U.S. Rep. Valerie Foushee will win the Democratic primary for a Triangle-area U.S. House of Representatives seat, after progressive challenger Nida Allam conceded defeat Wednesday.
Unofficial results showed the race was separated by less than 1% of the vote, technically within the range for Allam to call for a recount. Allam will not seek a recount, her campaign told WRAL.
She thanked her supporters and said she hopes her campaign will push Foushee to be more responsive to local voters. “It should not take being challenged in a primary to take bold stances that voters overwhelmingly support, but I am proud that our movement pushed our incumbent to better reflect our deeply held values and convictions,” Allam said.
Unofficial results show Foushee winning with 49.2% of the vote, Allam with 48.2% of the vote and a third candidate, Mary Patterson, with 2.6%.
Foushee wasn’t immediately available for comment Wednesday, a spokesperson told WRAL. On Tuesday she said in a written statement that she remains committed to many progressive issues, even though Allam had tried to paint her as too moderate.
“The people of the 4th District demand progressive change like dismantling ICE, ensuring Medicare for All, regulating AI, establishing a Green New Deal, and passing legislation to block arms sales to Israel,” Foushee said Tuesday. “This remains my top priority in Congress — no matter what narrative out-of-state groups attempt to cast about my voting record.”
Allam blamed her loss, in part, on a blitz of ad spending on Foushee’s behalf by a political action committee backed by artificial intelligence company Anthropic.
“With a margin this close, every vote counted, and in a democracy unbought by corporate interests, voters’ voices would actually be heard,” Allam said. “The AI lobby just bought their first seat in Congress. But despite their millions in last-minute spending, corporate lobbies were only barely able to eke out a win—because of the movement this campaign built.”
Outside groups also bought ads boosting Allam, including a group backing younger candidates for office. Allam is 32 and Foushee is 69.
Allam said Wednesday that establishment Democrats who opposed her campaign should be more open to her base of more progressive supporters, and that she hopes she at least played a role in getting more people involved in and excited about politics.
“We proved to voters that you can take on the machine without ever selling out our values—and voters are looking for leaders like that to lead this party forward,” Allam said. “While we may not have won this race, the establishment should stay on watch. Our movement sounded the alarm for future Democratic primaries throughout this cycle.”
Foushee was the favorite of the party establishment — backed by Democrats in Congress as well as North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein and former Gov. Roy Cooper.
“I’ve seen first-hand how Valerie leads with integrity, dedication and a clear focus on serving others,” Stein said in a video explaining his endorsement. “In Washington, she will never stop fighting on the issues that matter most to us.”
Foushee rose through the ranks of local politics in Orange County, from school board to county commission to state legislature, over the course of several decades. She has been in the U.S. House for two terms; she first won in 2022 after she defeated Allam in the race for what was then an open seat after the retirement of David Price, a Democrat who represented Durham in Congress for over 30 years.