A look inside funding for Eastern NC’s contested GOP primary + Our election guide

Good morning! I’m Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi, a politics reporter, here with Friday’s Under the Dome newsletter.

My colleague Kyle Ingram last week dived into the year-end campaign finance reports of Valerie Foushee and Nida Allam for the 4th Congressional District. I’m continuing that dive into funding.

Campaign finance reports filed by federal candidates can help show what money is flowing directly into and out of a campaign from individuals, whether in or outside the state, and from political action committees, which typically represent business and labor interests and are capped at $5,000 per election.

But these filings leave out a large share of outside spending.

This includes money spent by super PACs, or independent expenditure-only committees, which can raise and spend unlimited amounts to support or oppose candidates, as long as they do not coordinate with campaigns or give money directly to candidates. There are also what are sometimes called “dark money” groups, which can run ads and fund super PACs without publicly disclosing their donors.

So while a candidate may appear one way in their own filings, they may also have substantial financial support operating in the background.

So why does this matter?

The primary is on March 3, and early voting began Thursday. Outside spending typically ramps up in the weeks leading up to Election Day. That surge can affect how a race plays out. It also plays a role in the general election.

I’ve been looking into North Carolina’s 1st Congressional District and recently wrote about what some party insiders and political observers say they are seeing. Read that here.

Here’s what year-end reporting showed for the five candidates running in the Republican primary (Other primaries in the district are not contested):

• Laurie Buckhout, a former Army colonel, reported more than $2.02 million in cash on hand at the end of last year. That included a $2 million loan she made to her campaign on the final day of 2025. Another $9,000 came from individual donors.
• Bobby Hanig, a state lawmaker, raised just over $306,000 from July through December, including more than $100,000 in loans from himself. Individual donors contributed just over $187,000. After expenses, he ended the year with more than $234,000 in cash on hand.
• Eric Rouse, a business owner and Lenoir County commissioner, raised more than $534,000 from October through December, including a $500,000 personal loan. Individual contributions totaled just over $34,000. He finished the year with more than $418,000 in cash.
• Asa Buck, the Carteret County sheriff, took in just over $248,000 from November through December, including a $59,000 personal loan. Individual donors contributed more than $189,000. His campaign reported more than $233,000 in cash on hand.
• Ashley-Nicole Russell, a divorce attorney, raised more than $201,000 from October through December, including a $152,400 personal loan. Individual contributions totaled $49,340. She entered 2026 with just under $195,000 in campaign cash.

So far, a lot of funding in these races are coming from individuals, with some funding from political action committees.

The next major report required from candidates is due Feb. 19. That filing will show all money raised and spent in January and early February.

Going back to outside funding: Leading the Future, a super PAC backed by donors in the artificial intelligence industry, is reported by Fox News to be investing about $500,000 to launch an ad blitz in support of Buckhout. The News & Observer reached out to Buckhout’s campaign on Thursday but did not hear back.

Headlines you won’t want to miss

• Republicans fight to keep NC’s Senate seat. Can any of them beat Cooper?
• ‘Toss-up’: No clear front-runner in GOP race for redrawn Eastern NC district
• Valerie Foushee faces contentious rematch with Nida Allam in NC’s bluest district
• Grilled by NC lawmaker on Epstein case, Pam Bondi deflects to light rail killing
• Anita Earls raises 15 times more than Republican opponent in NC Supreme Court race
• Why embattled Rep. Cunningham’s campaign says party backlash won’t work in primary

As part of our voter guide, The N&O and The Charlotte Observer have also begun publishing responses to our primary candidate questionnaires for contested races. Here are a few to read now:

• A state House primary rematch in Eastern NC: Where Pierce, Wray stand on issues.
• See where candidates for 13th US House District disagree with their own party
• NC educator who switched parties, former GOP lawmaker outline priorities
• How NC Republicans in Court of Appeals primary describe their philosophies
• In 14th US House District, all but 1 candidate says working families are struggling
• US House District 8 candidates speak out on president’s war power authorities
• 3 in WNC’s crowded 11th US House District race say Helene recovery is top priority

Thanks for reading Under the Dome

That’s all for today, but we hope to see you right back here on Sunday.

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This story was originally published February 13, 2026 at 5:00 AM with the headline "A look inside funding for Eastern NC’s contested GOP primary + Our election guide."

Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi

The News & Observer

Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi is a politics reporter for the News & Observer. She reports on health care, including mental health and Medicaid expansion, hurricane recovery efforts and lobbying. Luciana previously worked as a Roy W. Howard Fellow at Searchlight New Mexico, an investigative news organization.