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North Carolina's 4th congressional district

U.S. House district for North Carolina


U.S. House district for North Carolina

FieldValue
stateNorth Carolina
district number4
image name
image captionInteractive map of district boundaries since January 3, 2025
representativeValerie Foushee
partyDemocratic
residenceHillsborough
population804,357
population year2024
median income$102,410
percent white53.1
percent hispanic11.5
percent black19.7
percent asian10.8
percent more than one race4.2
percent other race0.8
cpviD+23

| percent more than one race = 4.2

North Carolina's 4th congressional district is located in the central region of the state. The district includes all of Durham County and Orange County as well as northern Chatham County and a portion of Wake County. With a Cook Partisan Voting Index rating of D+23 in 2025, it is one of the most Democratic districts in North Carolina.

Until 2022 the district was represented by 11-term Congressman David Price, a former political science professor at Duke University, who was first elected in 1986, ousting one-term Republican incumbent Bill Cobey. Price was reelected in 1988, 1990, and 1992, but he was defeated in his bid for a fifth term in 1994 by Republican Fred Heineman, the Raleigh Police Chief, in a generally bad year for Democrats in North Carolina. Price came back to defeat Heineman in a rematch in 1996, and has been reelected each time since then by large margins, usually with more than 60% of the vote. In 2020, Price received 67% of the votes (332,421 votes) to defeat Republican challenger Robert Thomas, who received 33% (161,298 votes).

Before court mandated redistricting in 2016, according to research by Christopher Ingraham of The Washington Post, the district was the third-most gerrymandered Congressional district in North Carolina and seventh-most gerrymandered district in the United States. In contrast, its predecessor was the most regularly drawn of the state's 13 districts.

NC-CD4 is currently represented by Congresswoman Valerie Foushee, who was elected to Congress in November 2022, becoming the first African American and first woman to represent the district. Born and raised in Orange County, N.C., Foushee previously served in the N.C. Senate, N.C. House, Orange County Board of Commissioners, and the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board. In Congress, Rep. Foushee serves on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and is the Vice Ranking Member of the Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials subcommittee and a member of the Highways and Transit subcommittee. She also serves on the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and is the Ranking Member of the Investigations and Oversight subcommittee and a member of the Energy subcommittee.

History

From 2003 to 2013, the district contained most of the area commonly known as The Triangle. It included all of Durham and Orange counties, part of Wake County and a small section of Chatham County. The 4th district picked up the most Republican areas of Wake County, such as Apex, Cary, and much of North Raleigh in order to help make the neighboring 13th and 2nd districts more Democratic. For instance, Barack Obama defeated John McCain in the Wake County portion of the district in 2008 by 51–48%, a difference of less than 8,000 votes in between the two candidates. In contrast, Obama won Wake County overall by a much greater margin of 56–43%, and Obama swept the 4th district as a whole by 63–36%. The Republican influence in the district's Wake County portion was more than canceled out by the two Democratic strongholds of Orange and Durham counties, where Obama received 72% and 76%, respectively, his two best counties in the entire state. The 4th district had a Cook PVI of D+8, which made it the most Democratic white-majority district in the entire South outside of South Florida and Northern Virginia.

The district became even more heavily Democratic as a result of 2012 redistricting, in which the more Republican areas of western and southern Wake County were removed, along with northern Orange County and most of its share of Durham County. They were replaced by heavily Democratic portions of Alamance, Cumberland, Harnett and Lee counties. Additionally, the district was pushed further into Raleigh. Like its predecessor, the district is one of the few Southern districts with a significant concentration of progressive-minded white voters—similar to areas around Atlanta, Houston, Charlotte, Nashville, Memphis and Austin. The presence of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and Duke University, as well as large African-American populations in Durham and Raleigh help contribute to the liberal nature of the 4th district.

Before court mandated redistricting in 2016, the district was just barely contiguous; the northern and southern portions were connected by a barely-discernible strip of land along the Lee/Harnett line. Court-mandated redistricting in 2019 again reconfigured the district, returning large portions of Durham County and removing large portions of Raleigh and Cary, North Carolina.

