Democratic challengers captured three North Carolina House seats on Nov 4, ousting freshman Republican representatives Tim Moore, Brad Knott and McDowell. LaKesha Womack won the 14th district with 50.9% of the vote to incumbent Tim Moore’s 49.1%, marking a Democratic flip in a seat previously considered out of reach for the party.
The loss of the 14th district was unexpected as the seat was rated “Safe Republican” and was drawn by Moore during his tenure as speaker of the N.C. House. Womack spent $59,000 on her campaign, while Moore raised $2.1M. In separate races, Paul Barringer defeated Rep. Knott with 50.6% of the vote, and Cyril Jefferson defeated Rep. McDowell with 50.5%.