Democratic Party primaries in North Carolina, 2018

Elections in North Carolina, 2018

• General election: Nov. 6
• Voter registration deadline: Oct. 12
• Early voting: Oct. 17 - Nov. 3
• Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 6

• Online registration: No
• Same-day registration: No
• Voter ID: No
• Poll times: 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

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Click here for primary election results.

Democratic Party primaries, 2018

Primary Date

May 8, 2018

Federal elections

Democratic primaries for U.S. House

State elections

Democratic primaries for North Carolina legislature

State party

Democratic Party of North Carolina

State political party revenue

Primary elections—in which registered voters select a candidate whom they believe should run on their party's ticket in the general election—can reflect internal conflict over the direction of a party.

Heading into the 2018 election, the Democratic Party sought to increase its power at the state and federal levels under the Trump administration. Its membership, however, disagreed on several major policy areas, including healthcare, free trade, education funding, a federal job guarantee, and a proposal to abolish U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Candidates endorsed by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee won 31 of 33 primaries in 2018. Democratic Socialists of America member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's (D) primary victory over incumbent Joseph Crowley (D) in New York's 14th Congressional District was a notable victory for progressive activists.

Democrats also won a U.S. Senate seat in Alabama for the first time in 30 years and flipped longtime Republican seats in the Wisconsin state Senate and Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District. A record number of Republican congressional retirements also led to large Democratic fields for typically non-competitive seats.

This page focuses on the Democratic primaries that took place in North Carolina on May 8, 2018. In addition, the page provides context for understanding the state party apparatus.

Battleground primaries

Battleground elections are those that Ballotpedia expected would either be more competitive than other races or attract significant national attention.

• North Carolina's 9th Congressional District election (May 8, 2018 Democratic primary)

Federal elections

U.S. House

See also: United States House elections in North Carolina (May 8, 2018 Democratic primaries)

The 2018 U.S. House of Representatives elections in North Carolina took place on November 6, 2018. Voters elected 13 candidates to serve in the U.S. House, one from each of the state's 13 congressional districts. In 2017, the DCCC identified North Carolina's 2nd, 8th, 9th, and 13th Congressional Districts as targeted races. To see a full list of candidates in the Democratic primaries, click "Show more" below.

Show more

District 1

 Democratic primary candidates

• G.K. Butterfield (Incumbent) ✔

District 2

 Democratic primary candidates

• Linda Coleman ✔
• Wendy May
• Ken Romley

Did not make the ballot:

• Sam Searcy

District 3

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

District 4

 Democratic primary candidates

• David Price (Incumbent) ✔
• Michelle Laws
• Richard Watkins

District 5

 Democratic primary candidates

• Denise Adams ✔
• Jenny Marshall

District 6

 Democratic primary candidates

• Ryan Watts ✔
• Gerald Wong

District 7

 Democratic primary candidates

• Kyle Horton ✔
• Grayson Parker

District 8

 Democratic primary candidates

• Scott Huffman
• Frank McNeill ✔
• Marc Tiegel

Did not make the ballot:

• Horace Stainback

District 9

 Democratic primary candidates

• Christian Cano
• Dan McCready ✔

Did not make the ballot:

• Maria Warren

District 10

 Democratic primary candidates

• David Wilson Brown ✔

Did not make the ballot:

• Kenneth Queen

District 11

 Democratic primary candidates

• Scott Donaldson
• Phillip Price ✔
• Steve Woodsmall

Did not make the ballot:

• Matt Coffay

District 12

 Democratic primary candidates

• Alma Adams (Incumbent) ✔
• Gabe Ortiz
• Patrick Register
• Keith Young

District 13

 Democratic primary candidates

• Adam Coker
• Kathy Manning ✔

Did not make the ballot:

• Beniah McMiller

State elections

North Carolina Party Control: 1992-2026
Fourteen years of Democratic trifectas  •  Four years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year	92	93	94	95	96	97	98	99	00	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26
Governor	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D
Senate	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R
House	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R

State party overview

See also: Democratic Party of North Carolina

Party control in North Carolina
Governor	Democratic
Senate	Republican
House	Republican

Click here for party control in all 50 states

North Carolina has a Democratic triplex and a divided trifecta. The Democratic Party controls the offices of governor, secretary of state, and attorney general. The Republican Party controls both chambers of the state legislature.

State political party revenue

See also: State political party revenue and State political party revenue per capita

State political parties typically deposit revenue in separate state and federal accounts in order to comply with state and federal campaign finance laws. The following table displays the Democratic Party of North Carolina's revenue over a six-year period from 2011 to 2016. Revenue totals are broken down by account type and year. The data was compiled through publicly available state and federal campaign finance reports.