On February 23, 2022, the North Carolina Supreme Court approved a new map which changed the 4th district boundaries to include Alamance and Person while removing Franklin and the parts of Chatham, Vance and Wake.

Counties and communities

For the 119th and successive Congresses (based on the districts drawn following a 2023 legislative session), the district contains all or portions of the following counties and communities.

Chatham County (7)

: Briar Chapel, Carolina Meadows, Cary (part; also 2nd and 9th; shared with Durham and Wake counties), Fearrington Village, Governors Club, Governors Village, Pittsboro Durham County (6) : All six communities Orange County (5) : All five communities

Wake County (5)

: Apex, Cary (part; also 2nd, 9th, and 13th; shared with Chatham and Durham counties), Fuquay-Varina (part; also 13th), Holly Springs (part; also 13th), Morrisville (part; also 2nd; shared with Durham County)

Recent election results from statewide races

YearOfficeResults
2008PresidentObama 68% - 31%
SenateHagan 67% - 30%
GovernorPerdue 63% - 33%
2010SenateMarshall 62% - 35%
2012PresidentObama 68% - 32%
GovernorDalton 61% - 36%
2014SenateHagan 68% - 30%
2016PresidentClinton 69% - 26%
SenateRoss 67% - 30%
GovernorCooper 71% - 27%
Lt. GovernorColeman 67% - 30%
Secretary of StateMarshall 72% - 28%
AuditorWood 69% - 31%
TreasurerBlue III 68% - 32%
Attorney GeneralStein 71% - 29%
2020PresidentBiden 72% - 26%
SenateCunningham 69% - 27%
GovernorCooper 74% - 24%
Lt. GovernorLewis Holley 71% - 29%
Secretary of StateMarshall 73% - 27%
AuditorWood 73% - 27%
TreasurerChatterji 69% - 31%
Attorney GeneralStein 73% - 27%
2022SenateBeasley 73% - 25%
2024PresidentHarris 72% - 26%
GovernorStein 78% - 18%
Lt. GovernorHunt 73% - 25%
Secretary of StateMarshall 75% - 25%
AuditorHolmes 71% - 26%
TreasurerHarris 71% - 29%
Attorney GeneralJackson 75% - 25%

