Federal

U.S. Representative, 2nd Congressional District

Vote for: 1
Term: 2 years
Candidates: 3
Election: Nov 3, 2026

What this office does: A member of the U.S. House of Representatives votes on federal laws, taxes and spending on behalf of the district.

Candidates Compare by issue

Eugene F. Douglass

Republican

Chemistry educator

The gist

Pledges to vote to speed nuclear power plant licensing
Proposes making data centers pay for their own power plants
Supports requiring parental consent for students' gender changes at school
Opposes abortion, describing himself as pro-life
Opposes illegal immigration as undercutting legal workers' wages
Supports shrinking a federal government that duplicates state work
Supports work requirements in welfare programs

More about Eugene

View sources (3)

Pledges to vote to speed nuclear power plant licensing
Bring Your Own Plant. Feed the Grid. — Gene Douglass for Congress (Substack)
Campaign website · Gene Douglass for Congress · Sep 22, 2026 · efdouglass.substack.com
“I will vote to speed civilian nuclear fission licenses, to treat restarts and advanced plants as the default path”
Proposes making data centers pay for their own power plants
Bring Your Own Plant. Feed the Grid. — Gene Douglass for Congress (Substack)
Campaign website · Gene Douglass for Congress · Sep 22, 2026 · efdouglass.substack.com
“The campus brings its own firm power … It pays for its own interconnection.”
Supports requiring parental consent for students' gender changes at school
Deborah Ross Voted to Keep Secrets from Parents — Gene Douglass for Congress (Substack)
Campaign website · Gene Douglass for Congress · Aug 19, 2026 · efdouglass.substack.com
“Parents, not counselors or administrators, have the first responsibility for their own children.”
Opposes abortion, describing himself as pro-life
COFFEE WITH HISPANICS / GILBERT PAGAN Interviewed Me This Week — Gene Douglass for Congress (Substack)
Campaign website · Gene Douglass for Congress · Aug 29, 2026 · efdouglass.substack.com
“I am pro-life from conception to natural death.”
Opposes illegal immigration as undercutting legal workers' wages
COFFEE WITH HISPANICS / GILBERT PAGAN Interviewed Me This Week — Gene Douglass for Congress (Substack)
Campaign website · Gene Douglass for Congress · Aug 29, 2026 · efdouglass.substack.com
“Illegal immigration undercuts wages for people who are here legally, including Hispanic farm and construction workers.”
Supports shrinking a federal government that duplicates state work
COFFEE WITH HISPANICS / GILBERT PAGAN Interviewed Me This Week — Gene Douglass for Congress (Substack)
Campaign website · Gene Douglass for Congress · Aug 29, 2026 · efdouglass.substack.com
“The federal government is too large, duplicates work that belongs to the states, and keeps adding to a debt it has no plan to stop.”
Supports work requirements in welfare programs
COFFEE WITH HISPANICS / GILBERT PAGAN Interviewed Me This Week — Gene Douglass for Congress (Substack)
Campaign website · Gene Douglass for Congress · Aug 29, 2026 · efdouglass.substack.com
“Welfare rules that treat fathers as optional and reward family breakdown are not compassion. Work requirements and intact families are.”

Matthew Laszacs

Libertarian

Business director

The gist

Proposes PAYGO or a Swiss-style debt brake on federal borrowing
Proposes replacing the federal income tax with a consumption tax
Proposes turning federal K-12 money into no-strings block grants
Supports rolling back No Child Left Behind and ESSA
Proposes portable, tax-exempt individual health savings accounts
Proposes sharing savings with Medicare and Medicaid patients who shop
Proposes curbing executive orders and emergency powers

More about Matthew

View sources (1)

