U.S. House, North Carolina 13th Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated October 9, 2026

Who should I vote for in North Carolina's 13th Congressional District?

Brad Knott has the strongest record in North Carolina's 13th Congressional District. Brad Knott scores 65 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Paul Barringer at 56, as of October 9, 2026. Brad Knott's highest marks are courage and relevant experience. Paul Barringer's highest marks are communication and roots in the constituency. Steven Swinton (1 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.

Democratic

Paul Barringer

56 / 100

Public evidence on 8 of 15 criteria

Character: 50
Qualifications: 60
Performance: NR

Campaign site FEC filings

Republican · incumbent

Strongest record

Brad Knott

65 / 100

Public evidence on 12 of 15 criteria

Character: 55
Qualifications: 70
Performance: 75

Campaign site Official office FEC filings

Libertarian

Steven Swinton

Not enough public record for a score

Public evidence on 1 of 15 criteria

Character: NR
Qualifications: 50
Performance: NR

FEC filings

The good, the bad and the unresolved

The record

The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.

Paul Barringer

No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.

Brad Knott

On the record2026-02-24
Voted Yea on the ROTOR Act when the Speaker, Majority Leader and Whip voted Nay; the bill failed under suspension 264 to 133.
Source: House Clerk Roll Call 72, Feb. 24, 2026
On the record2025-02-25
Filed a periodic transaction report for stock trades dated Jan. 10, 2025 on Feb. 25, 2025, one day after the STOCK Act's 45-day deadline.
Source: House Clerk periodic transaction report, Filing ID 20027846
On the record2024-02-29
WRAL reported records showed he voted while registered at his parents' Raleigh address after buying a home elsewhere in Raleigh in 2014; he called it an oversight.
Source: WRAL, Feb. 29, 2024

Steven Swinton

No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.

Who they are

Character

Integrity

Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.

2 / 4

Paul Barringer. House candidate financial disclosures on file for 2025 and 2026, and FEC reports on file through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.

Sources: House Clerk candidate financial disclosure, Filing ID 10071607, FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search

2 / 4

Brad Knott. Annual financial disclosure for 2025 filed Aug. 12, 2026 after a Clerk extension, and FEC reports on file. One 2025 stock trade report was filed one day past the 45-day limit, with no outlet report. No House Ethics Committee matter or FEC fine found.

Sources: House Clerk annual financial disclosure, Filing ID 10081536, House Clerk periodic transaction report, Filing ID 20027846, FEC administrative fines search

Steven Swinton. No public record found.

Courage

Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.

Paul Barringer. No public record found.

3 / 4

Brad Knott. Voted against the Speaker, Majority Leader and Whip on the SUPPORT Act reauthorization (2025), the 2026 ROTOR Act, retaining Division A of a 2026 appropriations bill, and the Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Act (2026).

Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 151, June 4, 2025, House Clerk Roll Call 72, Feb. 24, 2026, House Clerk Roll Call 5, Jan. 8, 2026, House Clerk Roll Call 142, 2026

Steven Swinton. No public record found.

Accountability

Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.

2 / 4

Paul Barringer. Took part in a recorded Democratic primary candidate forum for the 13th District in February 2026. No 2026 general election debate or forum with Knott was found.

Source: NC Deep Dive podcast, Feb. 22, 2026 (forum recording)

2 / 4

Brad Knott. Held a telephone town hall for constituents on Sept. 17, 2025. No 2026 debate or forum with Barringer was found, and he did not answer The Rant's 2026 primary questionnaire.

Sources: Office of Rep. Brad Knott, press release, Sept. 16, 2025, The Rant (Sanford), Feb. 9, 2026

Steven Swinton. No public record found.

Temperament and judgment

Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.

2 / 4

Paul Barringer. Worked for many years as a health care attorney, entrepreneur and executive, and manages his family's tree farm. No formal conduct finding found.

Source: Ballotpedia, Paul Barringer

2 / 4

Brad Knott. Worked as a federal prosecutor in the Eastern District of North Carolina from 2016 to 2023 and has served in Congress since 2025, including on the Ethics Committee. No censure, reprimand or conduct finding found.

Source: Office site, About

Steven Swinton. No public record found.

Fidelity to the oath

Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.

Paul Barringer. No public record found.

2 / 4

Brad Knott. Served under oath as a federal prosecutor and has held House office since January 2025. He was not in Congress for any electoral vote count objection; no misuse-of-office finding found.

Sources: Office site, About, GovTrack, missed votes

Steven Swinton. No public record found.

What they bring

Qualifications

Relevant experience

Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.

2 / 4

Paul Barringer. Lawyer and health care consultant who says he worked for years as a health care attorney and executive; holds a law degree from UNC and a public affairs master's from Princeton. Has not held public office.

