IMPACT
Meet North Carolina’s Newest Members of Congress
By Differentiators Data
The 2024 general election yielded several newsworthy outcomes, and one of those is the addition of five new faces to North Carolina’s delegation in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Redistricting legislation passed by the General Assembly resulted in a trio of Democratic incumbents opting not to seek re-election last year. Republicans flipped the three seats in November, resulting in a 10-4 GOP advantage among the 14-member delegation.
One is political newcomer who received a shocking Trump endorsement. Another emerged victorious after a runoff in a what was likely the most bruising (and expensive) primary of the cycle. Two are former candidates with storied pasts. One is new to Congress but is one of the most familiar faces in state politics.
Who are these new legislators, and how did they win?
CD-6: Addison McDowell (R) Predecessor: Kathy Manning (D) Counties: Guilford, Davidson, Rowan, Forsyth, Cabarrus, Davie Experience: Lobbyist
Political newcomer Addison McDowell shook up the primary field when his filing announcement was coupled with a surprise Trump endorsement. After leaving his career in government affairs, McDowell finished first in a six-person primary, against veteran politician Mark Walker and former congressional candidates Christian Castelli and Bo Hines. With 26% of the vote, McDowell was 4 points shy of the 30% needed to win outright but runner-up Walker chose not to call for a runoff and instead opted to take a volunteer position with the Trump campaign. McDowell handily won in the general with 69% of the vote, in a district Trump won with 58% of the vote in 2022 and Budd won with 59% of the vote in 2022.
CD-8: Mark Harris (R) Predecessor: Dan Bishop (R) Counties: Union, Cabarrus, Mecklenburg, Robeson, Stanly, Richmond, Scotland, Montgomery, Anson Experience: Pastor
Mark Harris may be a newcomer to Congress, but he is certainly not a newcomer in the North Carolina political landscape. Harris’ 2018 congressional bid proved to be one of the most controversial after allegations surfaced that his campaign engaged in illegal ballot harvesting. While no charges were ever filed against Harris, the memory of past scandal followed him in his campaign to replace retiring Rep. Dan Bishop, who ran for NC Attorney General. Harris edged Allan Baucom, a Union County farmer, narrowly clearing the 30% threshold with 30.5% of the vote. Baucom finished second with 27%. Harris handily went on to win the general with 60% of the vote.
CD-10: Pat Harrigan (R) Predecessor: Patrick McHenry (R) Counties: Forsyth, Iredell, Catawba, Lincoln, Yadkin Experience: Firearms Manufacturer, former Green Beret
Pat Harrigan entered the NC political scene in 2022 when he challenged Democratic State Senator Jeff Jackson for the cycle’s newly drawn congressional seat in Mecklenburg. Though a left-leaning seat, the tone of the race grew increasingly brutal, culminating in death threats and gunshots being fired at the home of Harrigan’s parents in Hickory less than a month before Election Day. In August 2023, Harrigan announced he would run again for Congress. However, when filing came in December, Harrigan delivered a surprise when he chose not to run for CD-14, instead opting to run for retiring Congressman Patrick McHenry’s seat in CD-10. Though a five-person primary, the race to fill McHenry’s shoes largely came down to Harrigan and State House Rep. Grey Mills. Harrigan narrowly defeated Mills by 2.3% in the primary and handily won the four-person general with 57.5% of the vote.
CD-13: Brad Knott (R) Predecessor: Wiley Nickel (D) Counties: Johnston, Wake, Harnett, Franklin, Lee, Granville, Person, Caswell Experience: Federal Prosecutor
Brad Knott won in the most crowded and expensive GOP congressional primary of the cycle. With 14 candidates in the first primary, Kelly Daughtry, a Johnston County attorney and daughter of former State House Rep. Leo Daughtry, finished first with 27% of the vote. Daughtry, who had been the perceived frontrunner in the race, had an enormous war chest after loaning her campaign $4.3 million and spending nearly $10 million in 2022 and 2024. Knott finished second with 19% of the vote and called for a runoff. One month after the first primary, Donald Trump endorsed Knott and effectively ended the race. Daughtry suspended her campaign twelve days before the runoff election, and Knott sailed to victory with 91% of the vote in the runoff and 59% in the general election.
CD-14: Tim Moore (R) Predecessor: Newly created seat Counties: Mecklenburg, Gaston, Cleveland, Burke, Rutherford, Polk Experience: NC Speaker of the House, Attorney
Speaker of the NC House for the last decade, Tim Moore was the clear frontrunner for this newly drawn district. A number of strong candidates who had initially considered running for the seat, thought better of it when Moore announced his intent to run and instead decided to run in different districts. Moore easily won in his three-person primary with 75% of the vote and went on to win the general with 58% of the vote.
