2014 United States House of Representatives elections in North Carolina

The 2014 United States House of Representatives elections in North Carolina were held on Tuesday, November 4, 2014 to elect the 13 U.S. representatives from the state of North Carolina, one from each of the state's 13 congressional districts. The elections coincided with other elections to the United States Senate and House of Representatives and various state and local elections, including an election to the U.S. Senate.

Primary elections were held on Tuesday, May 6, 2014. In primaries in which no candidate won more than 40% of the vote (the Democratic primary in the 5th district and the Republican primary in the 6th district), second primary elections (runoffs) were held between the top two candidates on July 15, 2014.

By district
Results of the 2014 United States House of Representatives elections in North Carolina by district:

District 1
The 1st district is located in Northeastern North Carolina and includes towns such as Durham, Elizabeth City, Henderson, Roanoke Rapids, Rocky Mount, Goldsboro and New Bern. The incumbent was Democrat G. K. Butterfield, who ha represented the district since 2004. He was re-elected with 75% of the vote in 2012, and the district has a PVI of D+19.

Nominee

 * G. K. Butterfield, incumbent U.S. Representative

Eliminated in primary

 * Dan Whittacre, high school teacher, HHS federal agent, and candidate for this district in 2012

Withdrawn

 * Rodward Hewlin

Nominee

 * Arthur Rich, accountant and candidate for lieutenant governor in 2012

Eliminated in primary

 * Brent Shypulefski

District 2
The 2nd district is located in central North Carolina and includes all or parts of Alamance, Chatham, Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Lee, Moore, and Wake counties. The incumbent was Republican Renee Ellmers, who had represented the district since 2011. She was re-elected with 56% of the vote in 2012, and the district has a PVI of R+10.

Ellmers had considered running for the U.S. Senate but instead ran for re-election.

Nominee

 * Renee Ellmers, incumbent U.S. Representative

Eliminated in primary

 * Frank Roche, conservative internet talk show host and lecturer in economics at Elon University, candidate for North Carolina's 4th congressional district in 2010 & candidate for State Treasurer in 2012

Declined

 * Jim Duncan, chair of the Chatham County Republican Party, co-founder of the grassroots organization Coalition for American Principles

Nominee

 * Clay Aiken, singer, actor and activist

Eliminated in primary

 * Keith Crisco, former North Carolina Secretary of Commerce
 * Toni Morris, professional counselor and candidate for the district in 2012

Withdrawn

 * Houston Barnes, attorney (endorsed Aiken)

Results
The results were too close to call even a week later, with Crisco only narrowly behind Aiken, who was only just above the 40% necessary to avoid a runoff. As both candidates were waiting for the results to be certified (this was to be done May 13, 2014), Crisco died suddenly on May 12, after suffering a fall in his home. He was 71. Though Crisco had initially said he would not concede, he changed his mind and had planned to concede on May 13.

District 3
The 3rd district is located on the Atlantic coast of North Carolina. It covers the Outer Banks and the counties adjacent to the Pamlico Sound. The incumbent was Republican Walter B. Jones, Jr., who had represented the district since 1995. He was re-elected with 63% of the vote in 2012, and the district has a PVI of R+11.

Republican primary
Taylor Griffin, a one-time aide to United States Senator Jesse Helms and to President George W. Bush, ran in the primary against Jones. Griffin sold his consulting firm in Washington, D.C., and moved back to New Bern.

Nominee

 * Walter Jones, incumbent U.S. Representative

Eliminated in primary

 * Taylor Griffin, former aide to Senator Jesse Helms and President George W. Bush
 * Albin "Big Al" Novinec

Declined

 * Scott Dacey, Craven County Commissioner

Jason Thigpen, a U.S. Army veteran and founder of the Student Veterans Advocacy Group, first announced that he would challenge Jones in the Republican primary, but then left the Republican Party and said he would run as a Democrat. Ultimately, he did not file to run for any party's nomination.

Nominee

 * Marshall Adame, retired U.S. Marine, former U.S. diplomat in Iraq, former member of the Congressional Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan and former U.S. Basra International Airport Director

District 4
The 4th district is located in northern North Carolina and includes Orange, Durham, Harnett, Chatham and Wake counties. The incumbent was Democrat David Price, who had represented the district since 1997, and previously represented it from 1987 to 1995. He was re-elected with 74% of the vote in 2012, and the district has a PVI of D+20.

