North Carolina's 3rd congressional district explained

State:North Carolina
District Number:3
Image Caption:Interactive map of district boundaries
Representative:Greg Murphy
Party:Republican
Residence:Greenville
Population:756,848
Population Year:2022
Median Income:$61,546[1]
Percent White:64.4
Percent Hispanic:11.2
Percent Black:17.6
Percent Asian:1.5
Percent More Than One Race:4.4
Percent Other Race:1.0
Cpvi:R+15[2]

North Carolina's 3rd congressional district is located on the Atlantic coast of North Carolina. It covers the Outer Banks and the counties adjacent to the Pamlico Sound.

The district is currently represented by Greg Murphy following a special election after the seat was left vacant following the passing of Walter B. Jones Jr. in February 2019.[3] Jones had been the district's representative from 1995 until his death. In 2008, he defeated Democrat Craig Weber for reelection, and was challenged in 2010 by former chair of the Pitt County Democratic Party Johnny Rouse, whom he defeated by a vote of 72% to 26% (141,978 votes to 50,600). In 2012, he was challenged by Frank Palombo, the former New Bern Police Chief, for the Republican Party nomination.[4] The winner of the Republican primary then faced Marine Corps Veteran Erik Anderson in the general election.[5]

A special election to fill the vacancy caused by Jones's death was held on September 10, 2019. State representative Greg Murphy won the election.[6]

On February 23, 2022, the North Carolina Supreme Court approved a new map which changed the 3rd district boundaries to include Duplin and Sampson counties and part of Wayne County while removing Chowan, Greene, Pasquotank, Perquimans and Tyrrell counties[7]

Counties

Counties in the 2023–2025 district map:

List of members representing the district

Member
PartyYearsCong
ress
Electoral historyDistrict location
District established April 6, 1790
align=left Timothy Bloodworth
Anti-Administrationnowrap April 6, 1790 –
March 3, 1791
Elected in 1790.
Redistricted to the and lost re-election.
1790–1971
"Cape Fear division"
align=left
John B. Ashe
Anti-Administrationnowrap March 4, 1791 –
March 3, 1793
Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1791.
Redistricted to the .
1791–1973
align=left
Joseph Winston
Anti-Administrationnowrap March 4, 1793 –
March 3, 1795
Elected in 1793.
Lost re-election.
1793–1803
align=left Jesse Franklin
Democratic-Republicannowrap March 4, 1795 –
March 3, 1797
Elected in 1795.
Lost re-election.
align=left
Robert Williams
Democratic-Republicannowrap March 4, 1797 –
March 3, 1803
Elected in 1796.
Re-elected in 1798.
Re-elected in 1800.
Redistricted to the and retired to run for governor of North Carolina.
align=left William Kennedy
Democratic-Republicannowrap March 4, 1803 –
March 3, 1805
Elected in 1803.
Lost re-election.
1803–1813
Web site: North Carolina congressional district map (1803–13). [8]
align=left
Thomas Blount
Democratic-Republicannowrap March 4, 1805 –
March 3, 1809
Elected in 1804.
Re-elected in 1806.
Lost re-election.
align=left William Kennedy
Democratic-Republicannowrap March 4, 1809 –
March 3, 1811
Elected in 1808.
Retired.
align=left
Thomas Blount
Democratic-Republicannowrap March 4, 1811 –
February 7, 1812
Elected in 1810.
Died.
Vacantnowrap February 7, 1812 –
January 30, 1813
William Kennedy
Democratic-RepublicanJanuary 30, 1813 –
March 3, 1815
Elected January 11, 1813, to finish Blount's term and seated January 30, 1813.
Re-elected in 1813.
Retired.
1813–1823
Web site: North Carolina congressional district map (1813–43).
align=left James W. Clark
Democratic-Republicannowrap March 4, 1815 –
March 3, 1817
Elected in 1815.
Retired.
Thomas H. Hall
Democratic-RepublicanMarch 4, 1817 –
March 3, 1825
Elected in 1817.
Re-elected in 1819.
Re-elected in 1821.
Re-elected in 1823.
Lost re-election.
Democratic-Republican1823–1833
Web site: North Carolina congressional district map (1813–43).
align=left Richard Hines
Jacksoniannowrap March 4, 1825 –
March 3, 1827
Elected in 1825.
Lost re-election.
Thomas H. Hall
JacksonianMarch 4, 1827 –
March 3, 1835
Elected in 1827.
Re-elected in 1829.
Re-elected in 1831.
Re-elected in 1833.
1833–1843
Web site: North Carolina congressional district map (1813–43).
align=left Ebenezer Pettigrew
Anti-Jacksoniannowrap March 4, 1835 –
March 3, 1837
Elected in 1835.
align=left
Edward Stanly
Whignowrap March 4, 1837 –
March 3, 1843
Elected in 1837.
Re-elected in 1839.
Re-elected in 1841.
align=left
David S. Reid
Democraticnowrap March 4, 1843 –
March 3, 1847
Elected in 1843.
Re-elected in 1845.
1843–1853
align=left
Daniel M. Barringer
Whignowrap March 4, 1847 –
March 3, 1849
Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1847.
align=left Edmund Deberry
Whignowrap March 4, 1849 –
March 3, 1851
Elected in 1849.
align=left
Alfred Dockery
Whignowrap March 4, 1851 –
March 3, 1853
Elected in 1851.
align=left
William S. Ashe
Democraticnowrap March 4, 1853 –
March 3, 1855
Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1853.
1853–1861
align=left
Warren Winslow
Democraticnowrap March 4, 1855 –
March 3, 1861
Elected in 1855.
Re-elected in 1857.
Re-elected in 1859.
Vacantnowrap March 3, 1861 –
July 13, 1868
Civil War and Reconstruction
align=left
Oliver H. Dockery
Republicannowrap July 13, 1868 –
March 3, 1871
Elected to finish the short term.
Re-elected in 1868.
1868–1873

