U.S. Rep. David Rouzer’s approach to campaigning in District 7 has become a punchline in southeastern North Carolina. He’s enjoyed such reliably breezy victories in his safe Republican seat that several years ago, he stopped showing up to candidate forums, answering questionnaires, or responding to most interview requests.
WHQR reported that Rouzer last attended a town hall in 2017, three years after he was first elected to Congress. Last year, a liberal group held an event in his honor that it called “Where’s Rouzer?” featuring a massive cardboard cutout of the politician’s head, alongside a life-size dummy made to look like him sitting on the couch eating popcorn.
It seemed unthinkable that any Democrat, let alone a little-known candidate, could come close to unseating Rouzer this year. But he led his opponent, Kimberly Hardy, by less than 1 percentage point on Tuesday night. Rouzer declared victory, but Hardy hasn’t conceded.
The tight race is part of a blue surge in North Carolina. Five Democrats flipped congressional races; Hardy could be the sixth, but her chances are slim. Rouzer leads by 2,425 votes, and Hardy would need to win almost 88% of provisional ballots, according to an analysis by NBC News. Those ballots will be counted by November 10, according to the N.C. State Board of Elections.
But any outcome could result in a recount, which state law allows candidates to seek if they are losing by less than 1%.
Hardy, a social worker, assistant professor at Fayetteville State University, and second vice chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party, said in a statement on Thursday that she isn’t conceding. The same day, her team sent out a donation request email declaring, “This Race is Still On!”
“I know everyone is eager for a final result, but it’s critically important that we follow the law and make sure every vote is counted—and, if necessary, recounted,” Hardy said.
Rouzer, a former state legislator, first ran for his U.S. House seat in 2012 but lost by less than 1 point to the incumbent, Mike McIntyre. McIntyre, a moderate Democrat, retired rather than run again in 2014, and Rouzer has won easily ever since.
Rouzer has rarely distanced himself from President Donald Trump, even on issues the congressman previously supported, like offshore wind energy, a sector Trump eviscerated last year. He also championed Trump’s false claims of fraud after the 2020 presidential election.
Rouzer, who serves on the agriculture and other congressional committees, has spent much of his career focused on coastal and water issues. He helped start an annual, bipartisan meeting of lawmakers, policy experts, and local leaders focused on flood mitigation. He’s introduced several bills to improve natural disaster response and improve water quality.
Rouzer’s vote for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act angered some constituents. The tax law, passed in July 2025, cut federal funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, called SNAP, and Medicaid, the federal health insurance program for low-income individuals.
After the vote, members of Action NC, a statewide organization advocating for low-income residents, protested for days outside Rouzer’s Fayetteville office. More than 30% of District 7 residents were enrolled in Medicaid in 2024, according to a KFF analysis. The same year, almost 12% of the district’s households were enrolled in SNAP, U.S. Department of Agriculture data show.
Hardy’s campaign focused on health care. In an interview with Port City Daily last year, Hardy railed against the federal cuts.
Rouzer “is actively working to dismantle health care access for tens of thousands of people in his own district, to say nothing for the national consequence of the legislation,” Hardy told PCD.
Democrats made a big push in rural America this year, hoping to flip local, state, and federal races. Six of the eight counties that make up the 7th District—Sampson, Robeson, Pender, Bladen, Columbus, and Brunswick—are rural. Those same six went for Rouzer, while Hardy prevailed in the urban Cumberland and New Hanover counties.
Despite his reputation for lackadaisical campaigning, Rouzer made a handful of late visits to the district. In late September, he was in Bladen County to support Sheriff Jim McVicker’s reelection campaign. (McVicker lost by about 1,500 votes.) On October 23, he spoke with Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and state Rep. John Lowery about strengthening federal, tribal, and local partnerships in Pembroke. A few days later, he held a meet-and-greet at the Robeson County GOP headquarters in Lumberton.
On Election Day, Rouzer traveled across Pender and Brunswick counties. He declared victory in a Facebook post Tuesday night.
“Tonight’s victory is a testament to the hard work and dedication of so many people who believe in the principles that make America great and a stronger future for Southeastern North Carolina,” he wrote. “I am deeply grateful to the voters for their continued trust and confidence and to our supporters and volunteers who made this victory possible.”
