Republican U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx trails Democratic challenger Chuck Hubbard by just 99 votes in North Carolina’s 5th Congressional District, leaving one of the state’s closest congressional races undecided the morning after Tuesday’s midterm elections, ncnewsline.com reported. With all 230 precincts reporting, unofficial results show Hubbard at 48.7% of the vote and Foxx at 48.66%, while Libertarian candidate Robert Luffman holds about 2.64%, according to the North Carolina State Board of Elections.
Foxx, 83, has represented the district since 2005 and won 11 consecutive general elections there. She defeated Hubbard in 2024 by a much larger margin, taking about 60% of the vote; myfox8.com notes Hubbard gained 40.5% in that race.
Foxx Says the Counting Is Not Over
Foxx said Wednesday that the counting process is not finished, pointing to overseas and provisional ballots still to be counted. Military and overseas ballots are accepted if they arrive by Nov. 12. She noted that more than 1,000 provisional ballots were cast in the 2024 elections and that Republicans netted enough votes from those ballots to exceed the current margin.
“Free and fair elections are a cornerstone of our healthy republic. The voters exercised their American rights and cast their ballots. I am so grateful for all those who took the time to vote in this election,” Foxx said. “To be clear, the counting process has not ended under state law.”
Hubbard, 64, also acknowledged the razor-thin margin in a statement that claimed victory. He said he was proud to have been selected by voters and looked forward to working on Hurricane Helene recovery and lowering costs for families in the district.
North Carolina U. S. House District 5 >95% Reported: 🔵 Chuck Hubbard – 139,034 (48.7%) 🔴 Virginia Foxx – 138,935 (48.7%) Results per AP
“Last night’s results came out extremely close, which means we will have to fight for this seat,” Hubbard said. “I trust the Board of Elections to complete their work correctly and fairly.”
Map Changes Expand District Boundaries
The 5th District stretches across northwestern North Carolina, including Watauga County and Boone, and has long been considered one of the state’s safest GOP seats. myfox8.com reports the district was redrawn ahead of the 2026 elections amid claims of gerrymandering, now stretching from Boone through the northwest and central portions of Greensboro and encompassing Alleghany, Guilford, Lenoir, Rockingham, Surry, Stokes, and Wilkes Counties plus parts of Watauga County.
The tight race fits a broader pattern Tuesday night.
Recount Rules Apply to Tight Vote Margin
North Carolina law allows a candidate in a non-statewide race to request a recount when the margin is less than 1% of the total votes cast, and this race sits well inside that threshold at roughly 0.04%. Only after certification can the losing candidate formally request a recount.
For the residents of the 5th District, the practical stakes are immediate: the seat could change hands for the first time in more than two decades depending on how the remaining ballots break.
More on Virginia Foxx
Virginia Foxx now trails Chuck Hubbard in NC-5.
Chuck Hubbard has narrowly taken the lead in NC-5, with all precincts reporting. If it holds, he will narrowly oust Virginia Foxx, a 21 year congresswoman from her Western North Carolina congressional district. #wnc #ncpol https://t.co/ka9LJXzTy2
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