Democratic Party of North Carolina revenue, 2011 to 2016
Year	Federal account	State account(s)	Total
2011	$1,338,036.27	$1,070,523.43	$2,408,559.70
2012	$14,448,248.87	$5,560,176.62	$20,008,425.49
2013	$1,332,048.50	$793,140.44	$2,125,188.94
2014	$2,035,845.31	$4,106,576.52	$6,142,421.83
2015	$780,966.40	$1,135,951.85	$1,916,918.25
2016	$19,622,883.46	$10,840,836.21	$30,463,719.67

North Carolina compared to other states

The Democratic Party and the Republican Party maintain state affiliates in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and select U.S. territories. The following maps display total state political party revenue per capita for the Democratic and Republican state party affiliates from 2011 to 2016. The blue map displays Democratic state parties and the red map displays Republican state parties. Click on a state below to view the state party's revenue per capita totals:

Total Democratic and Republican state political party revenue per capita in the United States, 2011-2016

Primary election scheduling

North Carolina was one of four states to hold a primary election on May 8, 2018.

Voter information

How the primary works

A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. North Carolina utilizes a semi-closed primary system. Parties decide who may vote in their respective primaries. Voters may choose a primary ballot without impacting their unaffiliated status.

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Poll times

In North Carolina, polling places are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Anyone in line when the polls close must be allowed to vote.

Registration requirements

Check your voter registration status here.

To register to vote in North Carolina, each applicant must be a United States citizen, a resident of the county in which they are registering to vote for at least 30 days before the election, be at least 18 years old by the time of the subsequent general election, and not be serving a felony sentence, including probation and parole. Pre-registration is available for 16 and 17-year-olds. The North Carolina voter registration application is available online.

Voter registration applications can be completed online or submitted to the appropriate county board of elections. Applications must be submitted at least 25 days before the election. Voters can also register and vote on the same day during the early voting period, but not on Election Day.

The following agencies also provide voter registration services:

• Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
• Division of Services for the Blind
• Division of Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
• Division of Health Benefits
• Division of Child and Family Well-Being/WIC
• Division of Social Services
• Division of Rehabilitation Services
• Division of Employment Security (DES)
• Division of State Operated Healthcare Facilities

Automatic registration

See also: Automatic voter registration

North Carolina does not practice automatic voter registration.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

North Carolina has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration

See also: Same-day voter registration

North Carolina allows same-day voter registration during the early voting period only.

Residency requirements

Prospective voters must "live in the county where you are registering, and have resided there for at least 30 days prior to Election Day," according to the North Carolina State Board of Elections.

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

North Carolina does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote. According to the state's voter registration application, a voter who fraudulently or falsely registers is guilty of a "Class I felony under Chapter 163 of the NC General Statutes."

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment. Six states — Alabama, Arizona, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring individuals provide proof of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. Two states, Georgia and Mississippi, require a person provide proof of citizenship if their citizenship status cannot be verified by other means. One state, Ohio, requires proof of citizenship only when registering to vote at a Bureau of Motor Vehicles facility. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

The North Carolina State Board of Elections allows residents to check their voter registration status online by using the Voter Search portal.

Voter ID requirements

North Carolina requires voters to present photo ID when voting.

The following documents were acceptable forms of identification as of December 2025. Click here for the North Carolina State Board of Elections page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.

“

Any of the following that is unexpired, or expired for one year or less: North Carolina driver’s license State ID from the NCDMV, also called “non-operator ID” Driver’s license or non-driver ID from another state, District of Columbia, or U.S. territory (only if voter registered in North Carolina within 90 days of the election) U.S. Passport or U.S. Passport card North Carolina voter photo ID card issued by a county board of elections (...) College or university student ID approved by the State Board of Elections (...) State or local government or charter school employee ID approved by the State Board of Elections (...) Note: A voter 65 or older may use an expired form of acceptable ID if the ID was unexpired on their 65th birthday. Any of the following, regardless of whether the ID contains an expiration or issuance date: Military or veterans ID card with photo issued by the U.S. government Tribal enrollment card with photo issued by a tribe recognized by the State of North Carolina or the federal government ID card with photo issued by an agency of the U.S. government or the State of North Carolina for a public assistance program Note: Although this is an acceptable form of ID under North Carolina law, the State Board is not aware of any such ID in circulation that contains a photo. All IDs for voting are required to have a photo.

”

To view North Carolina law pertaining to voter identification, click here.

For a list of acceptable student and public employee IDs, click here.

County boards of elections can issue free photo IDs for voting purposes to voters who live in their county. Voters must provide their name, date of birth, and the last four digits of their Social Security number. Voters must also have their photo taken. North Carolina residents also can get a free ID card from the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles.

Early voting

North Carolina permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.

Early voting allows citizens to cast their ballots in person at a polling place before an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.

Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting. Alabama, Mississippi, and New Hampshire do not offer no-excuse early voting.

Absentee voting

All voters are eligible to vote absentee in North Carolina. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee.

An absentee ballot request form must either be submitted online or by mail before 5 p.m. on the second Tuesday before Election Day. Completed ballots must be returned either in person or by mail and received no later than 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.

See also

Federal primaries in North Carolina	State primaries in North Carolina	North Carolina state party apparatus	North Carolina voter information
Democratic primaries for U.S. House	State government trifectas Democratic primaries for North Carolina legislature	Democratic Party of North Carolina Republican Party of North Carolina State political party revenue	Voting in North Carolina Ballot access requirements for political candidates in North Carolina Redistricting in North Carolina