2018Final resultsIncumbent defeated
2018 election for North Carolina Senate District 17
North Carolina State Senate · North Carolina
Sam Searcy (D) won with 50.6% of the vote, defeating Tamara Barringer (R) by 4.2 points.
Sam SearcyDemocrat · winner
50.6%50,040
Tamara BarringerRepublican · incumbent
46.4%45,841
Bruce BassonLibertarian
3.0%3,016
98,897 votes
Source: MIT Election Data and Science LabUpdated Oct 1, 2026, 6:17 AM ET
The seat over time
D − R margin in this seat's races around 2018
Races before and after
Source: MIT Election Data and Science LabUpdated Oct 1, 2026, 6:17 AM ET