Election 2026: Ojeda, Democrats believe a flip in the 9th is possible

(The Center Square) – Voters in North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District on Aug. 6 learned national Democrats were putting Major (Ret.) Richard Ojeda’s bid to unseat Republican Rep. Richard Hudson as one of the “districts in play targets.”

In the nearly two weeks since, the West Virginia native now calling the Sandhills home has continued to be a vocal opponent of the 28-mile, 12-inch diameter natural gas pipeline proposed by Enbridge Gas North Carolina to run from Siler City to Moncure; advocated for military families ensnared with immigration trouble; and on Monday picked up endorsements from American People’s Compact and the National Education Association.

Still, Cook Political Report says Hudson “doesn’t have to fret” and hasn’t budged from “solid R” since February 2025 or R+8 on its partisan index since November. Bettors aren’t sold either – in the land of prediction, at Polymarket it’s 80%-13% Hudson, and at Kalshi it’s 75%-25% Hudson.

At 270towin, however, the light shade of blue indicates a...