Arguably the most high-profile Democratic primary in North Carolina this year is unfolding in the Triangle.
North Carolina’s fourth congressional district — which covers all of Orange and Durham counties as well as northeastern Chatham County and western Wake County — drew a rematch of the 2022 race between U.S. Rep. Valerie Foushee and Durham County Commissioner Nida Allam. After earning 46% of the Democratic vote in 2022 and running unopposed in the 2024 primary, Foushee is looking to earn a third two-year term and continue her decades-long tenure serving in public office. Allam, meanwhile, is looking to make the leap from local to national representative while positioning herself as a more vocal progressive figure and a new generation of leadership. The two candidates are the front-runners for the seat over Durham-based substitute teacher Mary Patterson, who joins them on the ballot, as both the spending and barbs between the two campaigns begin to increase ahead of Election Day.
Both Foushee and Allam sat down with 97.9 The Hill and Chapelboro to participate in the media group’s “Candidate Introduction” series, which asks local candidates questions about their campaign platforms, policies and priorities. Below is a transcript of their responses recorded in January ahead of early voting. The audio for both candidates, which was edited for clarity and brevity, can be listened to here.
Why were you inspired to join this race?
Allam: I’m running in this race because as we see [President Donald] Trump back in office and him delivering on every single one of the promises he made on the campaign trail — by terrorizing our families with ICE and CBP and raising our cost of living — I couldn’t look at our residents and constituents in the eye and tell them, ‘You have to wait three years for change,’ when I knew that they deserved a champion and a fighter who would step up now to fight for a Green New Deal, Medicare for All, and also push back against Trump and his authoritarianism.
Foushee: I am running to continue delivering for this district as I have done over the last two decades in public service and during my three years representing this district in Congress. I was born and raised here and I have deep roots in our community. I’ve served on the Chapel Hill-Carrboro school board. I’ve served as a county commissioner, being the first African-American female elected to that board, and eventually I served in the North Carolina State House and Senate. I’ve seen firsthand how much this region has grown with flourishing immigrant communities and a robust economy that continues to support good paying local jobs and impactful research opportunities. And I’ve seen how much our communities are hurting as food, housing, and healthcare costs continue to rise while thousands of federal jobs are being cut. My vast experience serving this district makes me uniquely equipped to deliver for our regions highly regarded universities bring federal funding to our district, and ensure our district’s priorities of a Green New Deal, Medicare for All, and legislation to lower costs are heard loud and clear as Democrats retake the majority.
What are the top three issues your campaign is built on?
Allam: The top three issues of our campaign — which are also the top three issues of the constituents of this district — are defending our democracy, addressing the affordability crisis and guaranteeing healthcare as a human right.
What we’re seeing with our democracy being targeted by Trump and his authoritarianism, through corruption and racist gerrymandering and voter ID laws and just voter suppression in general… It should be a concern to everyone, because this is not just about this election. It’s about what is our democracy gonna look like 10, 15 years down the road. I have a 3-year-old and a one-and-a-half-year-old. Is there going to actually be democratic processes for voting by the time that they are eligible to vote? And the first step to defending our democracy needs to be getting corporate money out of our elections. The Supreme Court ruling on Citizens United destroyed our election systems and said corporations are allowed to spend an infinite amount of money to buy our elections and outweigh the voices of residents.
When it comes to the affordability crisis, we see that layering on top of each other in so many ways for our neighbors. People aren’t able to work just one job to make ends meet. Families are working two, three jobs to be able to put food on their table. On top of that, the cost of groceries are rising up and they’re struggling to make ends meet with rent and their mortgages… and those costs are going up as well. And in the meantime, wages have stayed stagnant.
Guaranteeing healthcare as a human right [ties into affordability] because when all of these costs are stacking up on top of each other, why are we having this additional burden of healthcare costs? That should just be common sense as a human right. No one should have to be deciding between going to the pharmacy to get their medication or putting food on their table or having to spread out their insulin over several months to make it last longer when it’s detrimental to their health.
Foushee: My top three issues are rising costs, equality, and preserving our democracy.
On rising costs across our country, it includes the cost of food, housing, healthcare, and education. It isn’t an easy fix, but we must prioritize legislation that establishes a strong economic backbone to our country by supporting local farmers, small businesses, schools, and housing efforts, while passing Medicare for All to avoid yearly discussions on tax credits. Rising costs are especially important here as our district has been one of the hardest hit by Trump’s federal funding cuts affecting thousands of our federal workers who call our district home and numerous organizations here who are doing impactful work with the help of federal dollars.
Passing legislation to lower costs, as previously mentioned is necessary, but our local economy also needs Congress to rebuild and codify funding for agencies who employ so many of our constituents like the EPA, Department of Health and Human Services, USAID and more. My campaign’s emphasis on equality includes equal access to education, employment opportunities, reproductive care, and rights to bargain with your employer. For far too long, this country has prioritized oligarchs over hardworking Americans who keep our country running. The wealth and opportunity gap that we see between the wealthy and the rest of our communities is far too wide. Real policy changes are needed to close these gaps when it comes to anything from education and jobs to access to childcare and healthcare.
