Here are the NC primary elections that are headed to a May 14 run-off
Primary election season in North Carolina did not end Tuesday night. For a few races, the primaries will continue for another two months.
In North Carolina if the leading candidate does not receive more than 30% of the vote, then the second-place finisher is entitled to request a run-off election.
The run-off will be May 14.
Among the races that will continue:
Lieutenant governor
Candidates: Republicans Hal Weatherman and Jim O'Neill
Weatherman served as chief of staff for former North Carolina Lt. Gov. Dan Forest and former U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick. O'Neill is the Forsyth County district attorney. He was the Republican nominee for attorney general in 2020 and lost by less than 14,000 votes.
What happened: Weatherman and O'Neill topped a GOP field that included 11 candidates. But neither candidate reached the required 30% to avoid a run-off. In fact, neither candidate reached 20% as seven candidates received at least 8% of the vote, according to unofficial results.
"We will not be outworked and will settle for nothing but all out victory," Weatherman posted on social media Wednesday morning.
Up next: Democrat Rachel Hunt, a current state senator and the daughter of former Gov. Jim Hunt, handily won her three-person primary Tuesday night. Libertarian Dee Watson will also be on the ballot in November.
State auditor
Candidates: Republicans Jack Clark and Dave Boliek
Clark is a certified public accountant and budget policy assistant for the General Assembly. Boliek is an attorney and a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill trustee.
What happened: Clark won 23.3% of votes with Boliek close behind at 22.2% in the GOP primary. Four other candidates received between 9% and 18.6%, according to unofficial results.
Boliek said he would request a run-off.
"I've got supporters and people who have committed to my campaign," Boliek told WRAL on Wednesday. "I'm not going to let them down. I'm going to see this to the end."
Boliek said he spoke with Clark on Wednesday morning to let him know he'd request a run-off.
"It's a totally different race now," Boliek said.
Up next: The winner of the May 14 run-off will face incumbent Jessica Holmes, a Democrat who was appointed by Gov. Roy Cooper to replace Beth Wood. Wood resigned from office in her fourth term after being charged with using publicly owned vehicles for personal errands. She also charged after crashing a state-issued car into a parked vehicle in December 2022. Libertarian Bob Drach will also be on the ballot in November.
13th Congressional District
Candidates: Republicans Kelly Daughtry and Brad Knott
Daughtry, the daughter of a former state legislator, is a local attorney. Knott is a former federal prosecutor.
What happened: Daughtry (27%) and Knott (18.6%) outpaced a field of 14 Republican candidates. Fred Von Canon (17.1%) and DeVan Barbour (15.3%) also earned significant support. Daughtry flirted with the 30% threshold at times as Tuesday night's results came in, but fell short.
"We're hitting the campaign trail again," Knott said in a social media post on Wednesday, indicating he would ask for a run-off.
Daughtry said she was "overwhelmed by the support" she received.
The race could be expensive. Daughtry loaned her campaign more than $2 million, while Knott loaned his $250,000. Each candidate has a PAC funded by family members that spent nearly $1 million in the campaign so far.
Up next: The winner will face Democrat Frank Pierce in November. Pierce did not have a primary opponent. The district has been redrawn to favor Republicans. It curls around Wake County like a fish hook and includes parts or all of Caswell, Franklin, Johnston, Harnett, Wake and Lee counties.
6th Congressional District
Candidates: Republican Addison McDowell and Mark Walker
McDowell, a first-time candidate who was a registered lobbyist for Blue Cross Blue Shield, earned the endorsement of former President Donald Trump. McDowell is friends with Trump's son, Don Jr.
Walker represented the district in Congress from 2015 to 2021. He did not run for re-election in 2020 when the district was redrawn to favor Democrats. Walker ran for the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate in 2022, finishing a distant third behind Ted Budd and Pat McCrory. Walker entered the 2024 governor's race before opting to run in his old district, which was redrawn by state lawmakers to favor Republicans.
What happened: McDowell (26.1%) and Walker (24.0%) finished atop a six-person primary, topping military veteran Christian Castelli (21.0%), Bo Hines (14.4%) and two others. Hines, who lost in the general election in a Triangle-area district in 2022, was backed by the Club For Growth.
"No question about it," Walker told WRAL on Tuesday night when asked if he'd request a run-off.
Up next: The winner is headed to Congress. There is no Democratic candidate in the race. Incumbent Kathy Manning opted not to run for re-election when the composition of the district changed. The district includes all or parts of Cabarrus, Davidson, Davie, Guilford, Forsyth and Rowan counties.
