Reuben Jones

Spectrum News Washington Correspondent
Beats: NC, national politics
Focused on Context
Stories: [email protected]
TikTok: @ReubenJonesTV
Alum: NYU, GMU

[Reuben Jones @ReubenJones1]

Takeaways from the wild results in North Carolina...

-Republicans have been decimated across the board (US House, Senate, General Assembly)

-Before I get into were things stand remember that NC is one of the most gerrymandered states in the country in favor of Republicans. Many of these districts came in favoring Republicans by high double digits.

-Going into Tuesday ...NC had 10 Rs, 4 Ds in the US House
-Currently... Democrats have won or are leading in 10 seats -- potentially completely flipping the delegation

-AP and NYTimes still haven't called the majority of races in NC but...

+Incumbent Republicans likely to lose:
Richard Hudson, Addison McDowell, Brad Knott, Tim Moore
+Potential Recounts:
(R) Rep. Virginia Foxx trails (D) Chuck Hubbard by 99 votes
(R) Greg Murphy leads (D) Raymond Smith by 233 votes
(R) David Rouzer leads (D) Kimberly Hardy by 2,425
+Incumbent Republicans likely to win:
Pat Harrigan, Mark Harris
+Other Notable Democrat wins:
Rep. Don Davis, Jamie Ager

Context:
-Richard Hudson is not only a longtime congressman he's also Chair of the NRCC, in charge of electing House Republicans. His job is to raise lots of money for Republicans and travel the country to help. That might have backfired for him in his own race. Democrat Richard Ojeda is a retired Army Major and former state senator in WV. He raised a significant amount of money and ran a populist campaign. This is a massive upset. #NC09

-Addison McDowell is a freshman Republican and is one of the youngest members of the GOP in the House. I don't know anyone who had this on their list of seats that could flip. Democrat Cyril Jefferson is the Mayor of High Point #NC06

-Brad Knott is a freshman Republican and represents a district which surrounds part of Raleigh and has grown, likely helping Dems. Democrat Paul Barringer is a healthcare consultant, lawyer and manage's his family's tree farming operation. #NC13

-Tim Moore is a freshman Republican who previously was a longtime Speaker of the House in NC. This is a huge upset. Democrat Lakesha Womack is a consultant and works at an organization focused on helping entrepreneurs. #NC14

-Virginia Foxx is a longtime Republican with major influence in the GOP in Congress. She's Chair of the Rules Committee. Democrat Chuck Hubbard is a former longtime local journalist. I had seen some rumblings this could be a seat to watch on Tuesday but this is still a major upset if she loses. Foxx won by 19 points in 24'. #NC05

-Once again, Don Davis has won another tough re-election. NC Republican lawmakers gerrymandered this district last year to get Davis out of a seat but it failed. Davis is considered one of the most moderate Dems in the House. This was a rematch of 2024 against Republican Laurie Buckhout. #NC01

-If (R) Greg Murphy can hold onto his seat that's notable because his district lost Republican votes after NC01 was redrawn last year. A lot of people had this district as a seat that could flip to Democrats. #NC03

-Democrat Jamie Ager will replace outgoing (R) Rep. Chuck Edwards. Democrats haven't won this district in western NC in 16 years and Ager won it by 15+ points. Ager, a farmer and member of well-known Dem family, was considered a strong candidate. Republican Jennifer Balkcom also had a very tight window to run her race after Edwards dropped out. #NC11

Senate...
North Carolina hasn't won a Senate seat in 18 years and now Roy Cooper continues his streak of never losing an election. He leads by 19 points. How big is that? The last two Senate races were separated by less than 4 points. Republican Michael Whatley knew NC politics well but he had never ran as a candidate and most people didn't know who he was when he entered the race. He was also very tied with Trump. #ncsen #ncpol

More to come in the coming hours and days but this is a huge shakeup for a congressional delegation that has seen lots of flux because it's undergone so many different congressional maps over the years.

