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This story is published as part of our partnership with NOTUS.
The fundraising arm of the Congressional Black Caucus is throwing its weight behind a former Democratic state lawmaker from North Carolina in his bid against Republican Rep. Greg Murphy.
The caucus’ PAC is endorsing Raymond E. Smith Jr., a veteran and former state lawmaker, in North Carolina’s 3rd Congressional District, as reported first by NOTUS. Smith is running against Allison Jaslow in the Democratic primary for the seat, which Democrats hope to flip this election after redistricting shifted it slightly in their favor.
“This endorsement means everything. It means legitimacy, that I’ve gotten a national stamp of approval from an organization as revered as a CBC,” Smith told NOTUS in an interview. “It means access to resources. It means that our base can be energized by the thought that they have a legitimate candidate in this race.”
The district downsized and became slightly less Republican for the 2026 midterm when the Republican-led state legislature passed a new congressional map last fall in hopes of flipping the 1st District led by Democrat Rep. Don Davis. The new 3rd District contains 10 mostly rural counties in the eastern part of North Carolina. The new lines also increased the share of Black eligible voters from about 20% to about 29%.
Smith said that the district’s new lines make him more optimistic about his bid. He called the state’s new map “a gift.”
“In this particular race, the 3rd became a swing district because of that attempted gerrymander,” he said. The Cook Political Report rates the district as R+6, and Rep. Murphy won by a landslide in 2024.
The endorsement comes with the “force and weight of the conscience of the Congress and Congressional Black Caucus and all of its members,” said Chris Taylor, a senior adviser to the Congressional Black Caucus PAC.
“We feel like it’s a seat that’s winnable with the right candidate,” he said. “Smith just has an exemplary background, serving in the Legislature in North Carolina.”
Smith grew up in the district and represented it in the state Legislature. He said he hopes to build connections with other veterans in the district, which is home to Marine Corps and Air Force bases.
“We feel like it’s a seat that’s winnable with the right candidate.”
Chris Taylor, a senior adviser to the Congressional Black Caucus PAC
Rep. Gregory Meeks, the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus PAC, said in a statement that Smith is “the kind of tested, values-driven leader the Congressional Black Caucus PAC is proud to support, someone who will fight to lower costs for working families, protect access to quality health care, strengthen public education, and defend our democracy.”
The CBC PAC has endorsed in nearly three dozen races “critical to winning the Democratic majority in Congress” in the 2026 cycle, said Taylor. They include Robin Peguero, who is running to unseat Rep. María Elvira Salazar, and Tahesha Way, who is running in a special election for New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s former seat.
The PAC considers a candidate’s track record, either as an elected official or a community member, when it chooses whom to endorse, Taylor said.
“When we look at these races, it is about being able to run with a compelling message and persuade and coalesce people around a vision for the future that’s specific to your district,” Taylor said.