And finally, preserving our democracy. This administration is trying to destroy the very fabric of our democracy by sending ice into our communities, funding senseless wars abroad and attempting to overturn fair elections like our state Supreme Court elections in 2024. Protecting our democracy will require a range of efforts, including an overhaul of election security, federal voting rights, protections, reforms to the Supreme Court, and stopping ICE from terrorizing people in our communities. All these initiatives and more have to be on the table to safeguard our democracy from the authoritarianism we have seen rule this nation for far too long, operating without alarm or desperation is not acceptable. We have to be proactive in safeguarding our country before it is fully taken over by forces that seek to exploit our communities.
What do you believe sets you apart from the other candidates in this primary?
Allam: I don’t accept any corporate PAC money or right-wing billionaire money. And I believe that that’s very significant, not just for this race, but again to our democracy in general. Because if we truly say that we want to end Citizens United and have fair elections where voters are able to choose their elected officials rather than elected officials choosing their voters, then we need to get corruption out of politics by taking out the money from politics. And we can’t say that we’re for those things when we’re still accepting money from the same corporations that are funding Trump and his MAGA Republican friends. We can’t say that we’re for a Green New Deal when you’re taking money from Meta, who is pushing data centers as if they’re going create new jobs. We know the AI industry is killing jobs as well as destroying our environment. You can’t say you’re for peace when you’re taking money from the same corporate defense contractors that profit off of the United States endlessly funding war.
It’s also about how I believe that the seat of a member of Congress in a safe blue [district] should be utilized. There is no way that a Republican can win this seat the way that Republicans have drawn it. So why are we not putting up a fight against Trump and his authoritarianism and his MAGA best friends and the corporate billionaires every step of the way? Because our residents are hurting. And that’s not just gonna have an impact if we put up a fight in this district — it’s gonna have an impact across North Carolina. Whether you’re in a blue district like here, or in a red district in western or eastern North Carolina, everyone is suffering from the rising cost of living. Everyone is suffering from our wages staying stagnant. So, this is not just a red or blue issue…it’s about working families having a champion.
Foushee: What sets me up differently from my primary opponents is my ability to deliver. My work in Congress is not just lip service. I’ve been proud to champion progressive legislation that are priorities of my constituents, while also bringing back millions of dollars for local housing, water treatment, and transit improvements in our region. This ability to deliver can be seen through my Impact Act climate legislation that will help protect our planet, which I was able to pass through a Republican majority house and is expected to be taken up by the Senate.
I’ve experienced working in the minority throughout my career in public service, and that’s given me an array of skills to deliver legislation in any way needed for my constituents. And that ability to pass progressive and forward-thinking legislation is what Democrats need in Congress when we take back the House.
How are you taking action against threats to democracy seen at both the national and state levels of government? What is your advice to constituents for taking action?
Allam: Right now, it’s not the time for strongly worded letters or tweets when our families are being terrorized, when we have Trump using a Bush-era ICE agency as his own personal gestapo to murder people in broad daylight… U.S. citizens, even. We need to be going out and protesting, and also protecting our immigrant communities and neighbors. And that’s what I’ve been doing even before they came to North Carolina — because it was not a matter of if they come to North Carolina, it was when. Our communities on the ground started preparing. I was working with organizations like Siembra NC lead ‘Know Your Rights’ trainings to actually help individuals know that you don’t have to let ICE or CBP into your home or your private business without a warrant. We were also out in the streets when they came to do ICE verification and documentation to make sure that at least like the people that they were kidnapping were not just disappeared into the dark. Because there were family members that were calling the Siembra hotline that was like, ‘My uncle, my sister, my mother did not come home from work. I don’t know where she is.’ This documentation that myself and like hundreds of volunteers across the state were doing was able to help families reconnect with each other, and also connect those families to legal resources.
That’s what we need more of. We need elected leaders and just community members taking to the streets, standing up for each other. And again, a letter or a tweet is not gonna do that. The fact that our current representative doesn’t even say that we need to abolish ICE is terrifying to me… as an immigrant woman, as someone who is seeing every day our children in Durham Public schools not coming to class because their parents are scared of being picked up by ICE if they show up to the drop off line. Families not going to the grocery stores because they’re scared if ICE is waiting in the parking lots to tear apart their families.
Foushee: In my capacity in Congress, I have taken action by joining amicus briefs to support court cases against this administration, pushing legislation to stop trump’s threats to our democracy and setting the agenda for what is needed from Democrats as we retake the majority. While Republicans in Congress refuse to bring any bills to the floor to hold Trump accountable, I’ve been party to nine amicus briefs challenging the Trump administration’s blatantly illegal and unconstitutional policies in court. I have also joined my house Democratic colleagues in passing discharge petitions to force a vote on the floor to extend the ACA tax credits and stood strong while others voted with Republicans to end the government shutdown.
