Foushee cruises to win in US House 4th District; will replace fellow Democrat David Price

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Democratic State Sen. Valerie Foushee cruised to victory Tuesday night where she'll replace fellow Democrat Rep. David Price, who is retiring, and become Congresswoman for North Carolina's 4th District.

The Chapel Hill native served in the State House for less than nine months in 2013 when she was tapped to fill a vacancy in the State Senate. Since then, she has won four straight elections in the heavily blue district.

"I am truly humbled and honored that the voters of North Carolina's Fourth Congressional District have put their faith and trust in me to represent them in Washington," Foushee said in a statement. "There is so much at stake in our country right now, from abortion rights to protecting our democracy, we've rarely been this divided. I look forward to going to Washington to help heal our nation and bring people back together. I'm ready to deliver for this district on day one. Thank you to everyone who has supported my campaign and worked hard to help us get here tonight. Tonight is a victory for us all."

Prior to her role in the State Senate, Foushee served on the Chapel-Hill Carrboro School Board and was the first African-American woman to be a member of the Orange County Board of Commissioners from 2004-2010, which included a stint as Chair of the Board from 2008-2010

Foushee faced a considerable challenge in the Democratic primary, which analysts presumed to be the de facto election because of the make-up of the district. Her challengers included Durham County Commissioner Nida Allam, former American Idol finalist and Congressional candidate Clay Aiken, as well as Dr. Ashley Ward, a Senior Policy Associate at the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions at Duke, amongst others. She ultimately edged Allam by about 8,000 votes in May to capture the nomination.

On the Republican side, nurse Courtney Geels won nearly 65% of the vote in the primary; however, she earned less than half the number of votes as Foushee did, a signal of the uphill battle she faced in the general election.

Price, who was first elected to Congress in 1986, announced last October he would retire instead of seeking another term. He narrowly lost his seat due to redistricting in 1994, before winning it back in 1996, and has held on since. Price, who graduated from UNC and worked as a professor at Duke, serves on the Committee on Appropriations.

With her victory, Foushee is the first woman and first African American to represent the district in Congress.