Three Latino candidates advanced to the November general election after winning their respective primaries in North Carolina. This was according to preliminary results reported by the State Board of Elections with 100% of precincts reporting.
The winners were Richard N. Ojeda II, who obtained the Democratic nomination for the 9th District of the United States House of Representatives.
Jocelyn Torres , who won the Democratic primary for North Carolina's 67th House District.
Furthermore, Franklin Gómez-Flores , who won the Democratic primary for the Chatham County Board of Commissioners, District 5.
In total, Enlace Latino NC iidentified 13 candidates who identify as Latino and who competed in various federal, state, and local races. This occurred during the North Carolina primary elections.
Three victories at different levels of government
In the federal race, Richard N. Ojeda II won the Democratic primary for U.S. House District 9 with 18,437 votes. This is equivalent to 41.79% of the total.
The district is located in south-central North Carolina. It is currently represented by Republican Richard Hudson. Ojeda will face him in the November general election.
At the state level, Jocelyn Torres secured the Democratic nomination for North Carolina's 67th House District with 1,860 votes. This represents 66.43% of the total votes cast in the primary.
At the local level, Franklin Gomez-Flores won the Democratic primary for the Chatham County Board of Commissioners, District 5. He also obtained 7,324 votes, equivalent to 59.9%.
Related: Sophia Chitlik wins the Democratic primary for State Senate District 22
Other Latino candidates in the primary elections
Another ten latino candidates They participated in various federal, state, and local contests in North Carolina, but failed to advance to the general election.
In the Democratic primary for the United States Senate, Robert John Colón obtained 6,739 votes, equivalent to 0.82% of the total.
Demetrio Perez, in Cumberland County, obtained 3,502 votes in the Democratic primary for sheriff.
In that same county, Mario Benavente received 4,805 votes in the primary for the Board of Commissioners.
Maria Teresa Palmer, in Orange County, obtained 6,774 votes in the Democratic primary for the District 1 Board of Commissioners.
In Jackson County, John A. Herrera received 711 votes and German “Worm” Vivas received 137 votes in the Democratic primary for the District 1 Board of Commissioners.
In Asheville, Angel Gonzalez received 1,165 votes in the nonpartisan election for City Council.
In the school board races, Douglas Morales received 347 votes in the Rutherford County District 1 Democratic primary.
Meanwhile, Sandra Hernandez obtained 2,242 votes in the Republican primary for the Union County Board of Education.
On the other hand, José Rivera received 2,808 votes in the nonpartisan election for the Wilkes County Board of Education.
Related: Low Latino turnout marks early voting in the 2026 primaries
Political participation of the Latino community
The presence of these candidates reflects the interest of members of the Latino community in participating in local and state politics in North Carolina.
In recent years, the latin population has become one of the fastest growing demographic groups in the state.
However, their representation in elected public office remains limited. This is especially true in local governments and bodies such as school boards, county commissions, and city councils.
2026 North Carolina Primary Election They show that, although more members of the Latino community are seeking to compete for public office, advancing in electoral contests continues to be a challenge.
You may be interested: Christine Kushner and Mona Singh lead the Democratic primary for Wake County commissioners at-large
Your Vote is Power: Initiative of Enlace Latino NC
Since 2018, Enlace Latino NC It maintains a firm commitment to providing useful, reliable, and public service information in Spanish for the Latino immigrant communities of North Carolina.
Each year, through the "Your Vote is Power" initiative, the media outlet covers the electoral processes at both a general and local level. Furthermore, it recognizes the direct impact of these conflicts on community life.
Learn more about the candidates by visiting their websites:
>>> ojedafornc.com
>>> franklinforcommissioner.com
Note: As of the date of publication, a campaign website for candidate Jocelyn Torres has not been identified..
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