North Carolina's 2014 House races will probably attract the most attention for 2003 American Idol runner-up Clay Aiken's uphill run against GOP Rep. Renee Ellmers in the 2nd CD. But the most competitive races will be in the May primaries for Republicans in the open 6th and 7th CDs, and for Democrats in the vacant 12th CD. With Blue Dog Democratic Rep. Mike McIntyre's retirement in the 7th CD, Republicans are almost guaranteed a 10-3 edge in 2015, in large part thanks to their brutal efficiency in "packing" Democratic voters during 2012 redistricting.
NC-01: G. K. Butterfield (D) - Northeast: parts of Rocky Mount and Durham Solid Democratic. Redistricting moved this low-income, rural northeastern North Carolina district into heavily black neighborhoods of Durham to preserve its African-American majority. But the bulk of the 1st CD is still in rural, heavily black counties that have grown quite comfortable with Butterfield, a former state Supreme Court judge.
NC-02: Renee Ellmers (R) - Central: parts of Cary and Fayetteville Solid Republican. Singer Clay Aiken, the runner-up on the 2003 season of American Idol, may be
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