United States 2026 / By state / North Carolina

North Carolina · Midterm elections · 3 November 2026

Who paid to reach North Carolina voters

The Democratic side outspent the Republican side in North Carolina, $3.6M to $1.7M. The costliest race: U.S. Senate, at $2.5M. Michael Whatley was the most-attacked name in the state.

Ads delivered from 4 May 2026 to 4 November 2026 · Results: unofficial count as of 6 November 2026

6.6Kads about North Carolina races
$5.9Mspent, Meta range midpoints
422pages
62 / 29% Dem. / Rep. side

The races

Each race links to its candidates’ pages, with the unofficial count above its spend. Spend counts every ad about the race, the candidates’ own and outside groups’.

Democratic sideRepublican sideNo side (white figures)

U.S. Senate

Cooper vs Whatley

Roy Cooper D Won58.7%Michael Whatley R39.1%

$2.5M · 2,019 ads · 53 pages

  • Roy Cooper$332.6K own
  • Outside groups and others$2.1M

Largest pages

Governor

Roy Cooper

$77.4K · 36 ads · 4 pages

  • Roy Cooper$69.7K own
  • Outside groups and others$7.7K

Largest pages

U.S. House

House · 14 districts

$1.4M · 1,454 ads · 42 pages

Other statewide offices

$603.3K · 140 ads · 32 pages

Largest pages

State legislature

$934.2K · 1,471 ads · 138 pages

    Largest pages

    Ballot measures

    • Property Tax Levy Limit Amendment · Require the state legislature to pass laws limiting the amount that property taxes may increasePassedYes 60.4% · No 39.6%
    • Reduce Income Tax Rate Cap from 7% to 3.5% Amendment · Reduce the maximum allowable income tax rate from 7% to 3.5%PassedYes 61.9% · No 38.1%
    • Require Voter Identification Amendment · Require photographic identification to vote for all voters, not just those voting in personPassedYes 59.6% · No 40.4%

    $96.2K · 330 ads · 24 pages

      Largest pages

      Local races

      $365.9K · 1,153 ads · 191 pages

        Largest pages

        U.S. House, district by district

        14 districts with ads. A district is placed only when the ad names it, or the candidate’s FEC record does.

        DistrictCandidates with adsResultLargest pageAdsSpendSide
        NC-5Chuck Hubbard, Virginia FoxxNot yet called · 99.0% inChuck Hubbard for Congress403$263.3K
        NC-1Laurie Buckhout, Don DavisDon Davis D 50.1%Laurie Buckhout for Congress204$170K
        NC-11Jamie Ager, Jennifer BalkcomJamie Ager D 57.1%Welcome Team114$101.3K
        NC-14Tim MooreLakesha Womack D 51.1%Tim Moore33$36.1K
        NC-9Richard Ojeda, Richard Hudson Jr.Richard Ojeda D 51.1%Team Ojeda83$35.2K
        NC-2Deborah RossDeborah Ross D 75.1%Deborah Ross6$19K
        NC-13Brad KnottPaul Barringer D 50.5%Brad Knott for Congress8$11.6K
        NC-6Addison McDowellCyril Jefferson D 51.1%Addison McDowell for Congress8$6.2K
        NC-7Kimberly HardyNot yet called · 99.0% inKimberly Hardy for Congress82$5.9K
        NC-3Gregory MurphyNot yet called · 98.8% inGreg Murphy for Congress9$3.8K
        NC-8Colby WatsonMark Harris R 50.4%Colby Watson for Congress31$3.3K
        NC-12John CodigaAlma Adams D 81.2%Jack Codiga For Congress12$2.6K
        NC-10Ashley BellPat Harrigan R 49.7%Ashley Bell for Congress, NC-1031$1.8K
        NC-4Valerie Foushee D 79.1%North Carolina Democratic Party1$50
        District not namedRestoration of America Pac429$699.1K

        Who paid

        The pages that spent the most on North Carolina’s races; spend here is what each page spent in this state.

