2010 United States House of Representatives elections in North Carolina

Elections were held on November 2, 2010, to determine North Carolina's 13 members of the United States House of Representatives. Representatives were elected for two-year-terms to serve in the 112th United States Congress from January 3, 2011, until January 3, 2013. Primary elections were held on May 4, 2010, and primary runoff elections were held on June 22, 2010.

Of the 13 elections, the races in the 2nd, 8th and 11th districts were rated as competitive by Sabato's Crystal Ball, while the 2nd, 7th, 8th and 11th districts were rated as competitive by CQ Politics and The Rothenberg Political Report, and the 2nd, 4th, 7th, 8th and 11th districts were rated as competitive by The Cook Political Report. Of North Carolina's 13 incumbents, 12 were re-elected while one (Bob Etheridge of the 2nd district) unsuccessfully sought re-election.

In total, seven Democrats and six Republicans were elected. A total of 2,662,529 votes were cast, of which 1,440,913 (54.12 percent) were for Republican candidates, 1,204,635 (45.24 percent) were for Democratic candidates, 16,562 (0.62 percent) were for Libertarian candidates and 439 (0.02 percent) were for write-in candidates. As of 2024, this is the last time the Democrats won a majority of North Carolina's congressional districts, even though they did not win the popular vote. As a result, North Carolina became one of four states in which the party that won the state's popular vote did not win a majority of seats in 2010, the other states being Iowa, Illinois, and New Jersey.

Overview Results of the 2010 United States House of Representatives elections in North Carolina by district:

DistrictRepublicanDemocraticOthersTotalResult Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes %District 1 70,867 40.69% 103,294 59.31% 0 0.00% 174,161 100.00% Democratic holdDistrict 2 93,876 49.47% 92,393 48.68% 3,505 1.85% 189,774 100.00% Republican gainDistrict 3 143,225 71.86% 51,317 25.75% 4,762 2.39% 199,304 100.00% Republican holdDistrict 4 116,448 42.84% 155,384 57.16% 0 0.00% 271,832 100.00% Democratic holdDistrict 5 140,525 65.89% 72,762 34.11% 0 0.00% 213,287 100.00% Republican holdDistrict 6 156,252 75.21% 51,507 24.79% 0 0.00% 207,759 100.00% Republican holdDistrict 7 98,328 46.32% 113,957 53.68% 0 0.00% 212,285 100.00% Democratic holdDistrict 8 73,129 43.67% 88,776 53.02% 5,537 3.31% 167,442 100.00% Democratic holdDistrict 9 158,790 68.97% 71,450 31.03% 0 0.00% 230,240 100.00% Republican holdDistrict 10 130,813 71.18% 52,972 28.82% 0 0.00% 183,785 100.00% Republican holdDistrict 11 110,246 45.66% 131,225 54.34% 0 0.00% 241,471 100.00% Democratic holdDistrict 12 55,315 34.14% 103,495 63.88% 3,197 1.97% 162,007 100.00% Democratic holdDistrict 13 93,099 44.50% 116,103 55.50% 0 0.00% 209,202 100.00% Democratic holdTotal 1,440,913 54.12% 1,204,635 45.24% 17,001 0.64% 2,662,549 100.00%

District 1

The 1st district included parts of Goldsboro, Greenville, Rocky Mount and Wilson. The district's population was 50 percent black and 44 percent white (see race and ethnicity in the United States census); 76 percent were high school graduates and 13 percent had received a bachelor's degree or higher. Its median income was $32,216. In the 2008 presidential election the district gave 63 percent of its vote to Democratic nominee Barack Obama and 37 percent to Republican nominee John McCain.

Democrat G. K. Butterfield, who took office in 2004, was the incumbent. Butterfield was re-elected in 2008 with 70 percent of the vote. In 2010 Butterfield's opponent in the general election was Republican nominee Ashley Woolard, an insurance executive. Chad Larkins, a contractor, also sought the Democratic nomination. John Carter, a U.S. Air Force veteran; Jerry Grimes, an assistant pastor and ethics instructor; and James Gordon Miller also sought the Republican nomination.

Butterfield raised $828,117 and spent $794,383. Woolard raised $133,394 and spent $133,387. Larkins raised $450 and spent no money. Grimes raised $11,747 and spent $10,752.

Prior to the election FiveThirtyEights forecast gave Butterfield a 100 percent chance of winning and projected that he would receive 63 percent of the vote to Woolard's 35 percent. On election day Butterfield was re-elected with 59 percent of the vote to Woolard's 41 percent. Butterfield was again re-elected in 2012 and 2014.

Democratic primary results

Republican primary results

Predictions SourceRankingAs of The Cook Political Report November 1, 2010 Rothenberg November 1, 2010 Sabato's Crystal BallCrystal Ball, November 1, 2010RCPRealClearPolitics, November 1, 2010CQ PoliticsOctober 28, 2010New York Times November 1, 2010FiveThirtyEight November 1, 2010

General election results

External links

District 2

The 2nd district included Sanford and parts of Fayetteville and Raleigh. The district's population was 58 percent white, 29 percent black and 11 percent Hispanic (see race and ethnicity in the United States census); 80 percent were high school graduates and 18 percent had received a bachelor's degree or higher. Its median income was $42,945. In the 2008 presidential election the district gave 52 percent of its vote to Democratic nominee Barack Obama and 47 percent to Republican nominee John McCain.

Democrat Bob Etheridge, who took office in 1997, was the incumbent. Etheridge was re-elected in 2008 with 67 percent of the vote. In 2010 Etheridge's opponent in the general election was Republican nominee Renee Ellmers, a nurse. Libertarian Party nominee Tom Rose also ran. Etheridge was unopposed in the Democratic primary. Frank Deatrich, a retired businessman; and Todd Gailas, an auto dealer, also sought the Republican nomination.

