US Reps. Hudson and McDowell concede races in 2 of NC’s most stunning election upsets

Two Republican members of North Carolina’s congressional delegation acknowledged Wednesday there was no path to victory in their respective districts after Tuesday’s midterm elections. Both were in districts widely considered to be safe Republican seats and were not expected to lose their 2026 reelection bids.

Congressman Richard Hudson, chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee, officially conceded his bid for reelection to Democrat Richard Ojeda.

Strong Democratic turnout flips at least 5 US House seats across North Carolina

ADVERTISEMENT

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

Hudson, who has represented the district since 2013, trailed Ojeda, a former West Virginia state representative and veteran, by just over 6,000 votes. In unofficial results with all precincts reporting, Ojeda won 51% of the vote to Hudson’s 49%.

Hudson said it was the honor of his life to represent the 9th district and have the privilege of being Fort Bragg’s congressman.

“In the words of Ronald Reagan: we lost a skirmish, but the battle goes on,” Hudson wrote.

Ojeda said voters in the district viewed Hudson as being more focused on running the Republican money machine for the NRCC than local needs.

“This win belongs to every teacher, every nurse, every veteran, every family at Fort Bragg and every working person who’s sick and tired of watching the billionaire class take everything,” Ojeda said in a statement.

Joining Hudson in conceding on Wednesday was Republican U.S. Rep. Addison McDowell in the 6th Congressional District. He lost to Democratic High Point Mayor Cyril Jefferson.

McDowell said he recognized the frustration of voters in the current political climate.

“I urge my fellow conservatives not to back down,” McDowell wrote. “Now is the time to stand taller, dig in, and join me in rebuilding the values and principles that have always made our communities strong.”

Hudson and McDowell’s concessions come as fellow Republican U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx tries to hang on to her seat in North Carolina’s 5th Congressional District. Foxx trails Democratic challenger Chuck Hubbard by just 99 votes. She said Wednesday that overseas and provisional ballots have yet to be tallied and she would not concede until all eligible votes had been counted.