        #AdvertiserSideRaceAdsSpendAttack
        1Roy CooperPaid for by Cooper Victory FundDem.Senate726$1.1M29%
        2WinSenatePaid for by WINSENATEDem.Senate50$558.6K100%
        3NC Families FirstDem.Other statewide17$318.7K100%
        4Senate Leadership FundPaid for by SLF PACRep.Senate417$275.8K100%
        5Chuck Hubbard for CongressDem.House NC-5386$224.1K98%
        6State + Local Election AllianceNoneOther statewide17$214.8K24%
        7Restoration of America PacRep.House, district not named47$186.2K100%
        8Roy Cooper: 40 Years is EnoughPaid for by SLF PACRep.Senate395$181.8K100%
        9AFP ActionPaid for by AMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY ACTION, INC.(AFP ACTION)Rep.Senate59$130.7K51%
        10American Bridge 21st CenturyPaid for by AB PACDem.House, district not named33$108.1K100%
        11Majority ForwardPaid for by MAJORITY FORWARDDem.Senate6$90.7K100%
        12Michael LeePaid for by Committee to Elect Michael LeeRep.Legislature88$90.6K1.1%
        13Laurie Buckhout for CongressPaid for by LAURIE BUCKHOUT FOR CONGRESSRep.House NC-1122$89K84%
        14North Carolina Opportunity AlliancePaid for by NC OPPORTUNITY ALLIANCERep.Legislature148$80.7K80%
        15Don DavisPaid for by DON DAVIS FOR NCDem.House NC-154$70.6K85%
        16North Carolina ChamberPaid for by NORTH CAROLINA CHAMBERRep.Legislature73$67.7K0.0%
        17Welcome TeamPaid for by WELCOMEPACDem.House NC-1141$67.1K15%
        18North Carolina House DemocratsPaid for by North Carolina Democratic Party House CaucusDem.Legislature32$64K41%
        19The North CarolinianPaid for by SLF PACRep.Senate156$61.8K100%
        20Jessica Bichler for NCDem.Legislature20$52.7K100%
        21Congressional Leadership FundPaid for by CONGRESSIONAL LEADERSHIP FUNDRep.House, district not named13$49.3K85%
        22Progress North Carolina ActionPaid for by Progress NC ActionDem.Other statewide19$48.7K74%
        23Judge John ArrowoodPaid for by Re-Elect Judge ArrowoodDem.Other statewide1$47.5K
        24Freedom Caucus FundRep.House, district not named104$46.6K88%
        25The States ProjectPaid for by THE PAC FOR AMERICA'S FUTUREDem.Legislature23$44.2K0.0%

        Every page with ads about North Carolina, with search and the CSV: the advertisers.

        Who was attacked

        TargetAttack spendMostly by
        Michael Whatley$686.5KDemocratic side
        Roy Cooper$431.1KRepublican side
        Sarah Stevens$336.6KDemocratic side
        Don Davis$293.3KRepublican side
        Virginia Foxx$138.8KDemocratic side
        Collins, Bell, & Byrne$112.7KNo side
        Donald Trump and Stephen Miller$75.3KDemocratic side
        Whatley$72.2KDemocratic side

        Google and YouTube

        Google’s register holds 2,724 election ads from 159 verified advertisers aimed at North Carolina alone since 4 May 2026, worth $24.4–29.4M by Google’s ranges, and 1,280 more named the state among others. Democratic committees and their allies bought the most.

        2,724

        Google ads aimed at North Carolina alone

        $24.4–29.4M

        spent, by Google’s ranges

        159

        verified advertisers

        60 / 40

        % Dem. / Rep. side, of placed Google spend

        AdvertiserSideAdsGoogle spend
        SLF PACRep.157$3.3–3.9M
        COOPER FOR NORTH CAROLINADem.506$2.4–2.9M
        WINSENATEDem.39$2.3–2.7M
        NO GOING BACK PAC INC.Rep.50$1.1–1.3M
        North Carolina Families FirstDem.27$1–1.2M

        An ad counts for the state only when its targeting named no other; Google’s state split is cumulative since 2018 and is not used. Spend is a sum of Google’s per-ad ranges; a side comes from the advertiser’s FEC committee, or failing that from a web search of its verified name. No ad text is published, so Google ads are not placed in races.

        A state’s page counts ads about its races and measures; the state comes from the ad’s text, page and payer, or the candidate’s FEC record. Ads about no single state are not here. Candidates are those whose FEC committees paid; state and local candidates appear through their pages.

        North Carolina: Facebook and Instagram ads in the 2026 midterms, race by race · Vipima