Nominee

 * David Price, incumbent U.S. Representative

Nominee

 * Paul Wright, attorney, former District Court & Superior Court judge and candidate for Governor of North Carolina in 2012

District 5
The 5th district is located in northwestern North Carolina, from the Appalachian Mountains to the Piedmont Triad and includes Watauga, Ashe, Wilkes, Alexander, Iredell, Davie, Yadkin, Surry, Alleghany, Forsyth, Stokes and Reckingham counties. The incumbent was Republican Virginia Foxx, who had represented the district since 2005. She was re-elected with 58% of the vote in 2012, and the district has a PVI of R+11.

Foxx had considered running for the U.S. Senate but instead ran for re-election.

Nominee

 * Virginia Foxx, incumbent U.S. Representative

Eliminated in primary

 * Philip Doyle

Nominee

 * Joshua Brannon, software developer

Eliminated in primary

 * Gardenia Henley, retired U.S. Agency for International Development auditor, candidate for state representative in 2010, for governor in 2012 and for Mayor of Winston-Salem in 2013
 * Michael W. Holleman
 * Will Stinson, candidate for state representative in 2012

Runoff
Because Brannon did not secure more than 40 percent of the vote, he and Henley advanced to a runoff.

District 6
The 6th district is located in northern North Carolina and includes all of Caswell, Person, Rockingham, Surry and Stokes counties as well as parts of Guilford, Alamance, Durham, Granville and Orange counties. The incumbent was Republican Howard Coble, who had represented the district since 1985. He was re-elected with 61% of the vote in 2012, and the district has a PVI of R+10.

Republican primary
Citing his health, Coble announced on November 7, 2013, that he would retire and not seek another term in 2014.

Nominee

 * Mark Walker, pastor

Eliminated in primary

 * Phil Berger Jr., Rockingham County District Attorney
 * Mike Causey, former insurance agent and nominee for North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance in 2012
 * Kenn Kopf, attorney
 * Zack Matheny, businessman and Greensboro City Councilman
 * Jeff Phillips, financial adviser, Guilford County Commissioner and candidate for this seat in 2010
 * Charlie Sutherland, retired businessman and candidate for District 13 in 2006
 * Bruce VonCannon, retired banker
 * Don Webb, financial adviser and Piedmont Triad International Airport Authority member

Declined

 * Howard Coble, incumbent U.S. Representative

Runoff
Because Berger did not win more than 40 percent of the vote, he and Walker advanced to a runoff, which Walker won.

Nominee

 * Laura Fjeld, attorney and former vice president of the University of North Carolina system

Eliminated in primary

 * Bruce Davis, Guilford County Commissioner and candidate for the state senate in 2008, 2010 and 2012

District 7
The 7th district is located in southeastern North Carolina and includes Robeson, Cumberland, Sampson, Bladen, Columbus, Brunswick, New Hanover, Pender and Duplin counties. The incumbent was Democrat Mike McIntyre, who had represented the district since 1997. He was re-elected with 50% of the vote in 2012, and the district has a PVI of R+12.

Nominee

 * Jonathan Barfield, Jr., New Hanover County Commissioner

Eliminated in primary

 * Walter A. Martin, Jr., Princeton Town Commissioner

Declined

 * Mike McIntyre, incumbent U.S. Representative

Nominee

 * David Rouzer, former state senator from the 12th district and nominee for this district in 2012

Eliminated in primary

 * Chris Andrade
 * Haywood "Woody" White, New Hanover County Commissioner and former state senator

Minor parties
Attorney J. Wesley Casteen, who ran for a seat on the North Carolina Court of Appeals in 2010, was the Libertarian Party nominee. Louis Harmati, who ran for the state legislature as a Republican in 2012, ran as a write-in candidate.

District 8
The 8th district is located in Southern North Carolina and includes all of Anson County, Montgomery County, Richmond County, Scotland County and Stanly County, as well as portions of Cabarrus County, Davidson County, Mecklenburg County, Randolph County, Robeson County, Rowan County and Union County. The incumbent was Republican Richard Hudson, who had represented the district since 2013. He was elected in 2012, defeating Democratic incumbent Larry Kissell with 53% of the vote. The district has a PVI of R+11.

