North Carolina's 12th Congressional District
North Carolina's 12th Congressional District
Incumbent
Assumed office: November 12, 2014
North Carolina's 12th Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives is represented by Alma Adams (D).
As of the 2020 Census, North Carolina representatives represented an average of 746,711 residents. After the 2010 Census, each member represented 735,829 residents.
Elections
2024
See also: North Carolina's 12th Congressional District election, 2024
North Carolina's 12th Congressional District election, 2024 (March 5 Democratic primary)
North Carolina's 12th Congressional District election, 2024 (March 5 Republican primary)
General election
Democratic primary election
The Democratic primary election was canceled. Incumbent Alma Adams advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 12.
Republican primary election
The Republican primary election was canceled. Addul Ali advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 12.
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Eric L. Levinson (R)
2022
General election
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Diana Jimison (Independent)
- Vino Andrade (Independent)
Democratic primary election
Republican primary election
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Joel Maxwell (R)
- Ro Lawsin (R)
2020
General election
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Richard Smith (Unaffiliated)
Democratic primary election
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Roderick Davis (D)
Republican primary election
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Bill Brewster (R) (Disqualified, appeared on ballot)
2018
General election
Democratic primary election
Republican primary election
2016
Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Democratic. Incumbent Alma Adams (D) defeated Republican candidate Leon Threatt in the general election. Alma Adams (D) defeated Carla Cunningham, Gardenia Henley, Malcolm Graham, Rick Miller, and Tricia Cotham in the Democratic primary on June 7, 2016. Leon Threatt defeated Ryan Duffie and Paul Wright for the Republican nomination. The general election took place on November 8, 2016.[1]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic |  Alma Adams Incumbent |
67% | 234,115 | |
| Republican | Leon Threatt | 33% | 115,185 | |
| Total Votes | 349,300 | |||
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections |
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Leon Threatt |
41.8% | 3,495 |
| Paul Wright | 34.6% | 2,894 |
| Ryan Duffie | 23.6% | 1,973 |
| Total Votes | 8,362 | |
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections |
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Alma Adams Incumbent |
42.5% | 12,400 |
| Malcolm Graham | 28.9% | 8,428 |
| Tricia Cotham | 21.1% | 6,165 |
| Carla Cunningham | 4.3% | 1,255 |
| Gardenia Henley | 1.5% | 444 |
| Rodney Moore (withdrawn) | 0.8% | 245 |
| Rick Miller | 0.8% | 235 |
| Total Votes | 29,172 | |
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections |
2014
The 12th Congressional District of North Carolina held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Alma Adams (D) defeated Vince Coakley (R) in the general election.
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Alma Adams |
75.3% | 130,096 | |
| Republican | Vince Coakley | 24.7% | 42,568 | |
| Total Votes | 172,664 | |||
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections |
2014 special election
The 12th Congressional District of North Carolina held a special election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014, concurrent with the regular general election, to fill the vacancy left by former Rep. Melvin Watt (D), who resigned in January 2014.[2] Alma Adams (D) defeated Vince Coakley (R) in the special election.
