Eight state legislative incumbents lost in the primaries in North Carolina on March 3, including three Democratic representatives. That was the most Democratic House primary losses in the state since four lost in the 2010 primaries. The average number of Democratic representatives who lost in the primaries since 2010 was 1.4. 

According to the Raleigh News & Observer’s Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi, the three Democratic incumbents — Carla Cunningham in District 106, Nasif Majeed in District 99, and Shelly Willingham in District 23 — often voted with Republicans, including to override vetoes from Gov. Josh Stein (D). 

Stein adviser Morgan Jackson said, “These folks lost because voters in their districts were fed up with sending people to Raleigh to represent them and their values, and time and time again these representatives would vote against the values and wishes of their constituents.”

WUNC News’ Colin Campbell wrote, “Willingham was the only Democrat last year to vote for a bill to allow non-public school employees and volunteers to carry a firearm on campus with written permission and a concealed carry permit.” On Majeed and Cunningham, Campbell wrote, “Majeed was the lone Democrat to support new restrictions on LGBTQ people. Cunningham faced criticism for her vote and speech in favor of a bill requiring sheriffs to cooperate more closely with ICE. Gov. Josh Stein had endorsed her opponent, Charlotte pastor Rodney Sadler.”

Heading into the elections, Republicans were one seat shy of a supermajority in the House and held a 30-20 supermajority in the Senate. Nine House seats were open, meaning no incumbent filed to run, the fewest in the chamber since 2014. Twenty-nine Republican House incumbents faced primary challenges, the most for the party since 2010.

No Democratic incumbents lost in the state legislative primaries in Arkansas. As of March 6, four Democratic incumbents in the Texas House were in races that remained uncalled.