WEST VIRGINIA (LOOTPRESS) – A former West Virginia state senator is heading to the U.S. House of Representatives after winning a congressional race in North Carolina.
Richard Ojeda, a Democrat who previously represented southern West Virginia in the state Senate, defeated Republican incumbent Richard Hudson in North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District during Tuesday’s general election.
According to unofficial election results, Ojeda received 138,707 votes, or approximately 51%, compared to Hudson’s 132,692 votes, or 49%. Ojeda won by 6,015 votes, with all 169 precincts reporting.
The victory marks a political comeback for Ojeda, who first gained national attention during his time in West Virginia politics.
Ojeda, a retired U.S. Army major and combat veteran, represented West Virginia’s 7th Senatorial District, which includes Logan County and surrounding areas, from 2016 until his resignation in 2019.
During his time in the West Virginia Senate, Ojeda became known for his outspoken political style and advocacy for working-class residents, particularly coal miners, teachers and veterans.
He also gained national attention during the 2018 West Virginia teachers’ strike, when educators across the state walked out of classrooms to demand higher pay and improvements to public employee health insurance.
In 2018, Ojeda ran as the Democratic nominee for West Virginia’s 3rd Congressional District but lost to Republican Carol Miller.
Following that defeat, Ojeda briefly entered the 2020 Democratic presidential primary before ending his campaign in January 2019.
His victory in North Carolina is significant for Democrats, who flipped a congressional district previously held by Republicans.
Hudson, the Republican incumbent, also serves as chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, the organization responsible for helping elect Republicans to the U.S. House.
North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District had been considered Republican territory, with President Donald Trump carrying the district by approximately 15 percentage points in the 2024 presidential election.
Ojeda’s victory comes several years after his departure from West Virginia politics and gives the former southern West Virginia lawmaker an opportunity to serve in Congress after his unsuccessful congressional campaign in his home state.
Election results remain unofficial until certified.
