The 2016 United States Senate election in North Carolina was held on November 8, 2016 to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of North Carolina, concurrently with the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Primary elections were held March 15.
Incumbent Republican Senator Richard Burr won re-election to a third term in office against Democratic former State Representative Deborah K. Ross and Libertarian Sean Haugh.
There had been speculation that Burr might retire, but he said in September 2014 that he was "planning" on running and reaffirmed this in January 2015. If Burr had retired, the seat was expected to draw significant interest, with potential Republican candidates including U.S. Representatives George Holding, Mark Meadows, and Robert Pittenger, Labor Commissioner Cherie K. Berry, Lieutenant Governor Dan Forest, Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler, State Senator Philip E. Berger, and former Ambassador to Denmark James P. Cain.
Greg Brannon, physician, Tea Party activist and candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2014
Richard Burr, incumbent U.S. Senator
Larry Holmquist, businessman and Tea Party activist
Paul Wright, former Superior Court Judge, candidate for Governor in 2012 and nominee for NC-04 in 2014
Mark Meadows, U.S. Representative (running for re-election)
Kevin Griffin, businessman
Ernest Reeves, retired U.S. Army captain, candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2014 and candidate for Mayor of Greenville in 2015
Chris Rey, Mayor of Spring Lake
Deborah K. Ross, former State Representative
Dan Blue, Minority Leader of the North Carolina Senate and candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2002
Roy Cooper, North Carolina Attorney General (running for Governor)
Janet Cowell, North Carolina State Treasurer
Cal Cunningham, former State Senator and candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2010
Joel Ford, State Senator
Anthony Foxx, United States Secretary of Transportation and former Mayor of Charlotte
Kay Hagan, former U.S. Senator
Duane Hall, State Representative
Larry Hall, Minority Leader of the North Carolina House of Representatives
Jeff Jackson, State Senator
Allen Joines, Mayor of Winston-Salem (running for re-election)
Grier Martin, State Representative
Nancy McFarlane, Independent Mayor of Raleigh
Mike McIntyre, former U.S. Representative
Charles Meeker, former Mayor of Raleigh (running for Labor Commissioner)
Brad Miller, former U.S. Representative
Thomas W. Ross, outgoing President of the University of North Carolina system
Heath Shuler, former U.S. Representative
Josh Stein, State Senator (running for Attorney General)
Allen Thomas, Mayor of Greenville
Beth Wood, State Auditor (running for re-election)
Sean Haugh, pizza delivery man and nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2002 and 2014
Candidates
Richard Burr (R), incumbent U.S. Senator
Deborah K. Ross (D), former State Representative
Sean Haugh (L), pizza delivery man and nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2002 and 2014
