Iowa and New Hampshire receive immense attention from presidential primary campaigns. Should that attention shift to a bigger, more politically competitive state like North Carolina?

In searchable, sortable tables, we’ve compiled the complete list of candidates who filed to run for office in NC.

Window for candidates closes in NC. With everyone filed, primary and general election contests for federal, state, local offices take shape.

The maneuver culminated a nearly decade-long effort by Republican legislators, who have pushed through law after law shrinking the powers of North Carolina’s chief executive — always a Democrat during that time frame — as well as the portfolios of other executive branch officials who are Democrats.

Filing for North Carolina’s 2026 primary election officially closed at 12 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 19, setting the field for several high-profile federal, state, and local races across western North Carolina. The race for U.S. Senate is shaping up with crowded fields on both major party ballots.

North Carolina's State Board of Elections will use a drawing and coin flip to decide ballot order for 2026 elections.

The filing period for candidates in North Carolina’s 2026 elections has ended, setting up primary races across New Hanover County and beyond.

Candidate filing for the March 2026 primary ended Dec. 19. See who filed to run in Asheville and Buncombe County.

North Carolina was among the GOP-led states this year that redrew congressional lines mid-decade in an attempt to benefit Republicans.

Candidate filing for the 2026 election is well underway in North Carolina, teeing up races that voters will see on the ballot beginning in March. In some cases, it’s answered longstanding questions about who’s running and where, and in others, it’s made highly anticipated contests official.

While he is directly appealing to Americans that the economy is improving, President Trump visited a congressional district Republicans are eyeing in their attempts to keep control the U.S. House.