Nominee

 * Richard Hudson, incumbent U.S. Representative

Nominee

 * Antonio Blue, Mayor of Dobbins Heights, U.S. Army veteran and write-in candidate for this district in 2012

District 9
The 9th district is located in south-central North Carolina and includes parts of Iredell, Mecklenburg and Union counties. The incumbent was Republican Robert Pittenger, who had represented the district since 2013. He was elected with 52% of the vote in 2012, succeeding retiring Republican incumbent Sue Myrick. The district has a PVI of R+8.

Pittenger had considered running for the U.S. Senate but instead ran for re-election.

Nominee

 * Robert Pittenger, incumbent U.S. Representative

Eliminated in primary

 * Michael Steinberg, businessman and candidate for this seat in 2012.

Democratic primary
No Democrat filed to run for the seat, making this district the only one in the state not being contested by both major parties in 2014.

Independents
There was a write-in campaign for candidate Shawn Eckles of Iredell County.

District 10
The 10th district is located in central and western North Carolina and includes all of Cleveland, Gaston, Lincoln and Rutherford counties and parts of Catawba, Iredell and Buncombe counties. The incumbent was Republican Patrick McHenry, who had represented the district since 2005. He was re-elected with 57% of the vote in 2012, and the district has a PVI of R+11.

McHenry had considered running for the U.S. Senate but instead ran for re-election.

Nominee

 * Patrick McHenry, incumbent U.S. Representative

Eliminated in primary

 * Richard Lynch, business owner and candidate for North Carolina's 9th congressional district in 2012

Nominee

 * Tate MacQueen, High school social studies teacher and soccer coach

Declined

 * Terry Bellamy, Mayor of Asheville and candidate for this seat in 2012

District 11
The 11th district is located in western North Carolina and includes Yancey, McDowell, Rutherford, Polk, Henderson, Buncombe, Madison, Haywood, Jackson, Transylvania, Swain, Macon, Clay, Graham and Cherokee counties. The incumbent was Republican Mark Meadows, who had represented the district since 2013. He was elected with 57% of the vote in 2012, succeeding retiring Democratic incumbent Heath Shuler. The district has a PVI of R+13.

Nominee

 * Mark Meadows, incumbent U.S. Representative

Nominee

 * Tom Hill, physicist and candidate for this seat in 2012

Eliminated in primary

 * Keith Ruehl, businessman and volunteer firefighter

District 12
The 12th district is located in central North Carolina and includes parts of Charlotte, Winston-Salem, Greensboro, Lexington, Salisbury, Concord, and High Point. Democrat Mel Watt held this seat from 1993 until he resigned on January 6, 2014, to become director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. The special election to fill the seat for the remainder of the current Congress would be held concurrently with the regular 2014 elections. Watt was re-elected with 80% of the vote in 2012 and the district has a PVI of D+26.

Nominee

 * Alma Adams, state representative

Eliminated in primary

 * George Battle III, general counsel to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board
 * Marcus Brandon, state representative
 * Malcolm Graham, state senator
 * Curtis C. Osborne, attorney
 * Rajive Patel, former mayor of East Spencer

All except Patel also ran in the special election.

Withdrew

 * Brad Craver, management consultant
 * Beverly M. Earle, state representative and nominee for Mayor of Charlotte in 2007
 * James "Smuggie" Mitchell, Jr., former Charlotte City Council member and candidate for Mayor of Charlotte in 2013
 * Rodney W. Moore, state representative

Nominee

 * Vince Coakley, former TV news anchor

Eliminated in primary

 * Leon Threatt

Coakley was the only Republican to file for the special election.

District 13
The 13th district is located in northern North Carolina and includes parts of Granville, Wake, Durham, Edgecombe, Franklin, Nash, Vance, Wayne and Wilson counties. The incumbent was Republican George Holding, who had represented the district since 2013. He was elected with 57% of the vote in 2012, succeeding retiring Democratic incumbent Brad Miller. The district has a PVI of R+8.

Holding had considered running for the U.S. Senate but instead ran for re-election.

Nominee

 * George Holding, incumbent U.S. Representative

Nominee

 * Brenda Cleary, registered nurse and former executive director of the North Carolina Center for Nursing

Eliminated in primary

 * Virginia Conlon
 * Arunava "Ron" Sanyal