List of members representing the district

Member
(Residence)PartyYearsCong
ressElectoral historyDistrict location
District established April 19, 1790
[[File:Portrait of John Steele by James Peale, 1797.jpg100px]]
John Steele
(Salisbury)Pro-AdministrationApril 19, 1790 –
March 3, 1791Elected in 1790.
Redistricted to the .1790–1791
"Yadkin division"
[[File:Hugh Williamson-1-.jpg100px]]
Hugh Williamson
(Edenton)Anti-AdministrationMarch 4, 1791 –
March 3, 1793Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1791.
1791–1793
"Albemarle division"
Alexander Mebane
(Hillsborough)Anti-AdministrationMarch 4, 1793 –
July 5, 1795Elected in 1793.
Re-elected in 1795.
Died.1793–1803
VacantJuly 5, 1795 –
December 7, 1795
Absalom Tatom
(Hillsborough)Democratic-RepublicanDecember 7, 1795 –
June 1, 1796Elected to finish Mebane's term and seated December 7, 1795.
Resigned.
VacantJune 1, 1796 –
December 13, 1796
William F. Strudwick
(Wilmington)FederalistDecember 13, 1796 –
March 3, 1797Elected November 23, 1796 to finish Tatom's term and seated December 13, 1796.
Retired.
Richard Stanford
(Hawfields)Democratic-RepublicanMarch 4, 1797 –
March 3, 1803Re-elected in 1796.
Re-elected in 1798.
Re-elected in 1800.
Redistricted to the .
William Blackledge
(Spring Hill)Democratic-RepublicanMarch 4, 1803 –
March 3, 1809Elected in 1803.
Re-elected in 1804.
Re-elected in 1806.
Lost re-election.1803–1813
[[File:JohnStanly.jpg100px]]
John Stanly
(New Bern)FederalistMarch 4, 1809 –
March 3, 1811Elected in 1808.
Retired.
William Blackledge
(Spring Hill)Democratic-RepublicanMarch 4, 1811 –
March 3, 1813Re-elected in 1810.
Lost re-election.
[[File:WilliamGaston.jpg100px]]
William Gaston
(New Bern)FederalistMarch 4, 1813 –
March 3, 1817Re-elected in 1813.
Re-elected in 1815.
Retired.1813–1823
Jesse Slocumb
(Waynesborough)FederalistMarch 4, 1817 –
December 20, 1820Re-elected in 1817.
Re-elected in 1819.
Died.
VacantDecember 20, 1820 –
February 7, 1821
William S. Blackledge
(New Bern)Democratic-RepublicanFebruary 7, 1821 –
March 3, 1823Elected in January 1821 to finish Slocumb's term and seated February 7, 1821.
Re-elected later in 1821.
Retired.
[[File:RDSpaightJr-NC.jpg100px]]
Richard D. Spaight Jr.
(New Bern)Democratic-RepublicanMarch 4, 1823 –
March 3, 1825Elected in 1823.
Lost re-election.1823–1833
John Heritage Bryan
(New Bern)Anti-JacksonianMarch 4, 1825 –
March 3, 1829Elected in 1825.
Re-elected in 1827.
Retired.
[[File:JSpeight2.jpg100px]]
Jesse Speight
(Stantonsburg)JacksonianMarch 4, 1829 –
March 3, 1837Elected in 1829.
Re-elected in 1831.
Re-elected in 1833.
Re-elected in 1835.
1833–1843
Charles B. Shepard
(New Bern)WhigMarch 4, 1837 –
March 3, 1839Elected in 1837.
Re-elected in 1839.
DemocraticMarch 4, 1839 –
March 3, 1841
William H. Washington
(New Bern)WhigMarch 4, 1841 –
March 3, 1843Elected in 1841.
Edmund Deberry
(Lawrenceville)WhigMarch 4, 1843 –
March 3, 1845Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1843.
1843–1853
[[File:Alfred Dockery.jpg100px]]
Alfred Dockery
(Dockery's Store)WhigMarch 4, 1845 –
March 3, 1847Elected in 1845.
Augustine H. Shepperd
(Salem)WhigMarch 4, 1847 –
March 3, 1851Elected in 1847.
Re-elected in 1849.
James T. Morehead
(Greensboro)WhigMarch 4, 1851 –
March 3, 1853Elected in 1851.
[[File:Sion Hart Rogers.png100px]]
Sion H. Rogers
(Raleigh)WhigMarch 4, 1853 –
March 3, 1855Elected in 1853.
1853–1861
[[File:Lawrence branch.gif100px]]
Lawrence O'Bryan Branch
(Raleigh)DemocraticMarch 4, 1855 –
March 3, 1861Elected in 1855.
Re-elected in 1857.
Re-elected in 1859.
VacantMarch 3, 1861 –
July 6, 1868Civil War and Reconstruction
[[File:John T. Deweese - Brady-Handy.jpg100px]]
John T. Deweese
(Raleigh)RepublicanJuly 6, 1868 –
February 28, 1870Elected to finish the short term.
Re-elected in 1868.
Resigned.1868–1873
VacantFebruary 28, 1870 –
December 7, 1870
[[File:John Manning Jr.png100px]]
John Manning Jr.
(Pittsboro)DemocraticDecember 7, 1870 –
March 3, 1871Elected to finish Deweese's term.
[[File:Sion Hart Rogers.png100px]]
Sion H. Rogers
(Raleigh)DemocraticMarch 4, 1871 –
March 3, 1873Elected in 1870.
[[File:William Alexander Smith - Brady-Handy.jpg100px]]
William A. Smith
(Princeton)RepublicanMarch 4, 1873 –
March 3, 1875Elected in 1872.
