Statewide, the average incumbent raised three times as much money this election as the average challenger. Hayes, for example, made numerous appearances with an oversized, erasable check that could be filled in to demonstrate federal money that he brought home to the 8th District. What happened in North Carolina on Tuesday happened in most congressional races across the country. Nationally, only five incumbents lost, with another two locked in races likely headed for recounts. The North Carolina delegation will head back to a House still controlled by Republicans but by a slimmer margin.
Incumbency is alive and well.