And finally, I’ve been working to set the agenda of the type of policies Democrats need to pass moving forward. This includes policies that protect jobs and civil rights as AI continues to play a growing role in our society, legislation to help safeguard voting rights and stopping ICE from terrorizing people across our communities. And my advice to constituents is… Do not relent. The people have the power. No matter how much the Trump administration attempts to suppress your voice, call your representatives, join organizations who support causes you believe in, and get involved in your community.
How does your policy platform reflect the district’s values? How do you carry your constituents’ feedback, hopes, or wishes with you to the House?
Allam: The ways that I carry my constituents is that… I’ve been serving as a county commissioner now for five years — two years as chair, now as vice chair. Through those five years I’ve been very, very focused on how do I bring as many voices with me to that dais. Because [when] you get elected to that seat… That’s the easy part, getting elected to the seat. The hard part is making sure that you’re continuing to represent your constituents. And that’s not just the people who voted for me, it’s even the people who didn’t vote for me. Because I want to make sure that everyone is able to live with dignity — in this county, this district, this country. And I have a proven track record of doing that on the county commission by passing, in my first year as a commissioner, the low-income homeowner property tax relief program, where we were able to create a program that helps folks who have been long-time homeowners — who are on fixed income, low income — stay in their homes when their property taxes continue to rise.
I was able to fund an immigrate and refugee services coordinator role jointly with the city — the first of its kind in the South — of somebody who’s there and dedicated to helping our immigrant refugees make Durham County their home and be able to help guide them through the simple processes that we take for granted… Because we’ve been doing them as citizens for all of our lives, like paying your property taxes, enrolling your kids in school, how to pay your utilities bills. And all of those were accomplishments that I was able to do in Durham. It is a progressive hub, but still in a state like North Carolina where we have preemptions that try to block our local governments every step of the way.
And that’s the type of leadership I want to take to D.C. because I don’t believe we should take no as an answer. The saying goes, when there’s a will, there’s a way. When our families are struggling and their lives are literally on the line, either through access to healthcare or ICE and CBP coming in, assaulting people, we cannot turn a blind eye to that and just tell our constituents, ‘Well, we’re in the minority. We can’t do anything.’ We have to put up a fight. What is the point of being in office if you’re just like, ‘I can’t do anything, there’s no power’? Put up a fight. Try something. Even if you have to think outside of the box, now is not the time for complacency.
Foushee: The people of the fourth district want a progressive leader who will deliver legislation aligned with their values, and that is what I bring to the table. We want jobs to be protected in the age of AI. We want Congress to be productive in defending democracy, and we want our human rights to be respected here at home. That also means delivering and passing the Green New Deal, ensuring healthcare is accessible for everyone through Medicare for All and more. I’ve been able to carry these policy priorities and fight for them in the halls of Congress through hard work. That means finding the one Republican who may be willing to co-sponsor my bill to ensure that it can get bipartisan support and pass the House. Or finding a way to add Community Project Funding into bills that I may not vote for, just to be sure our district won’t be left behind in case the bill passes. Being a member of Congress isn’t just about voting against the bills that I disagree with. It is also about maximizing positive outcomes for my constituents, even if a bill I disagree with passes.
When voters see your name on the ballot, what do you want them to think of?
Allam: When voters see my name on the ballot, I want them to think of hope. Because even though over the last, you know, 10 years we’ve been going through some of the darkest moments in our nation, I believe there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. And we need fighters and champions for working families to bring that light closer to us, to take us through to there. And I want them to know that as their hopeful member of Congress, that I’m going always be accountable to them. And the way that I can commit to that is by my promise to not take a single cent from corporate PACs or right-wing billionaires… who continue to raise our cost of living, who are union-busting across this nation, who are profiting off of Congress’s endless blank checks to war. And I will be a member of Congress that stands with them and shows up with them in the happy moments… but also in the really difficult moments to fight with them and to organize with them. Because that’s what we need in Congress right now: we need people who are willing to step up and have the difficult conversations and put up the difficult fights.
Foushee: When voters see my name on the ballot, I want them to remember that I have been fighting for you my entire life. I grew up right here in this district. I attended a segregated elementary school in this district. I worked on the school board in this district, attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and represented this district for over two decades at the local, state and congressional level. I know what it means to be from North Carolina. I know the strain that this administration has caused and the pain the North Carolina General Assembly has caused because I’ve lived it for decades. I have been fighting against widespread efforts by Republicans to exploit our communities and I will never back down. We are at a critical moment and we need leaders who will deliver. That’s what I’ve done for this district my entire life, and I will continue to do so in the halls of Congress.
Editor’s Note: Mary Patterson did not choose to participate in “Candidate Introductions” with 97.9 The Hill in time for publication.
Early voting in Orange County for the 2026 primary election runs from Thursday, Feb. 12 to Saturday, Feb. 28 offering an additional to register to vote for anyone who misses the Feb. 9 deadline. Primary Election Day itself is Tuesday, March 3, while the general election will end on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
More of the 2026 Candidate Introductions for local elections can be found on Chapelboro’s Local Elections page as they are published.
Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.
