Three Republican-held congressional seats in North Carolina remain undecided following Tuesday's midterm elections, with Reps. Virginia Foxx, Greg Murphy, and David Rouzer all facing challenges from Democratic opponents in races close enough to qualify for potential recounts.

The closest contest is in the 5th Congressional District, where Democrat Chuck Hubbard holds a 99-vote advantage over Foxx, an 11-term Republican who has represented the district since 2005. Unofficial results from the North Carolina State Board of Elections show the race remains unsettled despite all precincts reporting.

In the 3rd Congressional District, Murphy leads Democrat Raymond Smith Jr. by just 233 votes, representing a margin of approximately 0.09 percentage points.

Rouzer, meanwhile, leads Democrat Kimberly Hardy by approximately 2,425 votes in the 7th District. Although his advantage is larger than those in the other two contests, it remains within the state's 1% threshold for a potential recount.

The Associated Press has not called any of the three races. North Carolina candidates trailing by less than 1% of the vote can request a recount after county election boards complete their canvasses. Additional provisional and absentee ballots could also affect the unofficial totals before the results are finalized.

The uncertainty comes after an election night that delivered significant losses for North Carolina Republicans. The party entered the election holding 10 of the state's 14 congressional seats, but Democrats flipped several Republican-held districts.

Among the defeated Republicans was Rep. Richard Hudson, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), which oversees Republican efforts to elect House candidates nationwide. Democrat Richard Ojeda defeated Hudson by more than 6,000 votes.

Other Republican incumbents who lost included Addison McDowell, who was defeated by High Point Mayor Cyril Jefferson in the 6th District; Brad Knott, who lost to attorney Paul Barringer in the 13th District; and former North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore, who was defeated by Lakesha Womack in the 14th District.

Democrats also picked up the 11th District, where Jamie Ager defeated Republican Jennifer Balkcom after incumbent Rep. Chuck Edwards withdrew from the race.

Meanwhile, Democrats held their existing congressional seats, including the closely watched 1st District, where Rep. Don Davis defeated Republican Laurie Buckhout by more than 10,000 votes despite Republican redistricting efforts intended to make the district more competitive.

Former Democrat Gov. Roy Cooper's nearly 20-percentage-point victory over Republican Michael Whatley in the U.S. Senate race also contributed to the party's strong performance across the state, according to The Washington Post.

The results have raised questions about whether Republican redistricting efforts successfully protected the party's congressional majority, particularly after several GOP-held districts changed hands despite previous Republican advantages.

Following the losses, McDowell urged Republicans to regroup rather than abandon their political principles.

"Now is the time to stand taller, dig in, and join me in rebuilding the values and principles that have always made our communities strong," he said Wednesday.

Republicans Mark Harris and Pat Harrigan also maintained leads in races that had not been called by the Associated Press, although both held larger advantages than the three candidates awaiting recount decisions.

The final outcomes in North Carolina could further reshape the state's congressional delegation as Democrats prepare to take control of the House in January. Five Republican-held districts have already shifted to Democratic candidates, while the three remaining contests could determine whether Republicans retain additional seats