1873–1883
[[File:Joseph Jonathan Davis.jpg100px]]
Joseph J. Davis
(Louisburg)DemocraticMarch 4, 1875 –
March 3, 1881Elected in 1874.
Re-elected in 1876.
Re-elected in 1878.
[[File:WRCox.jpg100px]]
William R. Cox
(Raleigh)DemocraticMarch 4, 1881 –
March 3, 1887Elected in 1880.
Re-elected in 1882.
Re-elected in 1884.
1883–1893
[[File:Col. John Nichols.jpg100px]]
John Nichols
(Raleigh)IndependentMarch 4, 1887 –
March 3, 1889Elected in 1886.
[[File:BenjaminHBunn.jpg100px]]
Benjamin H. Bunn
(Rocky Mount)DemocraticMarch 4, 1889 –
March 3, 1895Elected in 1888.
Re-elected in 1890.
Re-elected in 1892.
1893–1903
[[File:WilliamFranklinStrowd.jpg100px]]
William F. Strowd
(Pittsboro)PopulistMarch 4, 1895 –
March 3, 1899Elected in 1894.
Re-elected in 1896.
[[File:John W. Atwater.jpg100px]]John W. Atwater
(Rialto)Independent PopulistMarch 4, 1899 –
March 3, 1901Elected in 1898.
[[File:Edward Pou.jpg100px]]
Edward W. Pou
(Smithfield)DemocraticMarch 4, 1901 –
April 1, 1934Elected in 1900.
Re-elected in 1902.
Re-elected in 1904.
Re-elected in 1906.
Re-elected in 1908.
Re-elected in 1910.
Re-elected in 1912.
Re-elected in 1914.
Re-elected in 1916.
Re-elected in 1918.
Re-elected in 1920.
Re-elected in 1922.
Re-elected in 1924.
Re-elected in 1926.
Re-elected in 1928.
Re-elected in 1930.
Re-elected in 1932.
Died.
1903–1913
1913–1923
1923–1933
1933–1943
[[File:Harold D. Cooley.jpg100px]]
Harold D. Cooley
(Nashville)DemocraticJuly 7, 1934 –
December 30, 1966Elected to finish Pou's term.
Re-elected in 1934.
Re-elected in 1936.
Re-elected in 1938.
Re-elected in 1940.
Re-elected in 1942.
Re-elected in 1944.
Re-elected in 1946.
Re-elected in 1948.
Re-elected in 1950.
Re-elected in 1952.
Re-elected in 1954.
Re-elected in 1956.
Re-elected in 1958.
Re-elected in 1960.
Re-elected in 1962.
Re-elected in 1964.
Resigned.
1943–1953
1953–1963
1963–1973
VacantDecember 30, 1966 –
January 3, 1967
[[File:Jim Gardner.jpg100px]]
Jim Gardner
(Rocky Mount)RepublicanJanuary 3, 1967 –
January 3, 1969Elected in 1966.
Redistricted to the and retired to run for governor of North Carolina.
[[File:Nick Galifianakis.jpg100px]]
Nick Galifianakis
(Durham)DemocraticJanuary 3, 1969 –
January 3, 1973Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1968.
Re-elected in 1970.
Retired to run for U.S senator.
[[File:Ike Andrews.jpg100px]]
Ike F. Andrews
(Siler City)DemocraticJanuary 3, 1973 –
January 3, 1985Elected in 1972.
Re-elected in 1974.
Re-elected in 1976.
Re-elected in 1978.
Re-elected in 1980.
Re-elected in 1982.
Lost re-election.1973–1983
1983–1993
[[File:Bill Cobey.png100px]]
Bill Cobey
(Chapel Hill)RepublicanJanuary 3, 1985 –
January 3, 1987Elected in 1984.
Lost re-election.
[[File:David Price official photo.jpg100px]]
David Price
(Chapel Hill)DemocraticJanuary 3, 1987 –
January 3, 1995Elected in 1986.
Re-elected in 1988.
Re-elected in 1990.
Re-elected in 1992.
Lost re-election.
1993–2003
[[File:FreddyHeineman.jpg100px]]
Fred Heineman
(Raleigh)RepublicanJanuary 3, 1995 –
January 3, 1997Elected in 1994.
Lost re-election.
[[File:David Price, 115th Congress official photo (2).jpg100px]]
David Price
(Chapel Hill)DemocraticJanuary 3, 1997 –
January 3, 2023Re-elected in 1996.
Re-elected in 1998.
Re-elected in 2000.
Re-elected in 2002.
Re-elected in 2004.
Re-elected in 2006.
Re-elected in 2008.
Re-elected in 2010.
Re-elected in 2012.
Re-elected in 2014.
Re-elected in 2016.
Re-elected in 2018.
Re-elected in 2020.
Retired.
2003–2013
[[File:NC_4thCongressional_District.gif300px]]
2013–2017
[[File:North Carolina US Congressional District 4 (since 2013).tif300px]]
2017–2021[[File:North_Carolina_US_Congressional_District_4_(since_2017).tifcenter300x300px]]
2021–2023[[File:North Carolina's 4th congressional district (since 2021).png300x300pxStatic map of 2021-3 congressional districtcenterframeless]]
[[File:U.S. Rep. Valerie Foushee - 118th Congress.jpg100px]]
Valerie Foushee
(Hillsborough)DemocraticJanuary 3, 2023 –
presentElected in 2022.
Re-elected in 2024.2023–2025
[[File:North Carolina's 4th congressional district (2023–2025) (new version).svgalt=District boundaries from 2023 to 2025300px]]
2025–present
[[File:North Carolina's 4th congressional district (since 2025) (new version).svg300px]]

