Ojeda defeats House GOP campaign chair Richard Hudson

Democrat Richard Ojeda defeated Rep. Richard Hudson in North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District, unseating the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee and adding a seat to the incoming Democratic House majority. The unofficial count, with all 169 precincts reported, gave Ojeda 138,707 votes to Hudson’s 132,692. The result was scheduled for a statewide canvass on November 13, 2026. The Associated Press called the race Thursday afternoon, when Ojeda led 51% to 49%, according to its reported snapshot. Hudson had conceded Wednesday, saying he respected the district’s voters’ choice. The canvass remained pending in the reported results, so the totals had not yet been certified. Hudson chaired the National Republican Congressional Committee, the House Republicans’ campaign organization, which works to win or retain the chamber’s majority. Democrats had taken control of the House in the election, and Hudson’s defeat gave the incoming majority another seat. He had represented North Carolina in Congress since 2013 and was seeking an eighth term. The outcome reversed a substantial Republican advantage in the district’s recent elections. Hudson won the district by...