When the Department of Government Efficiency started slashing federal grants, North Carolina’s 4th Congressional District was the hardest hit in the country.
The solidly Democratic district in the Raleigh-Durham area is home to two tier-one research universities, 11,000 federal workers and the largest research park in the country. As of May 2025, when Elon Musk left DOGE, the district had lost 186 federal grants, according to a tracker from the Center for American Progress.
The area is still reeling from the millions in lost federal funds. And those impacted said the cuts could play a role in the midterms, especially with the state home to one of the most closely watched Senate races of 2026.