U.S. Rep. Valerie Foushee is poised to earn another term in Congress after holding onto a lead in the Democratic primary’s unofficial election results on Tuesday.
With all 142 of the precincts across North Carolina’s fourth congressional district reported, Foushee held 49.18% of the vote compared to Durham County Commissioner Nida Allam’s 48.22% percent, a difference of roughly 1,200 votes. Durham Public Schools substitute teacher Mary Patterson is projected to finish a distant third with 2.6%.
“I am incredibly grateful for the outpour of support from my constituents across the 4th District,” Foushee’s campaign shared in a statement Tuesday night following the results. “Serving this district in Congress is my highest honor, and I am deeply humbled to have the opportunity to represent this district for another term.”
After Foushee held roughly a 6% lead following the early voting totals, the results continued to tighten as Election Day votes were tallied, with much of North Carolina watching the race as a referendum of Democratic voters’ sentiments. As expected, Allam won Durham County — but by a smaller margin than she did over Foushee in the 2022 Democratic primary. Foushee — who rose to political power by serving in the Orange County government and representing the community in the state legislature — won Orange County by a similar margin, and extended her lead with strong support from Chatham County where she outgained Allam by roughly 2,500 votes.
The victory comes after a relatively contentious primary, which was a rematch of the 2022 primary to determine the successor to longtime U.S. Rep. David Price. Foushee defeated Allam in what was North Carolina’s most expensive congressional primary. But following four years of Democrats operating in the minority of the U.S. House, Allam chose to run again to push for a more outspoken display of resistance to the Republican Party and President Donald Trump’s current administration. This year’s race again focused heavily on both candidates’ campaign contributions from PACs, with Allam also challenging Foushee’s visibility during a time when the Trump administration is challenging Congress’ power to check the executive branch. Foushee, meanwhile, maintained her voting record and strategic efforts to pass legislation through bipartisan partnerships reflect her experience operating in the minority party and her district’s progressive values.
“The people of the 4th District demand progressive change like dismantling ICE, ensuring Medicare for All, regulating AI, establishing a Green New Deal, and passing legislation to block arms sales to Israel,” Foushee said. “This remains my top priority in Congress—no matter what narrative out-of-state groups attempt to cast about my voting record.”
“I also would like to thank,” she said, “all the local elected officials, campaign volunteers, Congressional staff, and my family who all poured their sweat and tears into supporting this campaign and my work in Congress. You all are who has made this work possible.”
Foushee’s win on Tuesday sets her up for success in November’s general election. The district — which has long favored Democratic candidates, in addition to being gerrymandered to group urban areas together — has a Republican challenger who will appear on the ballot, but will likely be a major underdog. Pittsboro resident Max Ganorkar, who is a self-described businessman and tea party conservative, lost to Foushee in the 2024 election and ran unopposed in the 2026 Republican primary.
Allam — who positioned herself in the primary as a new generation of leadership while bringing a more vocal approach to reflecting the district’s progressive values — is serving her second term as a Durham County Commissioner. The daughter of Indian and Pakistani immigrants and an openly Muslim woman, she was inspired to run for public office in the wake of the 2015 hate crime murder of Deah Barakat, Yusor Abu-Salha, and Razan Abu-Salha, who were her friends. Since then, Allam has developed a liberal platform, citing efforts like establishing Durham County’s low-income homeowner property tax relief program and creating an immigrant and refugee services coordinator role as examples of policy wins.
Foushee’s primary win will be finalized following an official count in the coming days by the North Carolina Board of Elections.
Additional results from around Orange and Chatham counties on Tuesday night can be found on Chapelboro’s 2026 Primary Election Results page.
Featured photo via Foushee for Congress.
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