Cabarrus County state Senate seat to be major 2026 battleground

North Carolina’s 34th Senate district, an R+2 district according to the John Locke Foundation’s Civitas Partisan Index, will be a key battleground and could even flip blue this November 2026 elections, say political observers.

“Republicans should not sleep on Senate District 34 in Cabarrus County,” Andy Jackson, director of the Civitas Center for Public Integrity, told the Carolina Journal. “It is only R+2, and Cabarrus has been trending towards Democrats recently. They also lost their incumbent when Chris Measmer, who was appointed in 2025, lost the primary to former representative Kevin Crutchfield. This race could be very close.”

Measmer was appointed on April 8, 2025, to take the seat of Sen. Paul Newton, who resigned to accept a position as general counsel with UNC-Chapel Hill. After defeating Measmer, Republican Kevin Crutchfield will face Democrat April Cook. 

Cook, who has raised her family in Carabbus County, has spent more than 20 years as an executive working to provide affordable, high-quality healthcare, according to her campaign website, which says she is running on affordable health care, public school funding, affordable living, and women’s healthcare.

Kevin Crutchfield previously served in the NC House of Representatives, serving the 83rd district from Jan. 1 2023, to Jan. 1 2025. He is running on 2nd Amendment rights, pro-business policy, and support for and increased pay for law enforcement and first responders, according to his campaign website.

“Republicans are fielding strong, family-first candidates committed to lower taxes for workers and small businesses, public safety in our communities, and quality education for every student,” Matt Mercer, communications director for the NCGOP, told the Carolina Journal. “Voters in our state have returned strong Republican majorities to Raleigh and said no to the radical ideas of today’s Democrats, and they will do so again this year.” 

Of North Carolina’s 50 Senate seats, the chamber includes 16 safely Democratic seats, one likely Democratic seat, two Democratic-leaning seats, three toss-up seats, three Republican-leaning seats, nine likely Republican seats, and 16 safely Republican seats. Two of the three toss-ups are held by Republicans.

While SD-4 and SD-24 are also lean-Republican districts, experts say these districts are less likely to flip, with stronger incumbents and a little more favorable partisan balance.

“Democratic candidates running across the state, including those in Senate Districts 34, 24, and 4, are laser-focused on lowering the cost of living, expanding access to healthcare, and making sure our public schools get the investments they need so that students are set up for success,” Anderson Clayton, chair of the NC Democratic Party, told the Carolina Journal. “In SD 34 in particular, April Cook is running to make sure Cabarrus County has a representative who will put the community’s needs before their own financial interests. Given just how blatantly North Carolina Republicans have stacked the deck for their rich and powerful friends, we’re expecting to surprise a lot of people on election day with just how competitive Democrats are, even against the most gerrymandered state legislative maps in the country.”

Republicans hold 25 likely or safe seats in the Senate and must pick up only one of the six lean R or toss-up seats to retain their majority. For a super majority (the 30 votes needed for a veto override), Republicans need two of the three toss-up seats and all of the lean R seats. 

“April Cook, Catina Hamm, and Jess Rivera show us what happens when candidates who fit their district run for office,” said Clayton. “In districts drawn to be safe spaces for North Carolina Republicans, they’re all running competitive campaigns because they’re meeting voters where they are and discussing the issues that impact their daily lives.”

The remaining lean Republican districts in the North Carolina Senate are the 4th, represented by Sen. Buck Newton; and the 24th, represented by Sen. Danny Earl Britt Jr, both incumbent Republicans.

Newton has served five terms in two stints. His first tenure was from 2011 to 2016, when he represented the 11th district, and his second tenure began in January 2023, after he was elected to serve the 4th district. Democrat Jess Rivera is running to unseat Newton in the general election. She is a marine veteran and a small business owner running on education funding, affordable healthcare, accountable government, infrastructure, economic development, and support for veterans and working families, according to her campaign website.

“Newton and Britt are unlikely to lose in November, despite their districts’ relatively competitive ratings,” said Jackson. “First, both districts have been trending Republican, and this election is unlikely to completely reverse that trend. In addition, both have proven to be strong candidates. Britt regularly wins by large double-digit margins, including in the last Trump midterm in 2018. Newton also has a history of overperforming in his district. They are the main impediments to Democrats’ hope of taking control of the Senate.”

Incumbent Britt has served in office since January 2017, and Democrat Catina Hamm is running to unseat him. Hamm is a retired US Army veteran, health care professional, and a resident of Hoke County. Her priorities include: raising the minimum wage, public education funding and accountability, teacher pay, supporting seniors, and investing in infrastructure for long-term growth, according to her campaign website.

“Cabarrus County state Senate seat to be major 2026 battleground” was originally published on www.carolinajournal.com.