2026 in North Carolina
The following is a list of events of the year 2026 in North Carolina.
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Incumbents
State government
- Governor: Josh Stein (D)
Events
January
- January 6 – 2025–26 United States measles outbreak: Three measles cases are reported in Buncombe County, with the health department tracing the origin to a Mission Health emergency department in Asheville.[1]
- January 21 – 18-year-old Austin Thompson, who killed five people in a series of shootings in Raleigh in 2022, pleads guilty to murder.[2]
February
- February 21 - Austin Tucker Martin, a 21-year-old man from Cameron, is reported missing from his home in Moore County. The following morning, he is shot and killed by Secret Service agents outside Mar-a-Lago.[3]
March
- March 3 – Primary elections are held for congress races.[4]
- March 28 – The ARCA races at Hickory are held at the Hickory Motor Speedway for the first time.[5]
April
- April 2 – The North Carolina Supreme Court dismisses with prejudice a case challenging public school funding.[6]
- April 10 – The Greensboro Swarm beat the Stockton Kings 119–104 in game 2 of the 2026 NBA G League playoffs, their first title.[7]
May
- May 22 – Two attorneys are shot outside a courthouse in Raleigh. The attorneys were representing the city of Rolesville in a civil suit filed by the same woman accused of shooting them.[8]
June
- June 14 – The Carolina Hurricanes beat the Vegas Golden Knights 3–0 in game six of the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs to win the series 4–2. It is the Hurricanes's second title.[9]
- June 29 – Inmates take over part of the Bertie-Martin Regional Detention Center in Windsor. Two of the three guards on duty are taken hostage, but they are released alongside 80 of the 88 total inmates. Hours later, authorities enter and seize control of the jail.[10]
August
- August 2–9 – The 2026 Little League Softball World Series is held in Greenville. The team from Johnston County, North Carolina wins.[11]
- August 6 – The Trump administration sues Duke University, accusing it of discriminating against White and Asian applicants to its law school.[12]
Scheduled
- November 3 – 2026 North Carolina elections:[13]
- 2026 North Carolina Senate election
- 2026 North Carolina House of Representatives election
- 2026 North Carolina judicial elections
- 2026 United States House of Representatives elections in North Carolina
- 2026 United States Senate election in North Carolina
- 2026 Wake County District Attorney election
- 2026 Wake County elections
See also
References
- ↑ "Three North Carolina children confirmed positive for measles". WECT. January 6, 2026. Retrieved January 6, 2026.
- ↑ Robertson, Gary D. (January 21, 2026). "Teen pleads guilty to North Carolina mass shooting that killed 5". The Associated Press. Retrieved January 21, 2026.
- ↑ "Moore County man, 21, killed by Secret Service agents at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach". WRAL. February 22, 2026. Retrieved February 22, 2026.
- ↑ "North Carolina House Primary Results 2026". NBC News. March 3, 2026. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
- ↑ Release, Press (December 6, 2025). "Hickory Motor Speedway to welcome ARCA Menards Series East for first time on March 28, 2026". ARCA. Retrieved December 31, 2025.
- ↑ Haulenbeek, Sydney (April 2, 2026). "North Carolina Supreme Court smacks down landmark education case". Courthouse News Service.
- ↑ "Greensboro Swarm beat Stockton to win NBA G League Championship". WFMY. April 11, 2026. Retrieved April 11, 2026.
- ↑ El-Bawab, Nadine; Foster, Matt (May 22, 2026). "2 attorneys shot outside courthouse after civil court case ends". ABC News. Retrieved May 22, 2026.
- ↑ "Hurricanes defeat Golden Knights 3-0 to snap 20-year Stanley Cup championship drought: Live updates and reaction". The Athletic. June 14, 2026. Retrieved June 14, 2026.
- ↑ "Authorities end a takeover at a North Carolina jail hours after inmates overpowered the guards". The Associated Press. June 29, 2026. Retrieved June 29, 2026.
- ↑ Nia, Kamran (August 10, 2026). "Johnston County NC team wins Little League Softball World Series". The News & Observer. Retrieved August 12, 2026.
- ↑ "Justice Department says Duke Law School illegally considered race in admissions". The Associated Press. August 6, 2026. Retrieved August 6, 2026.
- ↑ "North Carolina elections, 2026". Ballotpedia. Retrieved December 31, 2025.