Incumbent Republican Rep. Karl Gillespie has secured his fourth term serving North Carolina’s 120th House District, defeating Democrat Caleb Brown, 67.88% to 32.12%.
Gillespie has served the state’s westernmost district, which spans Cherokee, Clay, Graham, and Macon counties, since 2021.
The 120th District remains a Republican stronghold, as Gillespie won both the 2024 and 2020 races handily with 75% and 74% of the vote, respectively, but 2026’s election shows that runaway margin is narrowing.
The Macon County native holds key leadership positions as the House majority whip and chairman of the Agriculture and Environment and Appropriations, Agriculture, and Natural Economic Resources committees, and has said these roles give Western North Carolinians a seat at the agenda-setting table in Raleigh.