last two precincts, both in Guilford County, came in. Hubbard won that final batch 618 to 121.
About 300 provisional ballots remain to be counted in Watauga County, roughly half of them from App State students, according to county elections officials. The county Board of Elections meets Tuesday, Nov. 10, at 1 p.m. to decide which ones count. At a 99-vote lead districtwide, those ballots could move the margin.
Hubbard took about 62% in Watauga. In Ashe, Foxx had 61%.
Foxx, 83, has held the seat since January 2005 and has won eleven general elections in a row. In 2024 she beat Hubbard 59.5% to 40.5%. The Cook Political Report moved the race from Solid to Likely Republican on Oct. 30, and the district has a partisan lean of R+9.
Hubbard is a former journalist making his second run. He raised about $863,000 through Oct. 14 to Foxx’s $2.2 million. He has said he would overturn Citizens United, ban stock trading by members of Congress and push for transparency on Helene recovery money.
Statewide, Democrat Roy Cooper won the U.S. Senate race over Republican Michael Whatley. With all results in, Cooper had 58.7% to Whatley’s 39.1%. The AP called the race shortly after polls closed. Whatley told supporters in Gastonia that he had called Cooper to concede. Cooper is the first Democrat to win a U.S. Senate race in North Carolina since 2008. Justice Anita Earls won reelection to the N.C. Supreme Court over Sarah Stevens, about 59% to 41%.
In Watauga, Cooper took 62.5% and Earls 63.1%. Democratic Sheriff Len Hagaman Jr. won reelection over Republican Darin Church, 15,903 votes to 7,544 (67.8%). Democrats also won both contested county commissioner seats: Adam Hege in District 1 and Ray Russell in District 2. Russell had 73.2%. The Clerk of Superior Court’s office also appears headed for a party change.
In N.C. House District 93 (Watauga and Ashe), Democrat Charlie Wallin leads Republican Rep. Ray Pickett by 228 votes. Wallin carried the Watauga portion 62.9% to 37.1%. Pickett carried Ashe 64.9% to 35.1%. In N.C. Senate District 47 (Watauga, Ashe and Avery), Republican Sen. Ralph Hise leads Democrat Frank Patton Hughes III by nearly 10,000 votes, even though Hughes carried Watauga with 61.6%.
In Ashe, Republicans held the top of the ballot. Whatley had 59.0% to Cooper’s 37.9%. In Avery, Whatley had 65.5% to 31.8%.
Democrats also took the N.C. House on Tuesday night, winning control of the chamber for the first time since 2011, according to unofficial results and news reports. Speaker Destin Hall conceded the majority. Republicans lost their veto-proof majority in both chambers. Control of the Senate was still undecided early Wednesday.
The results are unofficial until counties finish their canvass on Nov. 13. The State Board of Elections certifies the results after the counties finish. Under state law, a candidate can ask for a recount when the margin is within 1% of the votes cast, and the request goes to the State Board after the canvass. Members of the new Congress are sworn in during January.
Hubbard spoke to supporters in Boone but did not address the margin or a recount in the coverage we found. Foxx had not commented publicly on the margin or a recount as of early Wednesday.