Upset Brief · NC-03 · Raymond Smith Jr. (D) vs. Greg Murphy (R), incumbent

Smith can win. The math closes using 26 percent of what history allows.

24%
odds today
51%
odds with the plan
7,652
net votes to find
37
days left; voting starts October 15
Where
  1. 01
    Taylors (Wilson County)
    Starting line Smith +2. 10.4% split their ticket.
    +442
  2. 02
    Sneads Ferry (Onslow County)
    Starting line Murphy +41. 11.3% split their ticket.
    +375
  3. 03
    Chicod (Pitt County)
    Starting line Murphy +39. 10.5% split their ticket.
    +368
  4. 04
    Greenville 11A (Pitt County)
    Starting line even. 15.4% split their ticket.
    +357
  5. 05
    Folkstone (Onslow County)
    Starting line Murphy +39. 11.7% split their ticket.
    +336
  6. 06
    West Northwoods (Onslow County)
    Starting line Murphy +17. 10.8% split their ticket.
    +315

The top 12 precincts carry 47% of the plan.

How
  • P
    Persuade
    Ticket splitters and the 15 percent still undecided in the latest poll: 25,120 leaning Murphy today.
    +6,522
  • M
    Mobilize
    At least 36,604 people who voted in 2024 but not in 2022, in precincts where Smith's side wins at least 55 percent.
    +1,351
  • C
    Consolidate
    Voters who went third party in recent races, in the precincts that lean Smith's way.
    +161
What has to be true
  1. Smith wins 13 percent of the ticket splitters and undecided voters now leaning Murphy.
  2. No national wave is required. The plan closes at 26 percent of what recent North Carolina results show is possible.
  3. The starting line comes from published 2026 polls, including campaign or party sponsored polls where those are the only ones; if the true gap is different, so is the plan.
The numbers behind it
  • 01
    Crossover regression
    193 precincts, R² 0.998, 38 crossover precincts identified
  • 02
    Monte Carlo
    20,000 seeded simulated elections with a 5-point baseline error. 90% range of the final margin with the plan: -18,065 to 18,583 votes.
  • 03
    Money, FEC candidate totals through June 30
    Smith $73,711 cash on hand; Murphy $2,697,820.
  • 04
    Call program for this list
    12,452 households, 37,356 dials, about 1,957 live conversations: an estimated $5,556 at published rates.
For the campaign

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Professional live callers on exactly these voters: persuasion, voter ID and ballot chase, with a live dashboard of every conversation. An estimated $5,556 for the full list. Days to launch.

For donors, PACs and committees

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The full plan, the map and the live odds simulator ›All North Carolina races ranked ›

Independent analysis by The Political Group from official North Carolina State Board of Elections precinct returns (2022 and 2024), FEC filings and published polls, as of September 26, 2026. Not affiliated with any candidate or party.