North Carolina's 8th Congressional District election, 2026 (March 3 Democratic primary)

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North Carolina's 8th Congressional District
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Democratic primary
Republican primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: December 19, 2025
Primary: March 3, 2026
Primary runoff: May 12, 2026
General: November 3, 2026
How to vote
Poll times:

6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Voting in North Carolina

Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Solid Republican
DDHQ and The Hill: Pending
Inside Elections: Solid Republican
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Republican
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds
U.S. House battlegrounds
Federal and state primary competitiveness
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2026
See also
North Carolina's 8th Congressional District
U.S. Senate • 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th • 5th • 6th • 7th • 8th • 9th • 10th • 11th • 12th • 13th • 14th
North Carolina elections, 2026
U.S. Congress elections, 2026
U.S. Senate elections, 2026
U.S. House elections, 2026

A Democratic Party primary takes place on March 3, 2026, in North Carolina's 8th Congressional District to determine which Democratic candidate will run in the district's general election on November 3, 2026.

Candidate filing deadline Primary election General election
December 19, 2025
March 3, 2026
November 3, 2026



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.[1]

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

This page focuses on North Carolina's 8th Congressional District Democratic primary. For more in-depth information on the district's Republican primary and the general election, see the following pages:

Candidates and election results

Note: The following list includes official candidates only. Ballotpedia defines official candidates as people who:

  • Register with a federal or state campaign finance agency before the candidate filing deadline
  • Appear on candidate lists released by government election agencies

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 8

Justin Bunting, Jesse Oppenheim, and Colby Watson are running in the Democratic primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 8 on March 3, 2026.

Candidate
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Justin Bunting Candidate Connection
Image of Jesse Oppenheim
Jesse Oppenheim Candidate Connection
Image of Colby Watson
Colby Watson Candidate Connection

There are no incumbents in this race.

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

Justin Bunting

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WebsiteFacebookX

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  ""I’m a proud family man with a loving wife and five wonderful kids. For 13 years, I worked hard in the oil fields of the Midwest, gaining firsthand experience of the struggles and dedication of American workers. Eight years ago, I made North Carolina my home, where I owned and operated a house cleaning and painting business, contributing to the local community. During the COVID-19 outbreak, I worked at Walmart and delivered food for DoorDash to help support my family and serve others during challenging times. My journey is rooted in hard work, resilience, and a deep commitment to my family and community.""

Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

1. Gun Reform & Public Safety "Fighting for common-sense gun reform to protect our communities and schools. I will work tirelessly to ban machine guns, strengthen background checks, and ensure our children grow up in a safer America."

2. Affordable Housing for All "Lowering housing costs and tackling the affordable housing crisis head-on. Every family deserves access to safe, secure, and affordable homes without breaking their wallets."

3. Protecting Democracy & Equal Rights "Championing democracy and standing up for everyone’s rights. From supporting disability rights to fighting for gender equity and protecting women’s health decisions, I will always prioritize fairness and justice for all."

Jesse Oppenheim

Image of Jesse Oppenheim

WebsiteFacebook

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "I’m Jesse Oppenheim, a husband, a father, and an attorney who’s spent his career solving complex problems and standing up for what’s right. I I’m not a career politician. I’ve led legal departments, advised executives, and worked at the intersection of healthcare and technology to help make systems more efficient and accessible. Now I’m stepping up to serve because I believe our district, and our country, deserve leaders who listen, show up, and deliver results with integrity. My family and I live in Charlotte, where I’ve been deeply involved in the local community for years. I’ve chaired nonprofit boards, stayed active in my community, and mentored young professionals. I know what it’s like to balance a demanding job with raising a family, and I know how much government decisions affect our daily lives. I’m running for Congress to bring common sense back to Washington. That means fighting for affordable healthcare, protecting democracy, rebuilding infrastructure, and making sure working families aren’t left behind. I’m running because I believe we can do better, and I’m ready to prove it."

Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

End Congressional Stock Trading. I’m running to restore trust in government and that starts with banning members of Congress from trading individual stocks. Too many politicians treat public office like a path to private profit. I’ve spent my career building accountability into complex systems, and I believe in holding leaders to the same rules as everyone else. This isn’t a partisan issue. It’s a common-sense reform supported by Americans across the political spectrum. If you’re making laws, you shouldn’t be making stock picks. I’m not running to play the game, I’m running to change the rules.

Fix healthcare so it works for real people. I’m General Counsel to a medical billing software company, trying to assist patients and doctors navigate one of the most complex, and expensive, systems in America. I’ve seen how red tape and bad policy hurt patients and providers alike. In Congress, I’ll fight for affordable, accessible healthcare that puts people first, starting with expanding Medicaid, capping drug prices, and protecting rural hospitals from closure. No one should go broke to see a doctor or lose their job because they got sick.

Invest in infrastructure and opportunity. From crumbling roads to unreliable internet, too many communities in our district are being held together with duct tape and prayers. I’m running to bring real investment back home, into roads, bridges, school buildings, clean water, and broadband. Infrastructure isn’t just about concrete, it’s about opportunity. Good schools, safe streets, and strong local economies start with the basics. I’ve spent my career solving problems, cutting through red tape, and making systems work. In Congress, I’ll fight to bring those same skills to rebuild what’s been neglected for far too long.

Colby Watson

Image of Colby Watson

WebsiteFacebookXYouTube

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "First and foremost, I am a lifelong North Carolinian, born and raised in Indian Trail right here in the 8th District. I’m a husband, father, and small business owner. I’m a lover of democracy and a firm believer that government should serve the people, not special interests. I believe deeply in fairness, equality, and justice for all."

Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

End corruption and take money out of politics. Our democracy has been hijacked by big money and special interests. I’m running to restore power to the people by ending the influence of super PACs and corporate lobbyists. Real change begins when we remove corruption from our political system.

Tackle the cost of living crisis and the growing wealth inequality. The cost of living keeps rising while wages stay the same, forcing working families to do more with less. Meanwhile, the wealth gap grows wider, and the middle class continues to shrink. I believe in policies that ensure every person who works hard can afford a home, pay their bills, and build a better future, because prosperity should not be reserved for the few at the top.

We must invest in our communities, our schools, healthcare, infrastructure, and local economies, so that every person has the tools and opportunities to thrive. When we strengthen our communities, we strengthen the foundation of our democracy and build a future that works for everyone, not just the powerful few.

Voting information

See also: Voting in North Carolina

Ballotpedia will publish the dates and deadlines related to this election as they are made available.

Campaign finance

Name Party Receipts* Disbursements** Cash on hand Date
Justin Bunting Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Jesse Oppenheim Democratic Party $145,562 $37,258 $108,304 As of September 30, 2025
Colby Watson Democratic Party $1,000 $517 $483 As of September 30, 2025

Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2026. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee."
** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.
*** Candidate either did not report any receipts or disbursements to the FEC, or Ballotpedia did not find an FEC candidate ID.

District analysis

This section will contain facts and figures related to this district's elections when those are available.

Ballot access

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. House candidates in North Carolina in the 2026 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in North Carolina, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. House candidates, 2026
State Office Party Signatures required Filing fee Filing deadline Source
North Carolina U.S. House Ballot-qualified party 5% of registered voters in the same party or 200, whichever is greater $1,740 12/19/2025 Source
North Carolina U.S. House Unaffiliated 1.5% of all registered N.C. voters in the district, as of January 1 of the election year. $1,740 12/19/2025 Source

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ North Carolina General Assembly, "N.C. Gen. Stat. § 163–119," accessed October 21, 2025


North Carolina's current delegation to the United States Congress
Senators
Ted Budd (R)
Thom Tillis (R)
Representatives
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
District 7
District 8
District 9
District 10
District 11
District 12
District 13
District 14
Republican Party (12)
Democratic Party (4)


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