CRMCA North Carolina Legislative Update for March 2026
Compiled by Susan Vick & Tom Fetzer, CRMCA North Carolina Lobbyists
The Primary Election
At the Top
The primary election held on March 3 is still not over—the most consequential race in NC is headed to a recount at the time of this writing. President Pro Tem Phil Berger (R, Rockingham), arguably the most powerful politician in NC, is trailing his challenger, Sam Page, by 23 votes. It is reported that over $10M was spent in that primary race, or approximately $300 for each Senate District 26 voter.
Popular Pro-Business Democrats Defeated
Three pro-business Democrat House members were soundly defeated after past legislative sessions had them crossing the aisle to vote with Republicans on budget and other policy items. Incumbents Carla Cunningham (D, Mecklenburg), Nasif Majeed (D, Mecklenburg) and Shelly Willingham (D, Edgecombe) were targeted by the Democratic Party of NC for their past votes with Republicans.
Unaffiliated Voters Made the Difference
Unaffiliated voters pulled Democratic ballots vs. Republican ballots – a potential trend for the Trump mid-term elections (where the party in power usually sees losses).
Joint Legislative Transportation Oversight Committee
The JLOC Committee on Transportation Oversight met on March 5 to hear updates on “Maintaining Access and Building Resilience for the Outer Banks,” “Future Transportation Infrastructure on the Outer Banks,” and an update on the Ferry System. Handouts from that committee meeting may be found here:
https://www.ncleg.gov/Committees/CommitteeInfo/NonStanding/468/Documents/23204
House Select Committee on NC’s Transportation Future
The House Select Committee on NC’s Transportation Future will meet on Thursday, March 19.
Short Session
Short session will begin on April 21, when legislators return to Raleigh. Their primary focus will be passing a budget (a big item left hanging from 2025). A House and Senate committee have each examined rising property taxes across the state and what power lawmakers have to reign in or limit increases.
NC Preconstruction Workshop
On March 16-17, NC DOT will hold a two-day workshop at McKimmon Center (Raleigh) for “NCDOT employees and industry partners to attend sessions that focus on the current efforts to improve how transportation projects are planned, designed and delivered in an evolving environment.” https://www.ncdot.gov/news/events/Pages/2026-01-29-ncdot-preconstruction-workshop.aspx
Video Transportation Roundtable
Business NC hosted and posted a recent roundtable discussion that can be viewed online here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3TYbv-Dh90
