Election 2026 Results: New Hanover County projected wins indicate Democratic sweep

NEW HANOVER COUNTY — Early results from the midterm elections have come with quite a few changes in 2026, including incumbents being outvoted in numerous races from the county board of commissioners to the board of education, up to the North Carolina General Assembly. Many wins will flip Republican to Democratic seats, after 54% of the 190,897 registered county voters turned out to cast ballots.

The Democratic Party hosted an election night event at downtown’s Savard Beer and Board on Tuesday as numbers rolled in. The vibe was exuberant, with lots clapping, a few screams and plenty of people swarming candidates for photo opportunities as early results came into full view.

New Hanover County Democratic Party Chair Jill Hopman said the results really hadn’t hit her yet.

“Obviously, there was a blue wave — and we saw it all over,” she said.

Former Gov. Roy Cooper won the U.S. Senate seat against Republican Michael Whatley. North Carolina was a battleground state, with Democrats projected to take control of the U.S. Senate and House by press.

By midnight, it was unclear how the local U.S. House District 7 will shape up, with Republican David Rouzer facing off against Democrat Kim Hardy and Libertarian Maad Abu-Ghazalah. Hardy and Rouzer are neck-and-neck, with the latter having 49.70% of the vote and his challenger coming in at 49.33%.

One of the top races in New Hanover County is for the District 9 Senate seat: Michael Lee against Jessica Bichler. Preliminary numbers indicate Bichler has secured the win with 48,310 votes to Lee’s 43,468.

“I’m feeling relieved and excited and ready to get to work,” Bichler told Port City Daily, noting her campaign at first seemed to resonate with people who wanted change. “But as things went on … I saw so many young people inspired.”

She said the controversial political ads that grabbed many headlines this election season also didn’t hurt, suspecting many people were offended and tired by them.

“I think it goes beyond just politics and policy,” Bichler said. “We’re at a point where people are being so dishonest and disrespectful and people are sick of it. And so I’m ready for the change.”

Hopman said the fact that Bichler won and Democratic candidate Tim Merrick is up by 101 votes in House District 20 is exciting. Though, provisional ballots still are out there to be counted as well, which could affect Merrick’s lead. 

Merrick outpaced Republican Dane Scalise to take over the seat from former Republican Ted Davis, who decided to retire this year. Merrick has secured 22,054 votes, against Scalise’s 21,953. It could fall within recount territory, according to state statue, which indicates a margin of 1% or less of the total votes can be contested.

Merrick told Port City Daily 101 votes are slim and he wanted to ensure every vote is counted: “Every single voice in New Hanover County matters and so I’m open to that process.”

Merrick also believes he won because people are concerned by everyday financial challenges that have become burdensome with inflation — whether it’s affording groceries or fuel, increased utility bills or healthcare.

“We need to take care of people, not corporations,” Merrick said.

The jovial mood also poured over to Democrats winning multiple seats on the school board. Four were up for grabs open, with two Republican incumbents in the race, Pat Bradford and Josie Barnhart, falling to the bottom of the polls, at 41,692 and 40,868 votes respectively. The top vote-getters were all Democrats, with Jerry Jones securing the top spot with 53,653 votes, Brittnei LaRue at 53,591, Margie Gewirtzman at 51,796, and Wendy Dale at 45,413,

Jones told Port City Daily his win is vindicating, in that his message has resonated since the primary election.

“It’s a clear signal to us, like we want you to continue governing the way you campaign,” Jones said.

With the new board members, the school board will have a Democratic majority, serving with one Libertarian, David Perry. Should Merrick’s win be official, the Democratic Party will also be responsible for picking who replaces Merrick on the school board. 

If Scalise is certified the winner for District 20, the Republicans will have to go through the process of choosing a New Hanover County commissioner replacement. 

Due to Tuesday’s midterm elections, the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners also will switch from Republican to Democratic-leaning. Rob Zapple received most votes, 56,259, and will maintain his seat, while LeShonda Wallace will be the newcomer on the board, taking over from Republican Chair LeAnn Pierce. Wallace had 8,846 votes more than Pierce’s 41,217 votes.

Wallace vowed to focus efforts on safety, housing affordability and access to opportunity: “I want to help foster increased collaboration across the region and execute the will of the people through shared values and cooperation.”

The New Hanover County Clerk of Superior Court also has new leadership in Jennie Thomason, who won against Republican incumbent Jan Kennedy by 13,900 votes. Kennedy has been serving the county since 2010.

“Did we win races I cannot believe that we won tonight?” Hopman asked rhetorically. “I mean, sweeping city council is one thing. Sweeping the county is something entirely different.”

In addition to the candidates, all the constitutional amendments passed in the county, as well as the $320.5-million school bond referendum. Below are results from the N.C. State Board of Elections.

U.S. Senate

U.S. House of Representatives District 7

N.C. Supreme Court Associate Justice Seat 1

N.C. Court of Appeals Justice Seat 1

N.C. Court of Appeals Justice Seat 2

N.C. Court of Appeals Justice Seat 3

N.C. Senate District 7

N.C. Senate District 8

N.C. House of Representatives District 18

N.C. House of Representatives District 19

N.C. House of Representatives District 20

N.C. Superior Court Judge District 6B Seat 1

N.C. District Court Judge District 6 Seat 1

N.C. District Court Judge District 6 Seat 2

N.C. District Court Judge District 6 Seat 3

N.C. District Court Judge District 6 Seat 4

District Attorney District 6

New Hanover County Commissioners

New Hanover County Board of Education

New Hanover County Clerk of Superior Court

New Hanover County Sheriff

New Hanover County Soil and Water District

Constitutional Amendment: Require ID for Voting

Constitutional Amendment: Max income tax rate of 3.5%

Constitutional Amendment: Property tax levy limit

New Hanover County School Bond Referendum

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