North Carolina voters are two weeks out from the Nov. 3 election, with high-stakes contests for U.S. Senate and House, the General Assembly, and Raleigh City Council, plus constitutional amendments on the ballot. Early voting is underway, and the campaigns are entering their final push.
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Here’s what to know about the state of play on Oct. 20, 2026.
Senate fundraising gap: Former Gov. Roy Cooper raised $12 million last quarter to Republican Michael Whatley’s $2 million, and new campaign-finance reports show Cooper with about $12.5 million cash on hand to Whatley’s $916,000 as national Republicans pull back ad support.
Trump heads to Greenville: President Donald Trump will headline a rally today in Greenville, with his remarks scheduled for 7 p.m., to stump for Whatley and 1st Congressional District candidate Laurie Buckhout.
Northern Wake battlegrounds: Two competitive legislative races just north of Raleigh — Senate District 18 and House District 35 — could help determine how much control Republicans keep in the General Assembly.
Southern Wake signs: Democratic state House candidate Winn Decker’s campaign says it did not produce or authorize rainbow “Winn Decker for Trans Rights” signs that the Wake County Republican Party circulated online, and campaign manager Lindsay Mahaffey said she doesn’t know who placed them.
No Kings marches to the polls: Despite rain, about 100 people marched in downtown Durham to an early voting site Saturday, in one of dozens of North Carolina events and nearly 3,000 nationwide aimed at mobilizing voters.
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Tax amendments worry school advocates: Public education groups are fighting two constitutional amendments that would cap state income taxes at 3.5% and require lawmakers to limit local property tax increases, with polls showing majorities of voters favor both measures.
Raleigh council candidates on density: Mayor Janet Cowell and several incumbents say Raleigh must keep building dense housing as the city tops 500,000 residents, while challengers press to protect historic neighborhoods from large infill projects.
Flock cameras divide candidates: Raleigh police use 29 Flock license-plate readers, and council candidates are split over whether to keep them, with some citing crime-solving value and others raising privacy and federal data-sharing concerns.
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists, including politics editor Jordan Schrader. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.
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This story was originally published October 20, 2026 at 5:00 AM.