Who's running? Local voters to decide seven congressional races

In North Carolina's 1st Congressional District, which includes much of the northeastern part of the state but stretches west into Durham, longtime Democratic Congressman G. K. Butterfield faces Republican challenger Roger Allison, a Durham businessman.

In the 2nd Congressional District, which includes Franklin, Nash and Harnett counties and parts of Wake, Johnston and Wilson counties, Republican Congressman George Holding is up against Democrat Linda Coleman, who has previously served as a Wake County commissioner and state House member and lost two bids for lieutenant governor, and Libertarian Jeff Matemu, a Holly Springs lawyer.

Watch proposed congressional maps take shape across NC

In the 4th Congressional District, which includes all of Orange County, a large chunk of Wake County and the southern end of Durham County, longtime Democratic Congressman David Price is trying to hold his seat against Republican Steve Von Loor, a Durham businessman, and Libertarian Barbara Howe, a former U.S. Senate, gubernatorial and state legislative candidate.

To the west, in the 6th Congressional District, which stretches from the Virginia state line between the Triangle and the Triad and takes in Chatham and Lee counties, Republican Congressman Mark Walker is up against Democrat Ryan Watts, an entrepreneur from Graham.

To the south, Republican Congressman David Rouzer is battling Democrat Kyle Horton, a physician from Carolina Beach, and Constitution Party candidate David Fallin, a Rocky Point businessman, for the 7th Congressional District, which runs from southern Johnston County southeast to the coast.

In the 8th Congressional District, which runs from Fayetteville and Fort Bragg west to the Charlotte suburbs and includes Hoke and Moore counties, Republican Congressman Richard Hudson faces Democratic challenger Frank McNeill, an Aberdeen businessman.

In the 9th Congressional District, which runs along the South Carolina east from Charlotte before swinging north to take in much of Cumberland County, Republican Mark Harris, a Charlotte minister, defeated Congressman Robert Pittenger in the May primary and is now up against Democrat Dan McCready, a Charlotte businessman, and Libertarian Jeff Scott, a Charlotte banker.

The 9th District is one of three North Carolina seats that national Democrats are eyeing in their push to take control of the U.S. House, according to Meredith College political science professor David McLennan.

"Even though [Harris] beat the incumbent in the primary, that’s generally a closer district that’s drawn to be a little bit more competitive for Democrats and Republicans. So I don’t think that would be an upset at all," McLennan told WRAL News.

National Democrats are also targeting Holding's seat and the 13th Congressional District seat of Republican Congressman Ted Budd, who is facing a challenge from Democrat Kathy Manning.

Recent polls have shown close contests in all three of those districts, McLennan said.

"These seats were drawn as primarily Republican seats, so if District 2 or District 9 or District 13 were to go Democratic, that would mean that there's a pretty good Democratic wave in this year's midterm elections," he said.