These North Carolina House candidates raised the most and lost their primaries


Most money raised by a losing primary candidate

General elections for all 120 seats in the North Carolina House of Representatives will take place on November 8, 2022. State house primary elections were held on May 17, 2022. Republicans hold a 69-50 majority heading into the election.

This article details the five candidates in each party who raised the most money and lost their primary election. In the 2022 election cycle, 30 of 111 Republican primaries and 22 of 92 Democratic primaries were contested. The losing candidates are shown along with the percentage of the vote they received compared to the primary winner. In cases where the race was pushed to a runoff, vote percentages for both advancing candidates are included.

Top fundraisers with unsuccessful primary campaigns this cycle

This information comes from candidate reports to the North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE) covering the period of January 1, 2021, through April 30, 2022.

The Democratic candidates who raised the most money and lost their primary were:

  • Jonah Garson – $191,037 – District 56 (Lost primary 49% – 51%)
  • Terry Johnson – $149,875 – District 44 (Lost primary 38% – 62%)
  • Matt Hughes – $59,220 – District 50 (Lost primary 28% – 72%)
  • Eddie Aday – $29,799 – District 59 (Lost primary 26% – 74%)
  • Sean Lew – $27,207 – District 74 (Lost primary 31% – 69%)

The Republican candidates who raised the most money and lost their primary were:

  • Patricia Hurley – $67,976 – District 70 (Lost primary 48% – 52%)
  • Catherine Whiteford – $58,082 – District 73 (Lost primary 22% – 57%)
  • Ed Priola – $47,400 – District 63 (Lost primary 46% – 50%)
  • Jamie Boles – $47,390 – District 52 (Lost primary 47% – 53%)
  • Yvonne McLeod – $41,748 – District 25 (Lost primary 46% – 50%)

Top fundraisers with unsuccessful primary campaigns last cycle

This information comes from candidate reports to the North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE) covering the period of January 1, 2019, through December 31, 2020.

The Democratic candidates who raised the most money and lost their primary in 2020 were:

  • Eugene Pearsall – $51,901 – District 21 (Lost primary 45% – 55%)
  • Terry Johnson – $46,343 – District 44 (Lost primary 48% – 52%)
  • Elmer Floyd – $41,730 – District 43 (Lost primary 46% – 54%)
  • Jake Hochard – $19,469 – District 9 (Lost primary 38% – 62%)
  • Quanta Edwards – $17,001 – District 38 (Lost primary 43% – 57%)

The Republican candidates who raised the most money and lost their primary in 2020 were:

  • Jay White – $40,876 – District 83 (Lost primary 39% – 61%)
  • Ryan Blankenship – $37,837 – District 60 (Lost primary 44% – 56%)
  • Guy Smith – $35,420 – District 3 (Lost primary 9% – 53%)
  • Bob Temme – $30,762 – District 52 (Lost primary 40% – 60%)
  • Anna Powell – $30,531 – District 37 (Lost primary 19% – 59%)

The data above are based on campaign finance reports that active North Carolina PACs submitted to the North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE). Federal PACs are not required to report to state agencies. Transparency USA publishes campaign finance data following major reporting deadlines. State or federal law may require filers to submit additional reports.

Report Name Report Due Date
2022 Semiannual 1/28/2022
2022 Q1 Plus 5/10/2022
2022 Semiannual (only candidates not on 2022 ballot) 7/29/2022
2022 Q3 Plus 10/31/2022
2022 Q4 1/11/2023
2022 Year End Semiannual (only candidates not on 2022 ballot) 1/27/2023

This article is a joint publication from Ballotpedia and Transparency USA, who are working together to provide campaign finance information for state-level elections. Learn more about our work here.