Democrat Raymond Smith has flipped North Carolina's 3rd Congressional District, defeating Republican Representative Greg Murphy by just 293 votes in one of the closest House races of the 2026 midterms. CNN projected Smith as the winner, and Murphy conceded on Wednesday, November 11, ending a Republican hold on the eastern North Carolina seat that had lasted since 1995. The result gives Democrats their 237th House seat and completes a six-seat flip of the state's congressional delegation.

Provisional and cured absentee ballots counted on Tuesday, November 10, erased Murphy's election-night lead and gave Smith, an Army veteran and former state lawmaker, his first congressional win.

Key Points

• Democrat Raymond Smith leads Republican Rep. Greg Murphy by 293 votes, 118,488 to 118,195, in unofficial figures.
• Murphy led by 233 votes on election night, but provisional and cured absentee ballots counted November 10 produced a net swing of 526 votes.
• Murphy conceded on Wednesday, November 11, congratulating "Representative-Elect Raymond Smith on his successful election for the Third District Congressional seat."
• Republicans had held North Carolina's 3rd District since 1995; Democrats have now flipped at least six House seats in the state.
• County canvasses were held November 13; the State Board certifies the race on November 24.

What Happened

When polls closed on Tuesday, November 3, Murphy — a Greenville physician who has held the seat since a 2019 special election — led by 233 votes. Neither campaign claimed victory, with thousands still uncounted.

The decisive count came on Tuesday, November 10, when county boards processed provisional ballots and cured absentee ballots — votes needing eligibility or signature checks after Election Day. They broke heavily for Smith: 118,488 votes (49.43 percent) against Murphy's 118,195 (49.31 percent). Libertarian Daniel Cavender finished third with 3,007 votes (1.25 percent).

The 526-vote net swing turned a Republican lead into a Democratic victory. CNN projected Smith as the winner, and the following day Murphy conceded, closing the contest a week after Election Day.

Background: A District Republicans Held for Three Decades

North Carolina's 3rd District covers the eastern coastal plain — Greenville, Jacksonville, New Bern and the Outer Banks — plus the Marine Corps base at Camp Lejeune. It is shaped by military families, farming, fishing towns and Greenville, home to East Carolina University.

Republicans had held the seat since 1995. Murphy first reached Congress in a 2019 special election after the death of longtime Representative Walter Jones, building a reputation as a physician-legislator focused on health care and veterans. Smith served in the Army and Army Reserve during the Gulf War and later represented Wayne and Sampson counties in the state House, campaigning on his record of military and public service.

The race was one of several North Carolina contests Democrats targeted after new district maps reshaped the state's congressional landscape. Democrats flipped the state's House delegation 10-4, and Smith's victory was the final piece of that sweep.

How Raymond Smith Flipped North Carolina's 3rd District

The flip was decided in the slow work of counting every lawful ballot. Provisional ballots — cast when a voter's eligibility cannot be confirmed at the polling place — and cured absentee ballots, where voters fix a missing or mismatched signature, are routine in North Carolina. This year they favoured the Democrat by enough to overturn a 233-vote Republican lead.

The swing was remarkable: 526 votes net in a race decided by fewer than 300 out of nearly 240,000 cast, a margin of 0.12 percentage points — among the closest in the country this cycle. Smith also benefited from the broader Democratic wave in the state, powered by strong turnout in university towns and military communities. In the Senate race, Roy Cooper flipped the state's Senate seat, the party's first win there since 2008, and the momentum carried into House races statewide.

Reactions and Quotes

Murphy conceded with a gracious statement on Wednesday, November 11. "I want to congratulate Representative-Elect Raymond Smith on his successful election for the Third District Congressional seat," Murphy said, in a message that signalled he would not contest the outcome.

The concession carried weight because the margin sits inside the recount threshold: a candidate trailing by less than one percent may request one, and the 293-vote gap is well within that limit. Murphy's statement suggests he will not seek one, clearing the way for Smith to be seated in January. Democrats celebrated the result as the capstone of their state gains.

Why It Matters

The flip matters for three reasons. First, it confirms the scale of the Democratic gains: a six-seat swing in one state turned a delegation Republicans expected to dominate into a 10-4 Democratic majority. Second, it shows how much late-counted ballots matter — the official count is the only count that decides a seat.

Third, it changes who speaks for eastern North Carolina in Washington. The district includes Camp Lejeune, one of the largest Marine Corps bases in the country, and its representative will have a direct say in defence spending, veterans' health care and the communities that depend on the base. The race also tests the new maps, drawn after years of litigation over gerrymandering: a result decided by fewer than three hundred votes shows the new lines created genuinely contested races.

What Happens Next

County canvasses were held on Friday, November 13. The State Board of Elections will certify multicounty races, including the 3rd District, on November 24. Once certified, Smith will be the representative-elect, expected to take his seat when the 120th Congress is sworn in on January 3.

Murphy leaves Congress after serving since 2019, removing one of the chamber's few practising physicians. Smith's team will begin hiring staff and setting up offices in Washington and the district, centred on Greenville. With Democrats holding 237 seats, every vote counts, and a freshman from a swing district will be watched closely when the House elects its Speaker and takes up its first bills.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who won North Carolina's 3rd District in 2026?
Democrat Raymond Smith defeated Republican Rep. Greg Murphy by 293 votes, 118,488 to 118,195, in unofficial results. CNN projected Smith the winner, and Murphy conceded on November 11, 2026.

How close was the race?
Smith leads by 293 votes out of nearly 240,000 cast, a margin of about 0.12 percentage points. Murphy led by 233 on election night before provisional and cured absentee ballots counted on November 10 flipped the result.

Will there be a recount?
Probably not. The margin is under one percent, inside the recount threshold, but Murphy's concession suggests he will not seek one. The State Board will certify the result on November 24.

Who is Raymond Smith?
Smith is an Army and Army Reserve veteran of the Gulf War and a former state representative for Wayne and Sampson counties — the first Democrat to hold the 3rd District since 1995.

How many House seats did Democrats flip in North Carolina?
At least six. Smith's win gives Democrats their 237th House seat and completes a 10-4 Democratic majority in the state's delegation. In the 14th District, Rep.-elect LaKesha Womack also flipped a Republican seat, though she faces a felony court date on November 10 over a 2019 rental car case.