Past election results

2002

2004

2006

2008

2010

2012

2014

2016

2018

2020

2022

2024

References

References

  1. "My Congressional District". U.S. Census Bureau Center for New Media and Promotion (CNMP).
  2. (April 3, 2025). "2025 Cook PVI℠: District Map and List (119th Congress)".
  3. "Our Campaigns - Candidate - David E. Price".
  4. "11/03/2020 UNOFFICIAL LOCAL ELECTION RESULTS - STATEWIDE". NCSBE.
  5. Ingraham, Christopher. "America's most gerrymandered congressional districts". [[The Washington Post]].
  6. link
  7. link
  8. "north carolina hard totals".
  9. "Legislative and Congressional Redistricting".
  10. Doule, Steve. (February 23, 2022). "Check out new election maps: NC Supreme Court rejects appeals, approves special masters' districts". [[WGHP]].
  11. [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/cong_dist/cd119/cd_based/ST37/CD119_NC01.pdf https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/cong_dist/cd119/cd_based/ST37/CD119_NC04.pdf]
  12. "What the NC Supreme Court decision means for redistricting in the state and elsewhere".
  13. Lopez, Ashley. (2023-10-25). "North Carolina lawmakers approve maps creating gains for the GOP in Congress". NPR.
  14. "Dra 2020".
  15. "Data Courtesy of Jeffrey B. Lewis, Brandon DeVine, and Lincoln Pritcher with Kenneth C. Martis".
  16. (November 15, 2002). "11/05/2002 Official General Election Results - Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections.
  17. (November 12, 2004). "11/02/2004 Official General Election Results - Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections.
  18. (November 17, 2006). "11/07/2006 Official General Election Results - Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections.
  19. (November 14, 2008). "11/04/2008 Official General Election Results - Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections.
  20. (November 12, 2010). "11/02/2010 Official General Election Results - Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections.
  21. (November 16, 2012). "11/06/2012 Official General Election Results - Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections.
  22. (November 25, 2014). "11/04/2014 Official General Election Results - Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections.
  23. (December 13, 2016). "11/08/2016 Official General Election Results - Statewide". North Carolina State Board of Elections.
  24. "District 4, North Carolina State Board of Elections & Ethics Enforcement".
  25. "District 4, North Carolina State Board of Elections & Ethics Enforcement".
  26. "NC SBE Contest Results".
  27. "NC SBE Contest Results".
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