In June 2010 Etheridge was involved in an incident in which he grabbed a camera belonging to a pair of self-described students, one of whose wrists he then grabbed, before placing the student in a hug. One of the students had asked whether Etheridge supported "the Obama agenda", to which Etheridge replied "who are you?" The incident went viral on the internet and cable television, and led to a spike in financial contributions to Ellmers's campaign. Etheridge later issued an apology for grabbing the young man.

Etheridge raised $1,414,630 and spent $1,904,688. Ellmers raised $1,118,736 and spent $886,608. Gailas raised $2,140 and spent $959.

In a poll of 400 registered voters, conducted by SurveyUSA (SUSA) for the Civitas Institute (CI) in June 2010, Ellmers led with 39 percent to Etheridge's 38 percent, while 12 percent supported Rose and 11 percent were undecided. A poll of 400 registered voters, conducted by SUSA for CI in October 2010, found Ellmers leading with 46 percent to Etheridge's 41 percent while Rose had the support of 6 percent and 7 percent were undecided. Prior to the election FiveThirtyEight's forecast gave Ellmers a 55 percent chance of winning and projected that she would receive 47 percent of the vote to Etheridge's 46 percent, while Rose would receive 6 percent.

On election day Ellmers was elected with 50 percent of the vote to Etheridge's 49 percent, while Rose received 2 percent. On November 4, 2010, Etheridge had yet to concede despite the Associated Press declaring Ellmers the winner. On November 12 Etheridge confirmed he would seek a recount, after which he conceded on November 19. Ellmers was again re-elected in 2012 and 2014. Etheridge unsuccessfully ran for Governor of North Carolina in 2012. In 2013 Etheridge was appointed to lead North Carolina's Farm Service Agency.

Republican primary results

Predictions SourceRankingAs of The Cook Political Report November 1, 2010 Rothenberg November 1, 2010 Sabato's Crystal Ball November 1, 2010RCP November 1, 2010CQ PoliticsOctober 28, 2010New York Times November 1, 2010FiveThirtyEight November 1, 2010

General election results

External links

District 3

The 3rd district included Jacksonville and parts of Greenville and Wilson. The district's population was 75 percent white, 17 percent black and 6 percent Hispanic (see race and ethnicity in the United States census); 86 percent were high school graduates and 23 percent had received a bachelor's degree or higher. Its median income was $46,958. In the 2008 presidential election the district gave 61 percent of its vote to Republican nominee John McCain and 38 percent to Democratic nominee Barack Obama.

Republican Walter B. Jones Jr., who took office in 1995, was the incumbent. Jones was re-elected in 2008 with 66 percent of the vote. In 2010 Jones's opponent in the general election was Democratic nominee Johnny Rouse, an employee of The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. Libertarian Party nominee Darryl Holloman, a software developer, also ran. Robert Cavanaugh and Craig Weber, the latter of whom challenged Jones as a Democrat in 2006 and 2008, also sought the Republican nomination. Rouse was unopposed for the Democratic nomination.

Jones raised $672,357 and spent $577,215. Rouse raised $10,588 and spent $11,071. Holloman raised $355 and spent $238. Weber raised $2,181 and spent the same amount.

Prior to the election FiveThirtyEight's forecast gave Jones a 100 percent chance of winning and projected that he would receive 70 percent of the vote to Rouse's 28 percent. On election day Jones was re-elected with 72 percent of the vote to Rouse's 26 percent. Jones was again re-elected in 2012 and 2014.

Republican primary results

Predictions SourceRankingAs of The Cook Political Report November 1, 2010 Rothenberg November 1, 2010 Sabato's Crystal Ball November 1, 2010RCP November 1, 2010CQ PoliticsOctober 28, 2010New York Times November 1, 2010FiveThirtyEight November 1, 2010

General election results

External links

District 4

The 4th district included Chapel Hill, Durham, and parts of Cary and Raleigh. The district's population was 66 percent white, 19 percent black, 8 percent Hispanic and 6 percent Asian (see race and ethnicity in the United States census); 91 percent were high school graduates and 52 percent had received a bachelor's degree or higher. Its median income was $65,138. In the 2008 presidential election the district gave 62 percent of its vote to Democratic nominee Barack Obama and 37 percent to Republican nominee John McCain.

Democrat David Price, who took office in 1997 and previously served from 1987 to 1995, was the incumbent. Price was re-elected in 2008 with 63 percent of the vote. In 2010 Price's opponent in the general election was Republican nominee B.J. Lawson, who also ran in 2008. Price was unopposed for the Democratic nomination. David Burnett, the owner of a roofing company; George Hutchins, a Gulf War veteran; and Frank Roche, a former Wall Street executive, also sought the Republican nomination.

Price raised $994,557 and spent $1,335,750. Lawson raised $472,914 and spent $474,716. Burnett raised $12,783 and spent $12,540. Hutchins raised $8,942 and spent $18,944. Roche raised $94,711 and spent the same amount.

In a poll of 1,038 likely voters, conducted by Action Solutions for Lawson's campaign in August 2010, Lawson led with 46.5 percent of the vote to Price's 46.1 percent. Prior to the election FiveThirtyEight's forecast gave Price a 99 percent chance of winning and projected that he would receive 59 percent of the vote to Lawson's 41 percent. On election day Price was re-elected with 57 percent of the vote to Lawson's 43 percent. Price was again re-elected in 2012 and 2014.

Republican primary results

Predictions SourceRankingAs of The Cook Political Report November 1, 2010 Rothenberg November 1, 2010 Sabato's Crystal Ball November 1, 2010RCP November 1, 2010CQ PoliticsOctober 28, 2010New York Times November 1, 2010FiveThirtyEight November 1, 2010

General election results

External links

District 5