Who’s on the ballot in North Carolina’s primary elections?

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Tuesday, March 3, is Primary Election Day in North Carolina, and WCNC Charlotte will have total coverage of the biggest races that will determine who’s on the ballot for November’s midterm elections. 

Numerous U.S. House seats are up for grabs, including multiple seats that represent the Charlotte area in Washington. Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden faces three new challengers to keep his office after allegations of misconduct from former employees and a high-profile testimony before state lawmakers in the wake of Iryna Zarutska’s death on the Charlotte light rail. And perhaps the biggest race in the entire country, former Gov. Roy Cooper and former RNC Chair Michael Whatley are the favorites to face off in November for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by the retiring Sen. Thom Tillis. 

RELATED: 2026 North Carolina primary election | How to watch live coverage on WCNC+

Any registered North Carolina voter can see a sample ballot in the “Your Sample Ballot” section of their Voter Search profile on the state Board of Elections website. Check for that ballot here.

With current Sen. Thom Tillis (R) opting not to run for reelection, the doors are wide open for his replacement. Both Democrats and Republicans are hosting primaries to pick a nominee for November’s midterm election. 

• Don Brown – former Navy JAG officer, attorney
• Richard Dansie – Army veteran, engineer
• Thomas Johnson – business owner
• Michele Morrow – nurse, educator
• Elizabeth Ann Temple – music teacher
• Michael Whatley – former RNC chair

• Robert Colon – volunteer
• Roy Cooper – former governor of NC
• Justin Dues – Marine Corps veteran
• Daryl Farrow – former House candidate for NC-03
• Orrick Quick – pastor, business owner
• Marcus Williams – attorney

Republican Chuck Edwards has represented western North Carolina since 2023. He has built a reputation as a results-driven legislator, earning the rare distinction, as a freshman, of being appointed to both the House Appropriations Committee and the Budget Committee.

• Jamie Ager
• Zelda Briarwood
• Richard Hudspeth
• Paul Maddox
• Lee Whipple

Alma Adams has represented North Carolina in Washington since 2014, taking over for former Rep. Melvin Watt, who left the role to take a position with the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Adams spent 20 years in the North Carolina House of Representatives before being elected to the US Congress.

• Alma Adams – Incumbent since 2014
• Monaca Maye Williamson

Several judicial candidates, as well as candidates for the North Carolina House of Representatives and North Carolina Senate, will be on the ballot.

• Michael Byrne
• Matthew Smith

• James Whalen
• Christine Walczyk

Several local races will draw voters to the polls, including the Mecklenburg County Sheriff election. 

Garry McFadden has held the office since 2018, but he’s facing three contenders in the wake of numerous controversies facing the sheriff’s office. There is no Republican primary, so whoever wins the Democratic primary will run unopposed in November’s general election. 

Retired Chief Deputy Sheriff Rodney Collins, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police Sergeant Ricky Robbins, and former Mecklenburg County Detention Officer Antwain Nance are vying to unseat McFadden. 

• Garry McFadden
• Antwain Nance
• Ricky Robbins
• Rodney Collins

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