Show Us The Money

Democrat Paul Barringer has raised $805,553 for his 2026 North Carolina campaign finance effort in the 13th Congressional District, according to the latest congressional campaign finance report filed with the Federal Election Commission. Individual donors contributed $345,610, while Barringer put in $133,693 of his own money and took out $320,000 in candidate loans. His party chipped in $6,000. He had $426,593 cash on hand as of March 31.

Barringer's fundraising picture is defined largely by personal investment. Of his $805,553 in total receipts, more than half came from candidate contributions, and loans combined $453,693. He has not repaid any of the $320,000 in loans, meaning that the debt remains on the books.

Individual donors contributed $345,610. The campaign issued $130 in refunds to individual donors. Total spending reached $378,960 through the end of March.

No outside spending was reported either in support of or in opposition to Barringer's campaign.

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State Comparison

Among all federal candidates running in North Carolina this cycle, Barringer's $805,553 ranks him roughly 20th out of 81 candidates tracked in the state. The North Carolina fundraising landscape in 2026 is dominated by candidates running for U.S. Senate.

The top three fundraisers in the state are:

1. Roy Cooper (D) $26,822,372 raised, $18,455,463 cash on hand
2. Michael Whatley (R) $8,410,252 raised, $2,528,343 cash on hand
3. Thom Tillis (R, incumbent) $4,707,960 raised, $3,677,892 cash on hand

Roy Cooper's campaign finance totals dwarf those of every other candidate in the field. His $26.8 million haul is more than three times that of the second-place fundraiser. All three top candidates are running for U.S. Senate.

All North Carolina federal candidates combined have raised roughly $421 million this cycle. Barringer's $805,553 represents less than 0.2% of that total.

In his own district, Barringer trails incumbent Rep. Brad Knott (R), who raised $1,082,840 and holds $588,189 in cash on hand, a cash advantage of roughly $161,000 over Barringer despite raising less in total receipts.

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Incumbents vs. Challengers

Incumbents in North Carolina are generally outpacing challengers in the 2026 election cycle. Looking at House candidates in the state, incumbents such as Don Davis ($3.2M), Richard Hudson ($2.8M), Gregory Murphy ($2.0M), and David Rouzer ($1.5M) are all raising well above what most challengers have managed.

Challengers tend to rely more heavily on individual donors and self-funding. Barringer is a clear example: no PAC money, a large personal loan, and total receipts that fall short of those of his incumbent opponent in the 13th District.

Open-seat candidates are a mixed picture. Roy Cooper leads all North Carolina federal candidates by a wide margin, but other open-seat contenders in the Senate race are raising far less. Wiley Nickel, a Democratic open-seat Senate candidate, reported $589,000 in receipts but had already spent it all, ending with zero cash on hand.

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*Source: Federal Election Commission (FEC), data current as of March 31, 2026.*

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