Welcome To Our 2026 Fayetteville Election Live Blog

It’s been 10 years since Fayetteville and Cumberland County had a Democratic representative in the U.S. House.

Going into the 2026 midterms, the conventional wisdom has been that this wouldn’t change following this year’s election—Republican Reps. Richard Hudson in the 9th Congressional District and David Rouzer in the 7th Congressional District were expected to easily retain their seats.

But early voting, since it started in mid-October, has seen a surge of Democratic and independent voters participating compared to the  2022 midterms.

Democrats said the surge shows they can pull off upsets in both U.S. House Districts.

Ulysses Womack’s voting odyssey began at 6:45 a.m. on Thursday when he parked outside the Kiwanis Recreation Center in Honeycutt Park, one of Cumberland County’s seven early voting sites. When the early voting got underway at 8 a.m., Womack was first in line.

“I wanted to make sure I got in here. I didn’t want any problems,” he said. 

Womack, 71, finished by 8:16 a.m., the first time he took part in early voting. In the past, he voted on Election Day but tried early voting after it was discussed in his church, he said.

“I’m glad I did,” Womack said.

Voting early to avoid problems with their ballots was one of several themes CityView found talking with voters on Thursday. Other themes: Some want change in the nation’s power structure; others want to maintain what one called “the status quo.”

The four people vying for two at-large seats on the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners staked out positions on economic growth, including data centers, during a candidates forum on Tuesday.

They also discussed taxes and spending, providing clean drinking water, and how the county can best work with cities and towns inside its borders during the Greater Fayetteville Chamber event at Fayetteville Technical Community College (FTCC). About 140 people attended.

The candidates are former Commissioner Charles Evans; Commissioner Veronica Jones, who is the board’s vice chair; Gray’s Creek community activist Ron Ross; and Greg West, who is a member of the Board of Education.

School closures, district spending, and access to specialized academic programs drew calls for greater community involvement Tuesday as candidates for the Cumberland County Board of Education outlined how they would approach decisions affecting students and families.

Fourteen of the race’s 16 candidates participated in the Greater Fayetteville Chamber candidates forum at Fayetteville Technical Community College’s Tony Rand Student Center. Theodore Lee Miller and Karelle Ward did not attend.

The candidates are competing for three at-large seats in the election. The three candidates receiving the most votes will win four-year terms. Jacquelyn Brown, the board’s vice chair, is the only incumbent seeking reelection in the race.

This is CityView‘s 2026 Election Guide. On this page, you’ll find sample ballot generator tool. This guide also has important election and registration deadlines and a set of frequently asked questions for voters.

In our Election Guide, you will find all of our coverage of the 2026 campaign, including our candidate interviews leading up to this race. If you live in Cumberland County, we have you covered this election.

• Two school board seats are open—one following the death of Chair Judy Musgrave, and the other because Greg West isn’t running for reelection..

• The 16 candidates: Jacquelyn Brown, Keith Byrd, Robyn Chadwick, Franklin Matthew Crockett, Tom Hatch, Johnathaun Lee, Quincei Lovejoy, Theodore Lee Miller, Bryan Moore, Broxie P. Pone, Demetrius Stocks, Carol Stubbs, Karelle Ward, Rebecca West, Bradley Williams, and Chris Young.

* CityView is asking each candidate the same questions about the district’s most pressing issues ahead of the November 3 election. Find links below to the Q&As we’ve published so far.

• Check CityView’s 2026 Voter Guide for more details on voting, candidates, and ballot measures.