Proposes PAYGO or a Swiss-style debt brake on federal borrowing
Matthew Laszacs - US House NC District 2 (Tar Heel Libertarian interview)
Interview · Libertarian Party of North Carolina · lpnc.org
“Implement fiscal tools such as PAYGO or a Swiss-style debt brake so Congress must prioritize spending rather than simply borrowing more.”
Proposes replacing the federal income tax with a consumption tax
Matthew Laszacs - US House NC District 2 (Tar Heel Libertarian interview)
Interview · Libertarian Party of North Carolina · lpnc.org
“Replace the federal income tax with a simpler, fairer, and more transparent consumption tax.”
Proposes turning federal K-12 money into no-strings block grants
Matthew Laszacs - US House NC District 2 (Tar Heel Libertarian interview)
Interview · Libertarian Party of North Carolina · lpnc.org
“We should remove the politicization of any federal spending on K-12 public education by converting the spending to block grants with no strings attached.”
Supports rolling back No Child Left Behind and ESSA
Matthew Laszacs - US House NC District 2 (Tar Heel Libertarian interview)
Interview · Libertarian Party of North Carolina · lpnc.org
“Then I think congress needs to roll back the No Child Left Behind Act and the Every Student Succeeds Act.”
Proposes portable, tax-exempt individual health savings accounts
Matthew Laszacs - US House NC District 2 (Tar Heel Libertarian interview)
Interview · Libertarian Party of North Carolina · lpnc.org
“Create a new portable, National, Tax Exempt Individual Health Savings Account that is improved from our current HSA structure”
Proposes sharing savings with Medicare and Medicaid patients who shop
Matthew Laszacs - US House NC District 2 (Tar Heel Libertarian interview)
Interview · Libertarian Party of North Carolina · lpnc.org
“If a lower-cost service is selected, the beneficiary receives a share of the savings as a monetary benefit”
Proposes curbing executive orders and emergency powers
Matthew Laszacs - US House NC District 2 (Tar Heel Libertarian interview)
Interview · Libertarian Party of North Carolina · lpnc.org
“Reestablish fiscal discipline and curb the profligate use of executive orders and emergency powers.”

Deborah K. Ross

DemocraticIncumbent

U.S. Representative; attorney · Raleigh

The gist

Opposes the administration's paid cancellations of offshore wind leasesIn office
Secured a U.S. Patent Office outreach office at NC StateIn office
Introduced a bill protecting seniors' Medicare drug coverageIn office
Co-introduced funding for research on ozone's warming effectsIn office
Authored the law ending the Southeast offshore wind leasing moratoriumIn office
Supports comprehensive immigration reform that protects DreamersIn office
Sponsored a bill keeping visa holders' children from aging outIn office
Introduced bills to ease student loan debtIn office

In office = from the candidate's own official statements or legislation as an officeholder, not their campaign.

More about Deborah

View sources (7)

Opposes the administration's paid cancellations of offshore wind leases
Congresswoman Ross Calls Out Trump Administration's Corrupt Offshore Wind Buyouts
Public statement · Office of Rep. Deborah Ross · Sep 17, 2026 · ross.house.gov
“President Trump and the Department of Energy put their political agenda ahead of North Carolina's economic and energy needs.”
Secured a U.S. Patent Office outreach office at NC State
Congresswoman Ross Secures New US Patent Office at NC State Centennial Campus
Public statement · Office of Rep. Deborah Ross · Aug 19, 2026 · ross.house.gov
“I advocated for this new office because I know our region will continue driving our state and country to new heights.”
Introduced a bill protecting seniors' Medicare drug coverage
Congresswoman Ross, Senator Blunt Rochester Introduce Legislation to Protect Seniors from Surprise Healthcare Bills
Public statement · Office of Rep. Deborah Ross · Sep 24, 2026 · ross.house.gov
“legislation to protect seniors from losing their Medicare prescription drug coverage because of unexpected or unknown premium increases”
Co-introduced funding for research on ozone's warming effects
Ross + Foushee Introduce Bill Advancing Science to Reduce Warming from Tropospheric Ozone
Public statement · Office of Rep. Deborah Ross · Sep 21, 2026 · ross.house.gov
“The bill would fund a three-year, $10M per year scientific research program on the warming effects of tropospheric ozone.”
Authored the law ending the Southeast offshore wind leasing moratorium
Clean Energy and Environment — Congresswoman Deborah Ross
Government record · Office of Rep. Deborah Ross · ross.house.gov
“My legislation to overturn the 10-year moratorium on offshore wind leasing off the coasts of North Carolina”
Supports comprehensive immigration reform that protects Dreamers
Immigration — Congresswoman Deborah Ross
Government record · Office of Rep. Deborah Ross · ross.house.gov
“Congress must enact comprehensive immigration reform that will meet North Carolina's urgent workforce needs, keep families together and communities safe, protect all Dreamers”
Sponsored a bill keeping visa holders' children from aging out
Immigration — Congresswoman Deborah Ross
Government record · Office of Rep. Deborah Ross · ross.house.gov
“My bipartisan, bicameral America's CHILDREN Act would protect these inspiring young people from aging out of the system when they turn 21”
Introduced bills to ease student loan debt
Education — Congresswoman Deborah Ross
Government record · Office of Rep. Deborah Ross · ross.house.gov
“During my first term, I introduced several pieces of legislation to help alleviate the burden of student loan debt.”

Challengers are listed first and incumbents last; otherwise candidates appear in ballot order. The Gist does not rank, rate or endorse candidates. Only positions backed by a cited source are shown; 8 issues covered in this race.