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Alma Adams |
75.4% | 127,668 | |
| Republican | Vince Coakley | 24.6% | 41,578 | |
| Total Votes | 169,246 | |||
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections |
2012
The 12th Congressional District of North Carolina held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 6, 2012, in which incumbent Melvin L. Watt (D) won re-election. He defeated Jack Brosch (R) in the general election.[3]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Melvin L. Watt Incumbent |
79.6% | 247,591 | |
| Republican | Jack Brosch | 20.4% | 63,317 | |
| Total Votes | 310,908 | |||
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election" |
2010
On November 2, 2010, Melvin L. Watt won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Greg Dority (R) and Lon Cecil (Libertarian) in the general election.[4]
| U.S. House, North Carolina District 12 General Election, 2010 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Melvin L. Watt incumbent |
63.9% | 103,495 | |
| Republican | Greg Dority | 34.1% | 55,315 | |
| Libertarian | Lon Cecil | 2% | 3,197 | |
| Total Votes | 162,007 |
2008
On November 4, 2008, Melvin L. Watt won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Ty Cobb, Jr. (R) in the general election.[5]
| U.S. House, North Carolina District 12 General Election, 2008 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Melvin L. Watt incumbent |
71.6% | 215,908 | |
| Republican | Ty Cobb, Jr. | 28.4% | 85,814 | |
| Total Votes | 301,722 |
2006
On November 7, 2006, Melvin L. Watt won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Ada M. Fisher (R) in the general election.[6]
| U.S. House, North Carolina District 12 General Election, 2006 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Melvin L. Watt incumbent |
67% | 71,345 | |
| Republican | Ada M. Fisher | 33% | 35,127 | |
| Total Votes | 106,472 |
2004
On November 2, 2004, Melvin L. Watt won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Ada M. Fisher (R) in the general election.[7]
| U.S. House, North Carolina District 12 General Election, 2004 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Melvin L. Watt incumbent |
66.8% | 154,908 | |
| Republican | Ada M. Fisher | 33.2% | 76,898 | |
| Total Votes | 231,806 |
2002
On November 5, 2002, Melvin L. Watt won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Jeff Kish (R) and Carey Head (Libertarian) in the general election.[8]
| U.S. House, North Carolina District 12 General Election, 2002 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Melvin L. Watt incumbent |
65.3% | 98,821 | |
| Republican | Jeff Kish | 32.8% | 49,588 | |
| Libertarian | Carey Head | 1.9% | 2,830 | |
| Total Votes | 151,239 |
2000
On November 7, 2000, Melvin L. Watt won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Chad Mitchell (R) and Anna Lyon (Libertarian) in the general election.[9]
| U.S. House, North Carolina District 12 General Election, 2000 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Melvin L. Watt incumbent |
64.8% | 135,570 | |
| Republican | Chad Mitchell | 33.3% | 69,596 | |
| Libertarian | Anna Lyon | 1.9% | 3,978 | |
| Total Votes | 209,144 |
District map
Redistricting
2020-2023
On October 25, 2023, the North Carolina General Assembly adopted new congressional district boundaries.[10] The legislation adopting the new maps passed the state Senate by a vote of 28-18 and the State House by a vote of 64-40.[11] Both votes were strictly along party lines with all votes in favor by Republicans and all votes against by Democrats.[12][13]
The New York Times' Maggie Astor wrote, "The map creates 10 solidly Republican districts, three solidly Democratic districts and one competitive district. Currently, under the lines drawn by a court for the 2022 election, each party holds seven seats. The Democratic incumbents who have been essentially drawn off the map are Representatives Jeff Jackson in the Charlotte area, Kathy Manning in the Greensboro area and Wiley Nickel in the Raleigh area. A seat held by a fourth Democrat, Representative Don Davis, is expected to be competitive."[10]
The United States District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana scheduled a June 2025 trial for two lawsuits challenging the congressional and state legislative maps — Williams v. Hall and NC NAACP v. Berger.[14]
How does redistricting in North Carolina work? In North Carolina, the state legislature is responsible for drawing both congressional and state legislative district lines. District maps cannot be vetoed by the governor. State legislative redistricting must take place in the first regular legislative session following the United States Census. There are no explicit deadlines in place for congressional redistricting.[15]
State law establishes the following requirements for state legislative districts:[15]
- Districts must be contiguous and compact.
- Districts "must cross county lines as little as possible." If counties are grouped together, the group should include as few counties as possible.
- Communities of interest should be taken into account.
There are no similar restrictions in place regarding congressional districts.[15]
Below are the congressional maps in effect before and after the 2020 redistricting cycle. The map on the right was in effect for North Carolina’s 2024 congressional elections.
Below are the congressional maps in effect before and after the 2020 redistricting cycle. The map on the right was in effect for North Carolina’s 2024 congressional elections.
Below are the congressional maps in effect before and after the 2020 redistricting cycle. The map on the right was in effect for North Carolina’s 2024 congressional elections.
