Yahoo Movies Live updates: Adams, Jackson win Democratic races for Congress; Lee, Harrigan win for GOP
After battles over redistricting and a delayed primary, North Carolina voters were finally able to choose who they wanted as their nominees in Charlotte-area congressional races Tuesday.
The winners will vie for seats in the U.S. House of Representatives in November’s midterm elections.
On the Democratic side in the 12th Congressional District, the Associated Press called the race for incumbent Rep. Alma Adams. There’s a tighter race on the Republican side, where businessman Tyler Lee declared victory about 10:30 p.m., with the Associated Press naming him the winner about an hour later.
In the 14th Congressional District, state Sen. Jeff Jackson declared victory on social media shortly before the Associated Press called the race in his favor, while veteran Pat Harrigan was named the winner by AP on the Republican side.
All results are unofficial.
North Carolina 12th Congressional District
With all 114 precincts reporting, the Associated Press has declared that incumbent Adams has secured the Democratic nomination in her quest for another term representing the 12th District, which now includes the northeastern half of Mecklenburg County and part of Cabarrus County.
Adams — who has represented the 12th since 2014 and is known for her work on Black maternal health, HBCUs and affordable housing — defeated challenger John Sharkey, a first-time political candidate whose platform was centered on economic issues, such as inflation, by margin of 91.6% to 8.4%.
“I am certainly humbled and pleased that the citizens saw fit to send me to back to work on their behalf,” Adams said in a text message to The Charlotte Observer. “We have a lot of work to do to make sure the district gets what it needs..”
On the Republican side, a battle between three political newcomers resulted in a victory for businessman Tyler Lee.
Lee defeated Andrew Huffman and Nalini Joseph with 42.8% of the vote to their 34.3% and 22.9%, respectively.
Adams and Lee will square off in the general election for the 12th District’s seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. The district is considered Democratic leaning.
North Carolina 14th Congressional District
In the new 14th District, which has no incumbent and includes parts of Mecklenburg and Gaston counties, Jackson defeated Ram Mammadov in a battle for the Democratic nomination, the Associated Press declared.
Jackson, who represents Mecklenburg County in the state Senate and is a former Gaston County prosecutor, has been active on issues such as gerrymandering and criminal justice reform. Mammadov, an Azerbaijani immigrant, focused his campaign on funding for public schools, Medicare for All and other progressive issues.
He won 86.2% to 13.9% with all 151 precincts reporting.
“This race is going to have a big, bright spotlight on it starting right now, and I hope you’ll take a moment to make sure we can gear up quickly by supporting us with a contribution,” Jackson wrote on Twitter. “We can win. We will win. But only because you’ve made it a priority.”
In the Republican primary, the race between business owner Jonathan Simpson and Army veteran Harrigan ended with Harrigan victorious, the Associated Press said at about 10 p.m.
Harrigan’s campaign focused on issues such as national security and immigration, while Simpson ran in the primary on a platform focused on tax reform, among other issues. Harrigan won 75.7% to 24.3% with all 151 precincts reporting.
“I’m humbled by our victory tonight, which came because of the hard work of so many supporters,” Harrigan said in a statement to The Charlotte Observer. “But this victory is just one step toward our ultimate goal: winning the general election in November.”
Jackson and Harrigan will compete in November for the 14th District House seat, a district that’s expected to lean Democratic.
