2012 United States House of Representatives elections in North Carolina


The 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in North Carolina were held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012, to elect the 13 U.S. Representatives from the state of North Carolina. The elections coincided with the U.S. presidential election, N.C. gubernatorial election, statewide judicial elections, Council of State elections and various local elections. Primary elections were held on May 8, 2012; for races in which no candidate received 40 percent of the vote in the primary, runoff elections were held on July 17.

Overview

Redistricting

A redistricting map, drawn to reflect changes observed in the 2010 United States Census, was passed into law in July 2011. The map must receive approval from either the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia or the U.S. Department of Justice before it can be enforced. The North Carolina chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People challenged the map on the grounds that it reduces the influence of African American voters.

District 1

Democrat G. K. Butterfield, who has represented North Carolina's 1st congressional district since 2004, ran for re-election. The 1st district, which is majority-minority and already strongly favored Democrats, favored them even more so after redistricting. Butterfield ran against Republican ex-law enforcement officer Pete DiLauro and Libertarian Darryl Holloman in the general election.

Democratic primary

Primary results

General election

Results

District 2

Republican Renee Ellmers, who has represented North Carolina's 2nd congressional district since January 2011, ran for re-election. The 2nd district was made more favorable to Republicans in redistricting.
Brian Irving, a retired US Air Force officer, ran as the Libertarian Party candidate.

Democratic primary

;Candidates
;Declined

Republican primary

;Candidates

General election

Results

District 3

Republican Walter Jones, Jr., who has represented North Carolina's 3rd congressional district since 1995, ran for re-election. The 3rd district was made slightly more favorable to Democrats in redistricting, but continued to strongly favor Republicans.

Republican primary

;Candidates

General election

Results

District 4

Democrat David Price, who has represented North Carolina's 4th congressional district since 1997 and previously served from 1987 until 1995, ran for re-election.

Democratic primary

, who has represented the 13th district since 2003, considered challenging Price in the 4th district primary after having his home drawn into it, but announced in January 2012 that he would not seek either seat and would instead retire. Price was unopposed in the Democratic primary.

Republican primary

;Candidates
;Withdrew

General election

Results

District 5

Republican Virginia Foxx, who has represented North Carolina's 5th congressional district since 2005, ran for re-election. The 5th district was made slightly more favorable to Democrats in redistricting, but continued to strongly favor Republicans.

Democratic primary

;Candidates
;Withdrew

General election

Results

District 6

Republican Howard Coble, who has represented North Carolina's 6th congressional district since 1985, ran for re-election.
The 6th district was expected to continue to strongly favor Republicans.

Democratic primary

Former two-term State senator Tony Foriest was the only Democrat to file against Coble.

Republican primary

;Candidates

General election

Results

District 7

The home of Democrat Mike McIntyre, who has represented North Carolina's 7th congressional district since 1997, was drawn into the 8th district in redistricting. McIntyre, who had briefly considered running for governor following Bev Perdue's announcement that she would not seek re-election, decided to seek re-election in the newly redrawn 7th district.
McIntyre was endorsed by the National Rifle Association, the United States Chamber of Commerce, the National Federation of Independent Business, and the National Right to Life Committee. In this election cycle, he was the lone Democratic federal candidate endorsed by NRLC.
The district was made more favorable to Republicans in redistricting: 58% of its residents voted for Republican nominee John McCain in the 2008 presidential election.
The election outcome left McIntyre the winner by 655 votes. A recount requested by Rouzer began on November 26, 2012; two days later, Rouzer conceded the race to McIntyre.

Republican primary

General election

Results

District 8

Democrat Larry Kissell, who had represented North Carolina's 8th congressional district since 2009, ran for re-election. The home of Kissell's fellow Democrat Mike McIntyre, who has represented the 7th district since 1997, was drawn into the 8th district in redistricting, but McIntyre sought re-election in the 7th district. The 8th district was made more favorable to Republicans in redistricting: only 42% of its residents voted for Democratic nominee Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election.

Democratic primary

;Candidates

Republican primary

;Candidates
;Withdrew
;Declined

Runoff results

General election

Result

District 9

Republican Sue Myrick, who had represented North Carolina's 9th congressional district since 1995, did not seek another term.
Curtis Campbell ran as the Libertarian nominee.

Democratic primary

Commissioner Jennifer Roberts was the only candidate seeking the Democratic nomination. Patrick Cannon, the mayor pro tem of Charlotte, did not run.

Republican primary

;Candidates
;Withdrew
;Declined

Runoff results

General election

Results

District 10

Republican Patrick McHenry, who has represented North Carolina's 10th congressional district since 2005, ran for re-election. Though the 10th district was made more favorable to Democrats in redistricting, it was expected to continue to strongly favor Republicans.

Democratic primary

;Candidates
;Withdrew

Republican primary

;Candidates

General election

Results

District 11

Democrat Heath Shuler, who had represented North Carolina's 11th congressional district since 2007, chose not to run for re-election. The 11th district was made more favorable to Republicans in redistricting: more than three-quarters of voters in Asheville were removed from the district, while Avery, Burke, Caldwell and Mitchell counties, all of which favor Republicans, were added to it.

Democratic primary

;Candidates

Republican primary

;Declined

Runoff results

General election

Results

District 12

Democrat Mel Watt, who has represented North Carolina's 12th congressional district since 1993, ran for re-election. The 12th district was made more favorable to Democrats in redistricting.
Watt faced Republican Jack Brosch and Libertarian Lon Cecil in the general election in November.

Democratic primary

;Candidates
;Declined

General election

Results

District 13

Democrat Brad Miller, who had represented North Carolina's 13th congressional district since 2003, did not seek re-election. The 13th district was made more favorable to Republicans in redistricting.

Democratic primary

;Candidates

Republican primary

;Candidates

General election

Results