North Carolina District 12
until January 2, 2025
Click a district to compare boundaries.
North Carolina District 12
starting January 3, 2025
Click a district to compare boundaries.
North Carolina's congressional district plan was subject to litigation following its adoption in 2011. Two challenges to the plan were heard by the Supreme Court of the United States: Cooper v. Harris, which was decided in 2017, and Rucho v. Common Cause, which decided on June 27, 2019. As a result of Rucho, North Carolina's congressional district plan was upheld. For more complete information, see this article.
District analysis
- See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index
- See also: FiveThirtyEight's elasticity scores
2024
Heading into the 2024 elections, based on results from the 2020 and 2016 presidential elections, the Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was D+23. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 23 percentage points more Democratic than the national average. This made North Carolina's 12th the 48th most Democratic district nationally.[16]
Daily Kos calculated what the results of the 2020 presidential election in this district would have been following redistricting. Joe Biden (D) would have defeated Donald Trump (R) 74.4%-24.2%.[17]
2022
Heading into the 2022 elections, based on results from the 2020 and 2016 presidential elections, the Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was D+13. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 13 percentage points more Democratic than the national average. This made North Carolina's 12th the 110th most Democratic district nationally.[18]
Daily Kos calculated what the results of the 2020 presidential election in this district would have been following redistricting. Joe Biden (D) would have received 64.4% of the vote in this district and Donald Trump (R) would have received 34.2%.[19]
2018
Heading into the 2018 elections, based on results from the 2016 and 2012 presidential elections, the Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was D+17. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 17 percentage points more Democratic than the national average. This made North Carolina's 12th Congressional District the 79th most Democratic nationally.[20]
FiveThirtyEight's September 2018 elasticity score for states and congressional districts measured "how sensitive it is to changes in the national political environment." This district's elasticity score was 0.92. This means that for every 1 point the national political mood moved toward a party, the district was expected to move 0.92 points toward that party.[21]
See also
- Redistricting in North Carolina
- North Carolina's 12th Congressional District election, 2024
- North Carolina's 12th Congressional District election, 2022
- North Carolina's 12th Congressional District election, 2020
- North Carolina's 12th Congressional District election, 2018
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "June Primary Candidates," accessed March 27, 2016
- ↑ MSNBC, "100th woman in Congress to take oath," accessed November 12, 2014
- ↑ Politico, "2012 Election Map, North Carolina," accessed November 7, 2012
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2010," accessed March 28, 2013
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 4, 2008," accessed March 28, 2013
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 7, 2006," accessed March 28, 2013
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2004," accessed March 28, 2013
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 5, 2002," accessed March 28, 2013
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 7, 2000," accessed March 28, 2013
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 The New York Times, "North Carolina Republicans Approve House Map That Flips at Least Three Seats," October 26, 2023
- ↑ North Caroliina General Assembly, "Senate Bill 757 / SL 2023-145," accessed October 26, 2023
- ↑ North Caroliina General Assembly, "House Roll Call Vote Transcript for Roll Call #613," accessed October 26, 2023
- ↑ North Caroliina General Assembly, "Senate Roll Call Vote Transcript for Roll Call #492," accessed October 26, 2023
- ↑ Carolina Journal, "Federal NC redistricting lawsuits officially scheduled for June 2025 trial," May 24, 2024
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 All About Redistricting, "North Carolina," accessed April 20, 2015
- ↑ Cook Political Report, "The 2022 Cook Partisan Voting Index (Cook PVI℠)," accessed January 10, 2024
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2020 presidential results by congressional district, for new and old districts," accessed September 15, 2022
- ↑ Cook Political Report, "The 2022 Cook Partisan Voting Index (Cook PVI℠)," accessed February 6, 2023
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2020 presidential results by congressional district, for new and old districts," accessed September 15, 2022
- ↑ Cook Political Report, "Introducing the 2017 Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index," April 7, 2017
- ↑ FiveThirtyEight, "Election Update: The Most (And Least) Elastic States And Districts," September 6, 2018
Senators
Representatives
Republican Party (12)
Democratic Party (4)