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Democratic Rep. Bryan Cohn, who represents one of the most competitive House districts in North Carolina, announced on Wednesday he would run for the seat once again after having initially decided not to seek reelection.
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The announcement comes a week after Curtis McCrae — who won the Democratic nomination for Cohn’s seat — dropped out of the race due to health issues.
“When Curtis made the difficult decision to step aside, I knew our community needed someone ready to step forward,” Cohn said in a statement. “While I had not planned to be a candidate this year, my commitment to the people of Granville and Vance counties has never changed.”
When Cohn decided not to seek reelection late last year, he said, “I need to refocus my time and energy on my family and on growing my small business here at home.” He endorsed McCrae in the Democratic primary.
In Wednesday’s announcement, Cohn said he was grateful to Democratic Party leaders who “encouraged me to step up at this moment,” and reenter the race.
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Cohn’s 2024 victory against incumbent Frank Sossamon helped break the Republican supermajority, making it far more difficult for the legislature to override Democratic Gov. Josh Stein’s vetoes.
Sossamon, a pastor, is now running to reclaim the seat. As Democrats seek to expand their numbers in the legislature and once again prevent a Republican supermajority, the race for House District 32 will be one of the most consequential of the year.
Cohn’s reinstatement as the nominee is not final. It’s up to Democratic Party officials in Vance and Granville counties to make the official decision on who takes the spot on November’s ballot.
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