U.S. House, North Carolina 3rd Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in North Carolina's 3rd Congressional District?
Raymond Smith Jr. has the strongest record in North Carolina's 3rd Congressional District. Raymond Smith Jr. scores 59 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Greg Murphy at 58, as of October 9, 2026. Raymond Smith Jr.'s highest marks are relevant experience and roots in the constituency. Greg Murphy's highest marks are relevant experience and integrity. Daniel Cavender (5 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.
Libertarian
Daniel Cavender
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 5 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 38
- Performance
- NR
Republican · incumbent
Greg Murphy
58 / 100
Public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 70
- Performance
- 50
Democratic
Strongest record
Raymond Smith Jr.
On the ballot as Raymond Smith
59 / 100
Public evidence on 8 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 65
- Performance
- NR
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.
Daniel Cavender
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Greg Murphy
- On the record2021-01-06
Voted Nay on the objection to Arizona's certified electoral votes, which 121 House Republicans supported.
- On the record2021-01-07
Voted Yea on the objection to Pennsylvania's certified electoral votes.
- On the record2020-12-11
Signed the House members' amicus brief supporting Texas v. Pennsylvania, the suit to overturn other states' results.
Source: U.S. Supreme Court, House members' amicus brief, Texas v. Pennsylvania
- Credit2026-07
WRAL reports he owns no individual stocks and strongly supported the House bill restricting members' stock trading.
Source: WRAL, July 2026
- Credit2025
Was the primary sponsor of the Disaster Related Extension of Deadlines Act, one of six bills he sponsored that were enacted.
Source: GovTrack, enacted legislation
Raymond Smith Jr.
- Credit2019
Served two terms in the North Carolina House for District 21 (Wayne and Sampson counties), 2019 to 2023.
Source: Ballotpedia, Raymond Smith Jr.
- Credit2016
Was elected to an at-large seat on the Wayne County Board of Education, serving 2016 to 2019.
Source: Ballotpedia, Raymond Smith Jr.
- Creditcareer
Served in the U.S. Army.
Source: Ballotpedia, Raymond Smith Jr.
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Daniel Cavender. No public record found.
Greg Murphy. His 2025 annual financial disclosure was filed May 11, 2026. WRAL's review of ethics disclosures lists him among members owning no individual stocks. No House Ethics finding or FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: House Clerk financial disclosure, Filing ID 10075847, WRAL, July 2026, FEC administrative fines search
Raymond Smith Jr.. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026, and a House candidate financial disclosure was filed Oct. 1, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search, House Clerk candidate financial disclosure, Filing ID 10082893
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Daniel Cavender. No public record found.
Greg Murphy. Voted Nay on the Jan. 6, 2021 objection to Arizona's electoral votes, which 121 House Republicans supported.
Raymond Smith Jr.. No public record found.
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Daniel Cavender. No public record found.
Greg Murphy. No public record found.
Raymond Smith Jr.. No public record found.
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Daniel Cavender. No public record found.
Greg Murphy. In the U.S. House since 2019 and the state House from 2015 to 2019. No formal censure, reprimand or conduct finding found.
Source: Ballotpedia, Greg Murphy
Raymond Smith Jr.. Served two terms in the state House (2019 to 2023) after the Wayne County Board of Education and Army service. No formal censure, reprimand or conduct finding found.
Source: Ballotpedia, Raymond Smith Jr.
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Daniel Cavender. Served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve from 2015 to 2022. No official finding of misuse found.
Source: Ballotpedia, Daniel Cavender
Greg Murphy. Voted Yea on the Jan. 7, 2021 objection to Pennsylvania's certified electoral votes (Nay on Arizona), and signed the December 2020 House amicus brief supporting Texas v. Pennsylvania (E2).
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 11, Jan. 7, 2021, U.S. Supreme Court, House members' amicus brief, Texas v. Pennsylvania
Raymond Smith Jr.. Served in the U.S. Army and took the oath as a state representative. No official finding of misuse of office found.
Source: Ballotpedia, Raymond Smith Jr.
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Daniel Cavender. Fire protection equipment technician and Marine Corps reservist with a 2021 bachelor's degree; little documented leadership experience. Has not held public office.
Source: Ballotpedia, Daniel Cavender
Greg Murphy. U.S. representative since September 2019 and a state representative from 2015 to 2019 (E9).
Source: Ballotpedia, Greg Murphy
Raymond Smith Jr.. State representative for District 21 for two terms (2019 to 2023) and an at-large Wayne County school board member (2016 to 2019) (E9).
