Eye on the Triangle

North Carolina's 2026 midterm elections are wrapping up, and the results are mostly in! Autumn Smith breaks down the projected results of the election, including statewide Senate and House seats and positions across cities and counties in the NC Triangle.

Eye on the Triangle is a podcast produced by WKNC 88.1 FM HD-1/HD-2, student-run radio from NC State University. Like what you hear? Consider supporting it with a gift to the WKNC Enhancement Fund. Visit our podcast page to hear more and follow us on all social media platforms @WKNC881. Thanks for listening.

Creators and Guests

Host
Autumn Smith
Public Affairs Director (2026-2027)

What is Eye on the Triangle?

"Eye on the Triangle" is your source for local news, reviews and interviews. Roughly an hour of programming, this block is essentially the NPR of WKNC. Tune in to hear about news and events around Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and the surrounding communities. To find out more about our program or learn how NC State students can join the team, email us at wknc-publicaffairs@ncsu.edu.

00:04
Autumn Smith
You are now listening to Eye on the Triangle, WKNC's weekly public affairs program from the campus of North Carolina State University. Any views and opinions expressed during Eye on the Triangle do not represent NC State or student media. This is WKNC 88.1 FM HD1 Raleigh. Hello and thank you for tuning in to Eye on the Triangle. This is Autumn Smith with WKNC. Here is your weekly news roundup. Former governor Roy Cooper has been called as the winner of North Carolina's Senate seat in the 2026 midterm election. According to Associated Press, the key race for the seat held by Republican Thom Tillis since 2015 was decided by nearly 20 points as Cooper beat out Republican nominee Michael Whatley. The race was one of the first Senate elections called by the Associated Press.

00:53
Autumn Smith
On election night, the North Carolina Triangle showed up to vote for the senator elect as Wake, Durham and Orange county filled over 500,000 ballots, almost a quarter of the state's votes in favor of Cooper. Other counties surrounding the Triangle, including areas that historically vote Republican, swung Blue during the 2026 election. Johnston county, which voted 22 points in favor of Donald Trump over Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election, swung 28 points left to nominate Cooper over Whatley by 6%. Nash county, which favored Trump by 2 points, featured a 17 point win for Cooper. Cooper, born in Nashville, North Carolina, has been in state politics since 1987 as a member of the North Carolina House of representatives.

01:40
Autumn Smith
After a 16 year term as Attorney General from 2001 to 2017, Cooper served two terms as the governor in North Carolina, later being succeeded in 2025 by Josh Stein, who served as Attorney General under Cooper during his time in public service for North Carolina. The senator elect has never lost an election. While Cooper is popular among North Carolina residents, elections across the state in 2026 showed a major shift toward the Democrat party at the time of production. The Associated press has called 10 out of 14 U.S. house of Representatives races in North Carolina, with Democrats gaining at least five seats. The current projected result indicates 10 Democratic seats and four Republican seats. Virginia Foxx, Republican member of the U.S. house from North Carolina's 5th District since 2005, is 99 votes behind Democrat Chuck Hubbard as of Nov. 8.

02:33
Autumn Smith
The race is too close to count, with provisional and mail in ballots still being considered. The district covers Greensboro as well as a significant northern portion of the Piedmont region and Appalachian Mountains. Hubbard is seeking to be the first Democratic representative of the area since 1995. Raleigh is split into three congressional districts. North Carolina won by incumbent Deborah Ross by 52 points. North Carolina 4 won by incumbent Valerie Foushee by 60 points in NC 13, with Democrat Paul Barringer winning the seat over incumbent Republican Brad Knott by just over two points. These three names were present on the ballots of Wake county voters. State districts 6, 9, 11 and 14 have also flipped in favor of Democratic candidates, three of which defeated incumbent Republican representatives.

03:22
Autumn Smith
The North Carolina Senate has culled 46 of 50 seats, 23 for each party, with the final count projecting 26 Republicans and 24 Democrats. Wake county, electing Senate districts 13 through 18 nominated all six incumbent Democrats. The North Carolina House elections, while not finalized, indicate a Democrat majority, according to data provided by the North Carolina Free Enterprise foundation, with all Precincts reported. The NC House is projected to be led by 71 Democrats, 48 Republicans and one unaffiliated candidate. Wake county, responsible for 13 seats in the North Carolina House of Representatives, elected Democrats for all 13 seats.

04:04
Autumn Smith
Other notable wins in Wake county include Anita Earls for North Carolina Supreme Court, Associate Justice Mona Singh and Christine Kushner for Board of Commissioners at large Claudia Croom for Clerk of Superior Court Willie Rowe for Wake County Sheriff Janet Cowell for City of Raleigh's mayor and Ms. Stormie Denise Forte and Sana Siddiqui for Raleigh City Council at large. All three constitutional amendments proposed in the statewide election backed by North Carolina Republicans, were approved. The property tax levy limit will impose a revenue limit on local governments to prevent raises on property tax. The proposal protects North Carolina residents from price hikes after property reassessment, but critics warn that the amendment may underfund state services, notably education and teacher pay. The second approved amendment will require photo ID to be provided for mail in voters.

04:56
Autumn Smith
Back in 2018, North Carolina residents voted to approve a similar voter ID amendment for in person voting. Opposition of the law claims that the amendment may disenfranchise voters while approval is backed in placing further protections against election fraud. The third approved amendment imposes a maximum income tax rate of 3.5% for both individuals and companies, lowered from 7%. The amendment will protect North Carolinians from future tax raises, with critics saying the cap limits the state's power in case of emergencies and prevents wealthy citizens and corporations from having to pay higher taxes. Durham, Orange and Chatham county voted against all three constitutional amendments, with Wake county only voting against the photo ID requirement amendment. North Carolina voted in favor of all three amendments by an average of 20 points each. All of the projected results presented in this broadcast are accurate as of November 8, 2026.

05:52
Autumn Smith
Provisional ballots are due on November 10, and military or overseas ballots are due on November 12, according to ABC11. All county board of Elections are scheduled to complete canvasses on November 13, and the state Board of Elections will Certify results on November 24th. In an update from last week, NC State SGMA NU fraternity is officially suspended as the university revokes recognition, according to wral. Police reports found videos indicating hazing activity by members of Sigma Nu alleging forced consumption of drugs and liquids and engaging activities, leaving pledges sick or injured. Police officers seized 13 cell phones, two laptops, two iPads, and multiple containers containing illicit substances from the fraternity home, according to wral.

06:38
Autumn Smith
North Carolina State provides this statement in regards to NC State prohibits hazing by any member of the University community in retaliation against any person reporting hazing or participating in any investigation or disciplinary proceeding involving hazing. Students can report an incident of hazing at NC State at studentconduct.dasa.ncsu.edu. More resources and information on hazing is available at hazing.dasa.ncsu.edu. This has been Eye on the Triangle from WKNC 88.1 FM HD1 Raleigh. Our theme song is City Lights by BerryDeep, licensed under Creative Commons. To relisten to this or any other episode, visit wknc.org/podcast or subscribe to Eye on the Triangle on your favorite podcast site or app. Thank you for listening.