Also...NC Supreme Court Justice (D) Anita Earls holds onto her seat which had to happen if Democrats want to take control of the court in 2028 when 3 seats are up.

NC House also will go to Democrats and Democrats made gains in the State Senate.

(Please excuse any typos. I'm running on little sleep) #Election2026 #Elections2026 #ElectionDay

[Reuben Jones @ReubenJones1]

Richard Ojeda pulled off a huge upset Tuesday beating longtime Republican Congressman Richard Hudson who is also the chair of the NRCC.

#ncpol #NC09

[Maj. (Ret.) Richard Ojeda @Ojeda4America]

For years, my dad battled Parkinson’s disease. On Election Night, I got to tell him, “Pop, we won.”

This morning, he passed away.

A part of me believes he held on just long enough to see his son make it to Congress.

He won’t be there when I’m sworn in. But I know he’ll be standing right beside me.

Rest easy, Daddy. I’ll take it from here. These next two years are for you ❤️

[Reuben Jones @ReubenJones1]

I spoke with 4 of the Democrats that flipped heavily Republican seats in North Carolina on Tuesday.

Richard Ojeda beat Rep. Richard Hudson (#NC09)
Paul Barringer beat. Rep. Brad Knott (#NC13)
Cyril Jefferson beat Rep. Addison McDowell (#NC06)
Lakesha Womack beat Rep. Tim Moore (#NC14) #ncpol

[Reuben Jones @ReubenJones1]

One of the counties I was really interested to follow this election was Robeson County which is home to the Lumbee Tribe and has moved towards the GOP the past couple years.

And this year, under the Trump Admin., the tribe received federal recognition.

2022 - Ted Budd received 50.5%
2024 - Trump received 63%
Tuesday - Whatley received 49%

[Reuben Jones @ReubenJones1]

AP offically called the race for Jefferson earlier today.

[Reuben Jones @ReubenJones1]

VERY few people had NC's 6th District as a seat that could flip towards Dems.

But High Point Mayor Cyril Jefferson beat freshman (R) Rep. Addison McDowell, who didn't even have a Dem opponent in 24'.

I spoke with Jefferson.
#nc06 #ncpol @SpecNews1Triad

[Reuben Jones @ReubenJones1]

AP hasn't called race yet but McDowell has conceded.

[Reuben Jones @ReubenJones1]

New report from today:

[Reuben Jones @ReubenJones1]

Here's where things stand with North Carolina's federal election results...

3-4 US House Races in Potential Recount Territory
District 3: (R) Greg Murphy leads (D) Raymond Smith by 233 votes (0.09%) 0.9% #NC03
District 5: (D) Chuck Hubbard leads (R) Rep. Virginia Foxx by 99 votes (0.04%) #NC05
District 7: (R) Rep. David Rouzer leads (D) Kimberly Hardy by 2,425 votes (0.76%) #NC07
District 10: (R) Rep. Pat Harrigan leads (D) Ashley Bell by 3,029 votes (1.03%) #NC10

What Happens Next
-County board of elections will determine what provisional ballots will be accepted by Tuesday
-Remaining absentee-by-mail ballots counted Tuesday
-Certification of results by counties on Friday (11/13)

Recount Requests After County Certification
Candidates who are down can demand a recount if they are within 1% or less of total votes cast. Request must be made by Nov. 17th at noon.

Worth Noting
No Republican in NC's US House races is winning by more than 2 points. 3 are in potential recount territory and Mark Harris leads by 1.77%. #ncpol

[Reuben Jones @ReubenJones1]

The AP has now officially called this race -- projecting Democrat Paul Barringer beats (R) Rep. Brad Knott.

Knott won by 17 points in 2024. #NC13

[Reuben Jones @ReubenJones1]

"Their tired of parties, their tired of partisanship."

Democrat Paul Barringer is on track to defeat (R) Rep. Brad Knott in a significant upset in NC.

Barringer is a former Republican who ran as a moderate Dem. He is a healthcare consultant.

