The Winner

Rep. Deborah Ross (D-NC) won a fourth term in North Carolina’s 2nd Congressional District on Tuesday, Nov. 3, defeating Republican Eugene Douglass 75.1% to 23.5%. Libertarian Matthew Laszacs took 1.3%. With more than 99% of votes counted, Ross led Douglass 245,402 to 76,763, a margin of 168,639 votes, according to Associated Press election results. The AP called the race at 8:24 p.m. Eastern Time on election night. ​

Ross returns to a House where her party now holds the majority after Democrats won control of the chamber. She is the top Democrat on the Science, Space and Technology Committee’s Energy Subcommittee and also serves on the Judiciary and Ethics committees.

The Race

Ross’ 52-point margin was far wider than in 2024, when she beat Republican Alan Swain 66.3% to 31.6%. Douglass, a former college chemistry professor, finished second to Swain in that year’s Republican primary. This year, all three nominees ran unopposed, so the Tuesday, March 3 primaries were canceled, according to Ballotpedia’s race overview.

Before the election, Cook Political Report and Inside Elections rated the race Solid Democratic, and Sabato’s Crystal Ballrated it Safe Democratic.

The district includes most of Wake County, according to NC Political News’ report on Ross’ reelection filing. It is home to about 766,300 people, with a median household income of about $92,500. About 54% of adults hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, and about 9.8% of residents live below the poverty line. The population is about 55.2% white, 23.1% Black, 13.2% Hispanic and 5.7% Asian.

What’s Next

Ross’ new term begins Sunday, Jan. 3. Her campaign priorities include passing comprehensive immigration reform that keeps families together, strengthens border security, offers a fair path to citizenship and meets the country’s economic needs. She also sits on the Judiciary Committee’s immigration subcommittee, which will come under Democratic control in the new Congress.

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