Sources: Ballotpedia, Paul Barringer, Campaign site, About

3 / 4

Brad Knott. In the U.S. House since January 2025 (first term), after about seven years as a federal prosecutor.

Sources: Ballotpedia, Brad Knott, Office site, About

Steven Swinton. No public record found.

Command of the job

Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.

2 / 4

Paul Barringer. Publishes a priorities page on health care, foreign policy, immigration, fiscal policy, education and other topics, mostly in general terms.

Sources: Campaign site, Priorities, Campaign site, home page

3 / 4

Brad Knott. Serves on the Judiciary, Homeland Security, Transportation and Infrastructure, and Ethics committees, with no chair or ranking post.

Sources: GovTrack, committee membership, Office site, About

Steven Swinton. No public record found.

Communication

Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.

3 / 4

Paul Barringer. Four channels: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, The Rant's Lee County candidate questionnaire, plain-language priority pages and a February 2026 primary candidate forum.

Sources: Ballotpedia, Paul Barringer, Campaign site, Priorities, The Rant (Sanford), Feb. 9, 2026, NC Deep Dive podcast, Feb. 22, 2026 (forum recording)

3 / 4

Brad Knott. Three channels: an e-newsletter, issue pages on his House site and a September 2025 telephone town hall. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey; no 2026 debate was found.

Sources: Office site, home page, Ballotpedia, Brad Knott, Office of Rep. Brad Knott, press release, Sept. 16, 2025

Steven Swinton. No public record found.

Roots in the constituency

Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.

3 / 4

Paul Barringer. Grew up on a farm in Lee County, attended Lee County public schools and lives on a farm there; Lee County is in the district. FEC by-state totals show about 38 percent of itemized individual contributions from North Carolina.

Sources: Campaign site, About, Campaign site, home page, Office site of Rep. Brad Knott, About

3 / 4

Brad Knott. Raleigh native and lifelong North Carolinian whose state candidate filing lists a Raleigh home; Wake County is partly in the district. FEC by-state totals show about 78 percent of itemized individual contributions from North Carolina.

Sources: Office site, About, NCSBE 2026 general election candidate list

2 / 4

Steven Swinton. The state candidate list gives a Sanford home address; Lee County, where Sanford is, lies in the district.

Sources: NCSBE 2026 general election candidate list, Office site of Rep. Brad Knott, About

Management

Can build and run an organization.

2 / 4

Paul Barringer. FEC reports on file through June 30, 2026, each received by its due date, and no FEC administrative fine found.

Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search

2 / 4

Brad Knott. FEC reports on file through June 30, 2026, each received by its due date, and no FEC administrative fine found.

Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search

Steven Swinton. No public record found.

What they deliver

Performance

Results

Turns ideas into outcomes.

Paul Barringer. No public record found.

Brad Knott. No public record found.

Steven Swinton. No public record found.

Showing up

Does the basic work of the job.

Paul Barringer. No public record found.

3 / 4

Brad Knott. Missed 11 of 676 roll call votes, 1.6 percent, from January 2025 to September 2026.

Source: GovTrack, missed votes

Steven Swinton. No public record found.

Constituent service

Solves problems for the people they represent.

Paul Barringer. No public record found.

3 / 4

Brad Knott. Runs a district office in Garner, holds staff mobile office hours in Granville and Harnett counties, and offers help with federal agencies and passport fairs.

Source: Office site, home page

Steven Swinton. No public record found.

Coalition building

Wins support beyond their own faction.

Paul Barringer. No public record found.

Brad Knott. No public record found.

Steven Swinton. No public record found.

Stewardship of public money

Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.

Paul Barringer. No public record found.

Brad Knott. No public record found.

Steven Swinton. No public record found.

How to read this

Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.

A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.

No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 9, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.

Questions

Who should I vote for in North Carolina's 13th Congressional District?

Who is running in North Carolina's 13th Congressional District in 2026?

Paul Barringer (Democratic), Brad Knott (Republican, incumbent), Steven Swinton (Libertarian). The general election is November 3, 2026.

Is Paul Barringer a good candidate for Congress?

Paul Barringer scores 56 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 8 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 60 of 100, performance no record. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.

Is Brad Knott a good candidate for Congress?

Brad Knott scores 65 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 12 of 15 criteria: character 55 of 100, qualifications 70 of 100, performance 75 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.

Is Steven Swinton a good candidate for Congress?

Steven Swinton has public evidence on 1 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.

How is the strongest record decided?

The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.

More on this race: every North Carolina race scored, the trailing candidate's path to victory, and the North Carolina 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.