(race hasn't officially been called by AP but Knott has conceded)

@PaulBarringerNC #NC13 @SpecNews1RDU

[Reuben Jones @ReubenJones1]

The AP has now officially called this race -- projecting Democrat Richard Ojeda defeats (R) Rep. Richard Hudson in another huge upset.

Hudson won his seat by nearly 19 points in 24'. #NC09

[Reuben Jones @ReubenJones1]

MAJOR UPSET:

Retired Army Major Democrat Richard Ojeda has pulled off one of the biggest upsets in the country, defeating Republican Rep. Richard Hudson who is also the NRCC Chair.

Here's what @Ojeda4America told me today.

(race still hasn't been called by the AP but Hudson has conceded). #ncpol #NC09

[Reuben Jones @ReubenJones1]

@thealecb Thanks Alex. I unfortunately haven't had time to go through the provisional numbers by district yet but here's a list of them by county: https://t.co/Fqvv37eT3r

[Reuben Jones @ReubenJones1]

NEW:

The AP projects (D) LaKesha Womack defeats (R) Rep. Tim Moore in a huge upset.

Womack raised $59,000 in her campaign compared to Moore who raised $2.1 million.

Moore won the seat by 16 points in 24'. #NC14 #ncpol

I talked to Womack a little while ago...

[Reuben Jones @ReubenJones1]

Takeaways from the wild results in North Carolina...

-Republicans have been decimated across the board (US House, Senate, General Assembly)

-Before I get into were things stand remember that NC is one of the most gerrymandered states in the country in favor of Republicans. Many of these districts came in favoring Republicans by high double digits.

-Going into Tuesday ...NC had 10 Rs, 4 Ds in the US House
-Currently... Democrats have won or are leading in 10 seats -- potentially completely flipping the delegation

-AP and NYTimes still haven't called the majority of races in NC but...

+Incumbent Republicans likely to lose:
Richard Hudson, Addison McDowell, Brad Knott, Tim Moore
+Potential Recounts:
(R) Rep. Virginia Foxx trails (D) Chuck Hubbard by 99 votes
(R) Greg Murphy leads (D) Raymond Smith by 233 votes
(R) David Rouzer leads (D) Kimberly Hardy by 2,425
+Incumbent Republicans likely to win:
Pat Harrigan, Mark Harris
+Other Notable Democrat wins:
Rep. Don Davis, Jamie Ager

Context:
-Richard Hudson is not only a longtime congressman he's also Chair of the NRCC, in charge of electing House Republicans. His job is to raise lots of money for Republicans and travel the country to help. That might have backfired for him in his own race. Democrat Richard Ojeda is a retired Army Major and former state senator in WV. He raised a significant amount of money and ran a populist campaign. This is a massive upset. #NC09

-Addison McDowell is a freshman Republican and is one of the youngest members of the GOP in the House. I don't know anyone who had this on their list of seats that could flip. Democrat Cyril Jefferson is the Mayor of High Point #NC06

-Brad Knott is a freshman Republican and represents a district which surrounds part of Raleigh and has grown, likely helping Dems. Democrat Paul Barringer is a healthcare consultant, lawyer and manage's his family's tree farming operation. #NC13

-Tim Moore is a freshman Republican who previously was a longtime Speaker of the House in NC. This is a huge upset. Democrat Lakesha Womack is a consultant and works at an organization focused on helping entrepreneurs. #NC14

-Virginia Foxx is a longtime Republican with major influence in the GOP in Congress. She's Chair of the Rules Committee. Democrat Chuck Hubbard is a former longtime local journalist. I had seen some rumblings this could be a seat to watch on Tuesday but this is still a major upset if she loses. Foxx won by 19 points in 24'. #NC05

-Once again, Don Davis has won another tough re-election. NC Republican lawmakers gerrymandered this district last year to get Davis out of a seat but it failed. Davis is considered one of the most moderate Dems in the House. This was a rematch of 2024 against Republican Laurie Buckhout. #NC01

