U.S. House · North Carolina's 13th District
North-central North Carolina, including Franklin, Harnett, Johnston, and Lee counties and parts of Caswell, Granville, Person, and Wake counties (Raleigh's eastern and northern suburbs, including Clayton, Wake Forest, and Sanford).
General election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026
RESULT · UNOFFICIAL UNTIL CERTIFIED
Paul Barringer, projected winner
| Candidate | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Paul Barringer | 159,981 | 50.5% |
| Brad Knott | 152,329 | 48.1% |
| Steven Swinton | 4,479 | 1.4% |
About 99% of the expected vote counted. As of November 9. Winners take office next year. Counts can change until states certify. NBC News ↗
Sources re-checked September 25, 2026 · How we research
- Incumbent Brad Knott defeated one Republican primary challenger with 89.9% of the vote. Paul Barringer won a three-way Democratic primary with 59.1% of the vote.[1]
On the November 3 ballot · 3 candidates
Issue evidence — side by side
Recorded votes, documented positions and candidates’ own words are shown with sources. “In their own words” quotes a candidate on the topic without inferring a stance. Votes describe specific bills or motions; they do not establish overall support or opposition to a broad issue. A dash means our research has no evidence on that topic, not that the candidate has no position.
Protect legal access to abortion
- Brad Knott—
- Paul BarringerSupports[4]
Says the law should not stand in the way of a woman's health care decisions made with her doctor, while also supporting expanded maternal health, family planning, and adoption support.
- Steven Swinton—
Stricter gun laws
- Brad KnottOpposes[14]
Cosponsored H.R. 38, the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act (119th Congress), which would require states to honor other states' concealed-carry permits.
- Paul BarringerMixed[4]
Describes himself as a responsible gun owner who supports Second Amendment rights, while also supporting enforcement of existing gun laws and bipartisan measures to reduce gun violence.
- Steven Swinton—
Expand immigration enforcement and deportations
- Brad Knott
- Paul BarringerMixed[4]
Supports secure borders and enforcement against illegal crossings and trafficking, alongside modernizing the legal immigration system for workforce needs.
- Steven Swinton—
Raise taxes on high earners or corporations
- Brad Knott
- Paul Barringer—
- Steven Swinton—
Expand public health coverage
- Brad Knott
- Paul BarringerSupports[4]
Supports continued funding for Medicare and Medicaid, saying the market fails to cover seniors, low-income families, and people with disabilities.
- Steven Swinton—
Faster transition away from fossil fuels
- Brad Knott
- Paul Barringer—
- Steven Swinton—
Increase police funding and staffing
- Brad Knott—
- Paul BarringerSupports[4]
Supports law enforcement having the resources needed to do their jobs, alongside support for rehabilitation and re-entry programs.
- Steven Swinton—
Broad tariffs on imported goods
- Brad KnottRecorded votes[23]
Voted no on Resolution disapproving tariffs on Canada (H.J. Res. 72, 2026-02-11), which disapproved the tariffs on Canadian imports.
- Paul BarringerOpposes[4]
Opposes broad tariffs, saying they function as a consumer tax that especially hurts farmers, small manufacturers, and rural communities.
- Steven Swinton—
Require documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote
- Brad KnottRecorded votes[19]
Voted yes on SAVE Act (H.R. 22, 2025-04-10).
- Paul Barringer—
- Steven Swinton—
Require Congress to approve U.S. military action abroad
- Brad KnottRecorded votes[21][22]
Voted no on War Powers Resolution on Venezuela (H. Con. Res. 64, 2025-12-17), which would have directed the removal of U.S. forces from hostilities against Venezuela absent congressional authorization. Voted no on War Powers Resolution directing removal of forces from Iran hostilities (H. Con. Res. 86, 2026-06-03), which directed the removal of U.S. forces from hostilities against Iran absent congressional authorization.
- Paul Barringer—
- Steven Swinton—
Research notes & limits
No 2026 Candidate Connection survey, campaign website statements, or public priorities were found for Knott beyond his official biography and committee assignments; his official issues page (knott.house.gov) loads content via JavaScript that could not be read directly. No campaign website, Candidate Connection survey, or public statements were found for Anthony Aguilar (Green) or Steven Swinton (Libertarian); treated as minimal. Knott's federal key votes and FEC totals are added separately by script. Ballotpedia lists Anthony Aguilar as withdrawn and not on the general-election ballot, and no biographical details were found for him or for Steven Swinton beyond Ballotpedia's election history. Anthony Aguilar (Green) is listed by Ballotpedia as withdrawn or disqualified and was removed 2026-11-02.
Sources · 30
Researched 2026-09-25. Green citations are official government records.
- 1.United States House of Representatives elections in North Carolina, 2026 · Ballotpedia Reference
- 2.Brad Knott · Ballotpedia Reference
- 3.Paul Barringer - Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey · Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey Candidate's own words
- 4.Paul Barringer campaign website (via Ballotpedia) · Ballotpedia, quoting Barringer's campaign website Candidate's own words
- 5.About · Office of Rep. Brad Knott Candidate's own words
- 6.Knott Votes to Restore ICE and CBP Funding After 100 Days of Democrat Obstruction · Office of Rep. Brad Knott Candidate's own words
- 7.Stop Illegal Entry Act Passes the House · Office of Rep. Brad Knott · 2025-09-11 Candidate's own words
- 8.Former US soldiers turned Palestine advocates are now running for Congress · Middle East Eye News report
- 9.Brad Knott · Ballotpedia Reference
- 10.About · Office of Rep. Brad Knott Candidate's own words
- 11.Brad Knott · Wikipedia · 2026-10-21 Reference
- 12.U.S. House North Carolina's 13th District results 2026 · NBC News News report
- 13.H.R. 22, the SAVE Act (SAVE Act) — sponsors and cosponsors · Congress.gov Official record
- 14.H.R. 38, the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act (Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2025) — sponsors and cosponsors · Congress.gov Official record
- 15.Roll call: Laken Riley Act — final passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2025-01-22 Official record
- 16.Roll call: One Big Beautiful Bill Act — House passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2025-05-22 Official record
- 17.H.R. 1 (119th Congress) — One Big Beautiful Bill Act: text and summary · Congress.gov Official record
- 18.Roll call: One Big Beautiful Bill Act — final passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2025-07-03 Official record
- 19.Roll call: SAVE Act — proof-of-citizenship voter registration · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2025-04-10 Official record
- 20.Roll call: Breaking the Gridlock Act — ACA subsidy extension · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2026-01-08 Official record
- 21.Roll call: War Powers Resolution on Venezuela · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2025-12-17 Official record
- 22.Roll call: War Powers Resolution directing removal of forces from Iran hostilities · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2026-06-03 Official record
- 23.Roll call: Resolution disapproving tariffs on Canada · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2026-02-11 Official record
- 24.Paul Barringer · Ballotpedia Reference
- 25.Paul Barringer - Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey · Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey Candidate's own words
- 26.For what may be the first time, Sanford produces a Congressional nominee · The Rant (Sanford, NC) · 2026-04-16 News report
- 27.Meet Paul Barringer · Paul Barringer for Congress Candidate's own words
- 28.North Carolina 13th District U.S. House election results 2026 · NBC News News report
- 29.Steven Swinton · Ballotpedia Reference
- 30.U.S. House North Carolina's 13th District results 2026 · NBC News News report