Source: Ballotpedia, Raymond Smith Jr.
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Daniel Cavender. His 2024 Ballotpedia survey, from a state Senate run, states positions on marijuana legalization and gun laws in general terms.
Source: Ballotpedia, Daniel Cavender (2024 candidate survey)
Greg Murphy. Serves on Ways and Means (Health and Trade subcommittees), Veterans' Affairs and House Administration; co-chairs the House GOP Doctors Caucus. No committee chair or ranking post on the current roster.
Sources: GovTrack, committee membership, House office site, About
Raymond Smith Jr.. Publishes a platform on cost of living, health care, infrastructure and veterans in general terms; served on state House finance and military and veterans affairs committees.
Sources: Campaign site, Platform, Ballotpedia, Raymond Smith Jr.
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Daniel Cavender. One channel documented: a Ballotpedia survey completed in 2024 (E19). Has not completed the 2026 survey; no campaign website found.
Source: Ballotpedia, Daniel Cavender
Greg Murphy. Two channels documented: an email newsletter and issue pages on his House site. Did not complete Ballotpedia's survey.
Sources: House office site, Ballotpedia, Greg Murphy
Raymond Smith Jr.. Two channels documented: a campaign platform page and a Ballotpedia survey completed in 2024. Has not completed the 2026 survey.
Sources: Campaign site, Platform, Ballotpedia, Raymond Smith Jr.
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Daniel Cavender. Filed for office from a Lexington address in Davidson County, outside the 3rd District in eastern North Carolina.
Source: NC State Board of Elections, 2026 general election candidate list
Greg Murphy. Files from a Greenville address and represented Pitt County in the state House from 2015 to 2019. FEC by-state totals show about 54 percent of itemized individual contributions from North Carolina.
Sources: NC State Board of Elections, 2026 general election candidate list, Ballotpedia, Greg Murphy, FEC contribution totals by state
Raymond Smith Jr.. Born and raised in Goldsboro and represented Wayne and Sampson counties in the state House. FEC by-state totals show about 75 percent of itemized individual contributions from North Carolina.
Sources: Campaign site, About, Ballotpedia, Raymond Smith Jr., FEC contribution totals by state
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Daniel Cavender. No public record found.
Greg Murphy. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Raymond Smith Jr.. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Daniel Cavender. No public record found.
Greg Murphy. Legislative Effectiveness Score 0.945 against a benchmark of 1.198 in the 118th Congress, meets expectations; primary sponsor of six enacted bills, including the Disaster Related Extension of Deadlines Act.
Sources: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress, GovTrack, enacted legislation
Raymond Smith Jr.. No public record found.
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Daniel Cavender. No public record found.
Greg Murphy. Missed 305 of 3,338 roll call votes, 9.1 percent, from September 2019 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Raymond Smith Jr.. No public record found.
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Daniel Cavender. No public record found.
Greg Murphy. Runs district offices in New Bern, Greenville, Jacksonville, Beaufort and Manteo and offers help with federal agencies. No published casework totals found.
Sources: House office site, offices, House office site, About, House office site
Raymond Smith Jr.. No public record found.
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Daniel Cavender. No public record found.
Greg Murphy. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index score of -0.27238 in the latest posted House scores (2023), ranked 182 of 436.
Source: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, House Scores
Raymond Smith Jr.. No public record found.
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Daniel Cavender. No public record found.
Greg Murphy. No public record found.
Raymond Smith Jr.. 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 3rd Congressional District?
Raymond Smith Jr. has the strongest record in North Carolina's 3rd Congressional District. Raymond Smith Jr. scores 59 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Greg Murphy at 58, as of October 9, 2026. Raymond Smith Jr.'s highest marks are relevant experience and roots in the constituency. Greg Murphy's highest marks are relevant experience and integrity. Daniel Cavender (5 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.
Who is running in North Carolina's 3rd Congressional District in 2026?
Daniel Cavender (Libertarian), Greg Murphy (Republican, incumbent), Raymond Smith Jr. (Democratic). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Daniel Cavender a good candidate for Congress?
Daniel Cavender has public evidence on 5 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.
Is Greg Murphy a good candidate for Congress?
Greg Murphy scores 58 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 70 of 100, performance 50 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Raymond Smith Jr. a good candidate for Congress?
Raymond Smith Jr. scores 59 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 8 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 65 of 100, performance no record. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
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.