National Democrats have added Lee County’s Congressional District to their “Districts in Play” list, indicating their expectation for a closer 2026 race in what’s been thought of in recent years as a safe Republican seat.
Lee County is part of North Carolina’s 13th Congressional District, which also includes all of Harnett, Johnston, Caswell, Person, and Franklin counties, as well as parts of Granville and Wake. First-term Republican Brad Knott and former federal prosecutor won the seat in 2024 and is running for re-election against Democrat Paul Barringer, an attorney and farmer from Lee County.
Barringer’s campaign touted the news in a press release, saying “we are going to keep pushing harder every day leading up to the election. We know how important it is that rural communities have a voice in Washington that leads with them in mind, with common-sense, and North Carolina Values.”
When the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced the list in April, it contained no North Carolina races. It now has four – NC-13, as well as NC-03 in eastern North Carolina, NC-09 (which includes Moore County) and NC-11 in western North Carolina.
Knott won the NC-13 seat by more than 17 points in 2024. Early voting in Lee County begins on October 15.