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D Democratic · U.S. House 8, North Carolina · Nov 3, 2026

Colby
Watson

Democrat Colby Watson challenges GOP incumbent Mark Harris for North Carolina's 8th Congressional District seat in 2026.

Researched checked 6 d ago
sources
15
positions
10
endorsements
4
colbyforcongress.com ↗(opens in a new tab) X(opens in a new tab)TikTok(opens in a new tab)Bluesky(opens in a new tab)YouTube(opens in a new tab)Facebook(opens in a new tab)Instagram(opens in a new tab)
Opponents Mark Harris R+ 1 more Compare race →

Background

Colby Watson is the Democratic candidate for U.S. House of Representatives in North Carolina's 8th Congressional District in the November 2026 election. He was born and raised in Union County, North Carolina, and is associated with Indian Trail and Monroe, NC. 1212

Watson is a small-business owner who has operated construction businesses for more than a decade. He began his career in masonry before moving into construction and farming, and later gained experience on federal contracting projects. He holds a high-school diploma earned through homeschooling. 418

Watson is running for his first public office and is challenging Republican incumbent Mark Harris for the NC-8 seat. His campaign focuses on issues including corruption and accountability, civil rights and democracy, and foreign policy. 121713

At a glance

Party
Democratic
Running for
U.S. House · District 8, North Carolina
Election
Nov 3, 2026
Current office
Small-business owner (construction)
Website
colbyforcongress.com(opens in a new tab)

Where they stand

Each position links to the page it was drawn from. Quotes are verbatim.

Timeline

  1. Date unknown
    endorsement
    Smarter.Vote race profile notes Watson received an endorsement from The News & Observer

    A race profile noted that Watson received an endorsement from The News & Observer, but no dated primary source confirming when the endorsement was made was found in the available reporting.

    NC-08 House race 2026 - Smarter.Vote · Oct 9, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  2. Sep 30
    filing
    FEC filings through September 30 show Watson raised $53,127 and had $7,477 cash on hand

    A race page citing FEC filings reported Watson had raised $53,127, spent $45,655, and had $7,477 cash on hand through the September 30 reporting deadline. Republican opponent Mark Harris's figures only ran through June 30, making direct comparison incomplete.

    North Carolina's 8th District Race 2026: Who's Running (NC-8) · Oct 10, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  3. Sep 24
    poll
    No public polls of the NC-8 race found as of late September 2026

    A September 24 candidate profile noted that no public polls of the NC-8 race had been found as of September 25, 2026.

    Colby Watson (D) — U.S. Representative, NC-08 | 2026 profile · Sep 24, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  4. Sep 22
    news
    Watson confirmed on general-election ballot alongside Republican Mark Harris and Green Party's Bo Whitehead

    Sources published in September and October list Watson, Republican Mark Harris, and Green Party candidate Bo Whitehead as the candidates on the November 3 general-election ballot for NC-8.

    U.S. House of Representatives NC 8 Candidates | WFAE 90.7 · Sep 22, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  5. Sep 22
    news
    WFAE publishes candidate profile of Watson, describing his background and policy priorities

    WFAE described Watson as a small-business owner and federal contractor and reported his priorities: regulating corporate ownership of homes, preventing medical debt from bankrupting people, improving education, and helping farmers. He pledged not to accept money from corporate or foreign-interest lobbyists and not to trade stocks while in Congress.

    U.S. House of Representatives NC 8 Candidates | WFAE 90.7 · Sep 22, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
  6. Mar 1
    filing
    Colby Watson wins Democratic primary for NC-8, becoming the Democratic nominee

    Watson won a three-way Democratic primary, securing the nomination for North Carolina's 8th Congressional District. A race profile records him at 47.92% of the primary vote.

    NC-08 House race 2026 - Smarter.Vote · Oct 9, 2026 (opens in a new tab)

Endorsements

  • Progressive Caucus of the North Carolina Democratic Party organization
    The caucus's 2026 endorsement page lists Colby Watson for U.S. House District 08; no announcement date is given. pcncdp.org
  • News & Observer newspaper
    Reported via Smarter.Vote candidate guide as having received the News & Observer's endorsement; no separate general-election endorsement or specific date was established from the sources reviewed. smarter.vote
  • North Carolina Green Party organization
    Watson stated he had 'the full endorsement of The North Carolina Green Party' in response to a WFAE candidate questionnaire; this is Watson's own account and could not be independently verified from a separate party announcement. wfae.org · Sep 22, 2026
  • Charlotte Observer editorial board newspaper
    The Charlotte Observer's March 2, 2026 primary endorsement roundup described Watson as running 'the strongest campaign' in the Democratic primary for District 8 and called him 'clearly dedicated.' This is a primary endorsement, not a documented general-election endorsement. charlotteobserver.com · Mar 2, 2026

Campaign finance

Totals filed with the Federal Election Commission for the 2026 election cycle.

Raised
$53K
Spent
$46K
Cash on hand
$7,477

As of Sep 30, 2026. Filings are periodic, so recent money may not be included yet. ↳ FEC record H6NC08202(opens in a new tab)

Sources 15

  1. [1] Housing and Economy | Colby Watson For Congress(opens in a new tab) Oct 12, 2026
  2. [2] North Carolina's 8th District Race 2026: Who's Running (NC-8)(opens in a new tab) Oct 10, 2026
  3. [3] NC-08 House race 2026 - Smarter.Vote(opens in a new tab) Oct 9, 2026
  4. [4] Issues | Colby Watson For Congress(opens in a new tab) Oct 7, 2026
  5. [5] Corruption, Integrity, Accountability | Colby Watson For Congress(opens in a new tab) Oct 6, 2026
  6. [6] Data Centers & AI | Colby Watson For Congress(opens in a new tab) Oct 6, 2026
  7. [7] Education and Family - Colby Watson For Congress(opens in a new tab) Oct 6, 2026
  8. [8] Healthcare | Colby Watson For Congress(opens in a new tab) Oct 6, 2026
  9. [9] Foreign Policy | Colby Watson For Congress(opens in a new tab) Oct 3, 2026
  10. [10] Colby Watson — 2026 North Carolina's 8th Congressional ...(opens in a new tab) Oct 1, 2026
  11. [11] 2026 Endorsements(opens in a new tab) Sep 24, 2026
  12. [12] Colby Watson (D) — U.S. Representative, NC-08 | 2026 profile(opens in a new tab) Sep 24, 2026
  13. [13] U.S. House of Representatives NC 8 Candidates(opens in a new tab) Sep 22, 2026
  14. [14] U.S. House of Representatives NC 8 Candidates | WFAE 90.7(opens in a new tab) Sep 22, 2026
  15. [15] All Charlotte Observer endorsements in 2026 primary election(opens in a new tab) Mar 2, 2026
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