Retired U.S. Army major Richard Ojeda II separated himself from the Democratic field in Tuesday’s primary election for North Carolina’s ninth congressional district.
After earning a modest lead during the early voting period, Ojeda finished with 4.17% of the vote in the district that spans seven counties, including Alamance County and parts of Chatham County. Nigel Bristow, who won the 2024 Democratic primary, finished second with 26.7%, while golf course superintendent Loren Bibler finished third (15.7%) and Christian university chancellor Lent Carr II finished fourth (15.7%). The win sets Ojeda up to face Republican and current U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson in November’s general election, after Hudson ran unopposed in the primary.
“NC-09 sent a message loud and clear tonight,” Ojeda shared on his personal social media pages following the unofficial results on Tuesday. “They wanted a fighter, and they got one. Richard Hudson will try to make this race about party politics. But truth is: it’s about the billionaire class vs. the rest of us.” He also uploaded a message to supporters on his official campaign pages, saying he aims to be a true “veterans representative” in Congress.
Ojeda won six out of the seven counties in the district, which goes as far north as the border of Guilford County around Greensboro’s limits and as far south as Hoke County. The retired veteran and Aberdeen resident heavily won Alamance and Chatham counties, with more than double the vote totals of Bristow. The lone county where Bristow held more votes was Guilford, where he outpaced Ojeda by roughly 1,600 votes.
Ojeda is seeking elected office for the first time in North Carolina after serving in the West Virginia Senate for a term in 2017-2019. He previously ran for the U.S. House in the state, where he grew up and attended college, but lost the 2014 Democratic primary. After moving back to North Carolina with his family — where he’d spent 15 years at Fort Bragg — Ojeda was inspired to run for office again partially because of the state of veteran affairs under President Donald Trump’s administration.
Through redistricting and significant gerrymandering by both parties, North Carolina’s ninth congressional district has been held by Republican lawmakers for decades. Hudson, who was first elected to the U.S. House in 2012, became the 9th congressional representative in 2022 and the current configuration for the district was passed by the state legislature in Oct. 2025.
Ojeda positioned himself during the primary election cycle as the candidate best prepared to face and defeat Hudson in a general election. Citing his knowledge of the military community, Ojeda questioned the Chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee’s commitment to U.S. veterans based on Hudson’s votes in favor of the Trump administration’s cuts to Veteran Affairs as well as efforts to cut healthcare and Social Security benefits for working families. He also claims that Hudson’s campaign funding reflects his priorities to serve the interests of donors and PACs compared to residents of the congressional district. Beyond the campaign trail, the retired major’s targeted message is also shared through daily online broadcasts called “Ojeda Live,” where Ojeda shares his thoughts about ongoing national and military headlines.
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 Ojeda for NC.
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