Who's In the Race

Incumbent Republican Richard Hudson and Democrat Richard N. Ojeda II are the nominees in North Carolina's 9th Congressional District race. Ojeda won the Democratic primary on March 3, taking 41.8 percent of the vote in a four-way field.

What They Stand For

Ojeda's platform centers on health care, education, and military families. He supports codifying *Roe v. Wade*, protecting abortion access, and defending access to birth control, cancer screenings, and prenatal care, according to his campaign website.

He also supports improving teacher pay and directing federal resources toward school-building repairs, reducing overcrowding, and assisting rural schools. On military issues, Ojeda supports strengthening military-spouse support programs, improving education opportunities, and expanding job training for military families.

Hudson's platform spans immigration, the economy, and social issues. He supports securing the border with physical barriers and technology and reinstating the "Remain in Mexico" policy, per his campaign site. On the economy, he supports cutting taxes, reducing regulations, and funding worker-retraining programs at community colleges.

Hudson supports expanding health savings accounts as part of replacing the Affordable Care Act and supports the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act along with Hyde Amendment restrictions on federal abortion funding. Richard Hudson, the Republican candidate, also supports protecting Second Amendment rights, including lawful firearm ownership for hunting, sport shooting, and self-defense, along with increasing military pay and addressing veterans' access to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) care.

The Money Behind the Race

Total outside spending in this race reached $372,280. The direction of that money is striking: nearly all of it runs against the Republican in the race.

Outside groups spent $365,945 opposing candidates and $6,335 supporting candidates. Records show $365,945 in spending tied to 13 Republican candidate entries and $6,335 tied to two Democratic candidate entries.

Three committees account for all reported outside spending. The leaderboard below shows totals only and does not indicate direction for each committee individually.

AB PAC's records total $365,945 across 13 documents. Rebellion PAC had $5,000 in spending and Turn Left PAC had $1,335, with one record on file for each committee.

Race Outlook: Ratings and Betting Markets

Every major handicapper rates this seat safely in Republican hands. Cook Political Report rated the race "Solid Republican" as of Sept. 25; Sabato's Crystal Ball rated it "Solid Republican" as of Sept. 29; and Inside Elections rated it "Solid Republican" as of Sept. 17. The consensus rating across those sources, as of Sept. 29, is "Solid Republican."

The district's recent history supports that lean. Hudson won the 9th District with 56.5 percent in 2022 and 56.3 percent in 2024. At the top of the ticket in 2024, Republican Donald Trump carried North Carolina with 50.9 percent of the vote.

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