Less Than 100 Days to Go: WNC Voters Could Help Decide Control of Congress on Election Day

With less than 100 days until Election Day and absentee ballots set to be mailed Sept. 4, Western North Carolina voters are preparing to cast ballots in elections that could help determine which party controls Congress.

While national attention has centered on North Carolina's U.S. Senate race between former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley, every congressional district in the mountains will also be on the ballot as Republicans look to maintain their narrow House majority.

Republicans currently hold 53 seats in the U.S. Senate and 218 seats in the U.S. House, making competitive races in North Carolina among the most closely watched in the country.

The Senate race remains a toss-up, according to nonpartisan election tracker 270toWin. A July Public Policy Polling survey also found Cooper and Whatley separated by only a few points, within the survey's margin of error. The Cook Political Report rates the race as "Lean Democrat."

Republicans hold Western North Carolina

Unlike eastern North Carolina's highly competitive 1st Congressional District, Western North Carolina's congressional seats are expected to remain safely in Republican hands.

The mountains are represented primarily by Republican Rep. Chuck Edwards in the 11th Congressional District and Republican Rep. Tim Moore in the14th District, which includes Rutherford County. Before the 2024 election, the county was split between the 10th and 11th congressional districts.

Farther east, Republican Rep. Dr. Greg Murphy's 3rd Congressional District—which now stretches into portions of eastern North Carolina following legislative redistricting—is also considered safely Republican by national political analysts.

While most mountain congressional races are not expected to be competitive, turnout across Western North Carolina could prove decisive in statewide contests.

Republican candidates have historically relied on strong margins in the region to offset Democratic vote totals in urban counties such as Mecklenburg and Wake.

Mountain turnout could shape statewide races

Political observers expect turnout in Western North Carolina to play an important role in both the U.S. Senate race and the North Carolina Supreme Court election between Democratic Justice Anita Earls and former Republican state Rep. Sarah Stevens.

Recent polling has shown both contests within the margin of error.

The Supreme Court race carries long-term implications because Republicans currently hold a 5-2 majority. A Stevens victory would preserve that advantage heading into the 2028 election cycle, when three additional Supreme Court seats will be on the ballot.

Congress and recovery funding on voters' minds

For many voters in Western North Carolina, congressional representation extends beyond partisan politics.

Nearly two years after Hurricane Helene devastated mountain communities, federal disaster recovery, infrastructure funding, FEMA oversight, housing assistance and economic recovery remain major issues throughout the region.

Members of Congress representing Western North Carolina will continue to influence appropriations, oversight hearings and disaster legislation affecting communities still rebuilding.

Absentee ballots will begin mailing on Sept. 4, according to the North Carolina State Board of Elections. 

The statewide general election is Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. This election is also known as the “midterm,” as it is held two years into the four-year U.S. presidential term. Seats up for election include:

• One U.S. Senate seat

• 14 U.S. House seats

• 1 N.C. Supreme Court Associate Justice seat

• 3 N.C. Court of Appeals Judge seats

• Statewide referendum

• 50 N.C. Senate seats

• 120 N.C. House seats  

• Local judges and district attorneys

• County races, including county commissioners and Board of Education members

• Municipal elections

Find lists of candidates and referendums on the 2026 ballot at Candidate Lists with more details at the NC State Board of Elections website.