-If (R) Greg Murphy can hold onto his seat that's notable because his district lost Republican votes after NC01 was redrawn last year. A lot of people had this district as a seat that could flip to Democrats. #NC03

-Democrat Jamie Ager will replace outgoing (R) Rep. Chuck Edwards. Democrats haven't won this district in western NC in 16 years and Ager won it by 15+ points. Ager, a farmer and member of well-known Dem family, was considered a strong candidate. Republican Jennifer Balkcom also had a very tight window to run her race after Edwards dropped out. #NC11

Senate...
North Carolina hasn't won a Senate seat in 18 years and now Roy Cooper continues his streak of never losing an election. He leads by 19 points. How big is that? The last two Senate races were separated by less than 4 points. Republican Michael Whatley knew NC politics well but he had never ran as a candidate and most people didn't know who he was when he entered the race. He was also very tied with Trump. #ncsen #ncpol

More to come in the coming hours and days but this is a huge shakeup for a congressional delegation that has seen lots of flux because it's undergone so many different congressional maps over the years.

Also...NC Supreme Court Justice (D) Anita Earls holds onto her seat which had to happen if Democrats want to take control of the court in 2028 when 3 seats are up.

NC House also will go to Democrats and Democrats made gains in the State Senate.

(Please excuse any typos. I'm running on little sleep) #Election2026 #Elections2026 #ElectionDay

[Douglas Heye @DougHeye]

Last night’s earthquake in North Carolina make the best case for why the state should go first in the 2028 Democratic primaries. https://t.co/7aZlUiaptQ

[Taylor Popielarz @TaylorPopielarz]

How bad has this midterm election cycle been for Republicans?

Congressman Richard Hudson, the lawmaker who chairs the National Republican Congressional Committee, whose job it is to travel the country and get more House Republicans elected, lost his own race in North Carolina.

My colleague @ReubenJones1 just spoke with Hudson’s opponent about his upset win:

[Reuben Jones @ReubenJones1]

MAJOR UPSET:

Retired Army Major Democrat Richard Ojeda has pulled off one of the biggest upsets in the country, defeating Republican Rep. Richard Hudson who is also the NRCC Chair.

Here's what @Ojeda4America told me today.

(race still hasn't been called by the AP but Hudson has conceded). #ncpol #NC09

[Reuben Jones @ReubenJones1]

FULL Statement:

Statement:

“Last night, the voters of North Carolina’s 9th District made their choice, and I respect it. God is sovereign over my life, and He has a plan for all of us.

“Representing the people of North Carolina has been the honor of my life. Since 2013, I’ve worked for North Carolina families. That includes the soldiers and families at Fort Bragg, who sacrifice more for this country than most people will ever know. Every day I had the privilege of being Fort Bragg’s Congressman, I worked to earn that honor.

“America is the greatest country, and I believe more than ever in the principles that make us great. Whatever the future holds, I will keep fighting for those principles and for the people who believe in commonsense, conservative policies that will save our country and make the lives of the American people better. In the words of Ronald Reagan: we lost a skirmish, but the battle goes on.

“Most of all, I am grateful to my staff, who worked so hard for the people of our district, and to my family. My most important title was not Congressman, it will always be “Dad.” I cherish my wonderful son Lane and my amazing wife Renee, and I am grateful for their tremendous support in this season of public service.

“I called to congratulate Richard Ojeda on his victory. I wish him well and look forward to working with him to ensure a smooth transition for the people of North Carolina’s Ninth Congressional District.

“As we are promised in Isaiah 41:10, God is in charge, and He stands ready to help and strengthen those who call on Him. I do not know what the future holds for me, but I face it with gratitude and optimism.”

[Reuben Jones @ReubenJones1]

BREAKING:

(R) Rep. Richard Hudson, who is also the NRCC Chair, has conceded defeat to Democrat Richard Ojeda in North Carolina's 9th Congressional District.

(Race still hasn't been called by the AP).
#ncpol #NC09