Alfred M. Waddell
DemocraticMarch 4, 1871 –
March 3, 1879
Elected in 1870.
Re-elected in 1872.
Re-elected in 1874.
Re-elected in 1876.
1873–1883
align=left
Daniel L. Russell
Greenbacknowrap March 4, 1879 –
March 3, 1881
Elected in 1878.
align=left
John W. Shackelford
Democraticnowrap March 4, 1881 –
January 18, 1883
Elected in 1880.
Died.
Vacantnowrap January 18, 1883 –
March 3, 1883
align=left
Wharton J. Green
Democraticnowrap March 4, 1883 –
March 3, 1887
Elected in 1882.
Re-elected in 1884.
1883–1893
align=left
Charles W. McClammy
Democraticnowrap March 4, 1887 –
March 3, 1891
Elected in 1886.
Re-elected in 1888.

Benjamin F. Grady
DemocraticMarch 4, 1891 –
March 3, 1895
Elected in 1890.
Re-elected in 1892.
1893–1903
align=left
John G. Shaw
Democraticnowrap March 4, 1895 –
March 3, 1897
Elected in 1894.
align=left
John E. Fowler
Populistnowrap March 4, 1897 –
March 3, 1899
Elected in 1896.

Charles R. Thomas
DemocraticMarch 4, 1899 –
March 3, 1911
Elected in 1898.
Re-elected in 1900.
Re-elected in 1902.
Re-elected in 1904.
Re-elected in 1906.
Re-elected in 1908.
1903–1913

John M. Faison
DemocraticMarch 4, 1911 –
March 3, 1915
Elected in 1910.
Re-elected in 1912.
1913–1933
align=left
George E. Hood
Democraticnowrap March 4, 1915 –
March 3, 1919
Elected in 1914.
Re-elected in 1916.
align=left
Samuel M. Brinson
Democraticnowrap March 4, 1919 –
April 13, 1922
Elected in 1918.
Re-elected in 1920.
Died.
Vacantnowrap April 13, 1922 –
November 7, 1922

Charles L. Abernethy
DemocraticNovember 7, 1922 –
January 3, 1935
Elected to finish Brinson's term.
Re-elected in 1922.
Re-elected in 1924.
Re-elected in 1926.
Re-elected in 1928.
Re-elected in 1930.
Re-elected in 1932.
Lost renomination.
1933–1943

Graham A. Barden
DemocraticJanuary 3, 1935 –
January 3, 1961
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.
Retired.
1943–1953
1953–1963

David N. Henderson
DemocraticJanuary 3, 1961 –
January 3, 1977
Elected in 1960.
Re-elected in 1962.
Re-elected in 1964.
Re-elected in 1966.
Re-elected in 1968.
Re-elected in 1970.
Re-elected in 1972.
Re-elected in 1974.
Retired.
1963–1973
1973–1983

Charles O. Whitley
DemocraticJanuary 3, 1977 –
December 31, 1986
Elected in 1976.
Re-elected in 1978.
Re-elected in 1980.
Re-elected in 1982.
Re-elected in 1984.
Resigned.
1983–1993
Vacantnowrap December 31, 1986 –
January 3, 1987

Martin Lancaster
DemocraticJanuary 3, 1987 –
January 3, 1995
Elected in 1986.
Re-elected in 1988.
Re-elected in 1990.
Re-elected in 1992.
Lost re-election.
1993–2003

Walter B. Jones Jr.
RepublicanJanuary 3, 1995 –
February 10, 2019
Elected in 1994.
Re-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.
Died.
2003–2013
2013–2017
2017–2021
Vacantnowrap February 10, 2019 –
September 10, 2019

Greg Murphy
RepublicanSeptember 10, 2019 –
present
Elected to finish Jones's term.
Re-elected in 2020.
Re-elected in 2022.
2021–2023
2023–2025
2025–present
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Past election results

2022

See also

References

35.28°N -76.83°W

Notes and References

  1. Web site: My Congressional District. U.S. Census Bureau Center for New Media and Promotion (CNMP). census.gov.
  2. Web site: 2022 Cook PVI: District Map and List. 2023-01-10. Cook Political Report. July 12, 2022 . en.
  3. Web site: Greg Murphy sworn in as 3rd District Congressman. WITN. www.witn.com. September 17, 2019 . en. 2019-09-23.
  4. Web site: Former New Bern police chief seeks House seat. January 17, 2012. January 30, 2012. Kinston Free Press.
  5. Web site: Pitt County political rallies set. March 17, 2012.
  6. Web site: 3rd Congressional District special election filing begins next week . The Daily Standard . 2019-02-27 . 2019-07-27.
  7. News: Check out new election maps: NC Supreme Court rejects appeals, approves special masters' districts. Doule. Steve. WGHP. February 23, 2022. March 21, 2022.
  8. Web site: Data Courtesy of Jeffrey B. Lewis, Brandon DeVine, and Lincoln Pritcher with Kenneth C. Martis. United States Congressional District Shapefiles.