Valerie Paige Foushee

Valerie Jean Paige Foushee is the incumbent Democratic U.S. Representative for North Carolina’s 4th Congressional District and is seeking a second term in the 2026 election, with the general election scheduled for November 3, 2026 ¹⁹. The district covers much of the Research Triangle and is considered a safe Democratic seat.

Born in Chapel Hill on May 7, 1956, Foushee grew up in a working‑class family that emphasized education and community service. She earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and Afro‑African‑American studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2008, graduating at age 53 after a career in public administration ¹¹⁴¹⁶.

Her public‑service career began in 1987 as an administrative officer with the Chapel Hill Police Department, a position she held for 15 years while raising two sons ¹⁴¹⁶. In 1997 she was elected to the Chapel Hill‑Carrboro City Schools Board of Education, serving until 2004 and chairing the board from 2001‑2003. She then won election to the Orange County Board of Commissioners, serving from 2004‑2012 and becoming the first African‑American woman to chair the board (2008‑2010) ¹¹⁴¹⁶.

Foushee entered state politics in 2012, winning a seat in the North Carolina House of Representatives for the 50th district. In 2013 she was appointed to the North Carolina Senate to fill a vacancy and was subsequently elected to represent the 23rd district, serving until she ran for Congress in 2022 ¹¹⁴¹⁶. During her tenure she focused on voting‑rights protection, clean‑water legislation, and environmental health issues.

In the 2022 election she defeated Republican Courtney Geels with 66.9 % of the vote, becoming the first African‑American and first woman to represent the 4th district in Congress ¹¹¹⁴. She was sworn into the 118th Congress on January 7, 2023 and was re‑elected in 2024 with 71.8 % of the vote ⁵¹¹. In the 2026 Democratic primary she narrowly beat challenger Nida Allam, earning 49.2 % of the vote (61,779 votes) to Allam’s 48.2 % (60,607 votes) ¹⁶²⁰.

In the U.S. House she serves on the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure (subcommittees on Highways and Transit; Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials) and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology (Energy; Investigations and Oversight, Ranking Member) ¹. Her legislative priorities include modernizing transportation infrastructure, expanding broadband and AI‑related data‑center regulation, protecting voting rights, and advancing clean‑energy and environmental justice initiatives, as outlined on her campaign website ¹⁷²⁰. She has also advocated for federal standards to mitigate the environmental impact of AI data centers and has publicly distanced herself from pro‑Israel lobbying groups after the 2024 Gaza conflict ²⁰.

Foushee’s office locations are in Durham, NC, and Washington, D.C., with district‑office phone (919) 967‑7924 and D.C. office phone (202) 225‑1784. She can be contacted through the “Write To Valerie” form on her official congressional site ¹².

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