{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"LeVon Barnes","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"DEM","person":{"biography":"LeVon Barnes is the Democratic candidate for the North Carolina House of Representatives, District 64, on the November\u202f3,\u202f2026 ballot. He previously ran for the same seat in 2024, earning 45.2% of the vote against incumbent Republican Dennis Riddell [1].\n\nBarnes earned a Bachelor of Science in physical education teaching and coaching from Campbell University in 2004 and a Master of Education in health and physical education from Prairie View A&M University in 2008 [1]. He has spent his career in education and athletics, working as a physical\u2011education teacher for Durham Public Schools during his 2017 Durham city\u2011council campaign, serving as head men\u2019s basketball coach and associate dean of students at Lackawanna College, and as an assistant men\u2019s basketball coach and adjunct instructor for the Dallas County Community College District [1].\n\nBeyond the classroom, Barnes is active in several civic groups, including Alpha\u202fPhi\u202fAlpha Fraternity, Inc., the North Carolina Institute of Political Leadership, and the Leadership Triangle Transforming Leaders Goodmon Fellowship [1]. His personal narrative emphasizes community service: he describes himself as a father, husband, teacher, and coach who grew up learning \u201cservant leadership\u201d from his parents and from the broader village that supported his family after his father\u2019s death when Barnes was nine [9].\n\nBarnes\u2019s campaign platform focuses on making Alamance County more affordable and accountable. Key priorities listed on his campaign website include \u201cAffordability: Making Alamance Livable Again,\u201d \u201cGovernment Accountability,\u201d \u201cEducation Equality,\u201d \u201cCommunity Investment and Resiliency,\u201d \u201cProtecting What We\u2019ve Built,\u201d and \u201cReproductive Equality\u201d \u2013 a set of policies aimed at lowering living costs, improving public\u2011school funding, and safeguarding reproductive rights [5].\n\nIn the 2024 election, Barnes was defeated by Riddell, who captured 54.8% of the vote while Barnes received 45.2% (44,753 total votes) [1]. The 2026 Democratic primary was canceled, allowing Barnes to advance automatically to the general election, where he will again face Riddell [1].\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [LeVon Barnes - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/LeVon_Barnes)\n- [4] [iVoterGuide - LeVon Barnes iVoterGuide Profile](https://ivoterguide.com/candidate/79768/race/8435/election/1206)\n- [5] [Coach LeVon Barnes for NC House](https://www.levonfornc.com/)\n- [6] [Endorsements for LeVon Barnes - North Carolina Democratic Party Candidate](https://bluevoterguide.org/NC/candidate_LeVon_Barnes/288879)\n- [9] [About Coach Barnes](https://www.levonfornc.com/about)\n- [10] [Coach LeVon Barnes for NC](https://www.facebook.com/LeVonforNC/posts/it-doesnt-have-to-be-this-hard-there-is-an-easier-way-out-north-carolina-we-cant/1425580899581671/)\n- [11] [Help LeVon Barnes Reach the North Carolina House with a $43 ...](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DRBUBmjD8S1/)\n- [15] [LeVon Barnes | BallotReady](https://www.ballotready.org/people/levon-barnes)\n- [16] [LeVon Barnes - North Carolina Candidate - Transparency USA](https://www.transparencyusa.org/nc/candidate/levon-barnes)\n- [18] [The Committee to Elect Levon Barnes - North Carolina Committee - Transparency USA](https://www.transparencyusa.org/nc/committee/the-committee-to-elect-levon-barnes-sta-yq2gm4-c-001)\n- [19] [Why We Run: LeVon Barnes. LeVon Barnes is 34-year-old an\u2026 | by Run for Something | Why We Run (And You Can, Too!) | Medium](https://medium.com/why-we-run-young-people-in-government/why-we-run-levon-barnes-661b87f0c63)","firstname":"Levon","lastname":"Barnes","middlename":"Ivan","suffix":null,"token":"bd5afb2eca51da4d"},"token":"kjsemJjoEo"},{"candidatename":"Dennis Riddell","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"Dennis Patrick Riddell is the incumbent Republican member of the North Carolina House of Representatives for District\u202f64, encompassing parts of Alamance County including Elon, Burlington, Pleasant Hill and Mandale. He is seeking re\u2011election in the November\u202f3,\u202f2026 general election, after running unopposed in the March\u202f3,\u202f2026 Republican primary, which was cancelled\u30101\u2020L1-L5\u3011. The North Carolina House seat requires the officeholder to be at least 21 years old, a resident of the district for one year, and a qualified voter in the state\u30101\u2020L1-L3\u3011.\n\nRiddell was born on October\u202f21,\u202f1956, and earned a Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering from the California Maritime Academy (now California State University Maritime Academy)\u30104\u2020L13-L15\u3011. He later obtained a Master of Education in History from Bob Jones University\u30104\u2020L13-L15\u3011 and a Level\u202fII Thermographer certification from the Infraspection Institute in 2008\u30106\u2020L31-L33\u3011. He is married to Polly Jo Hankins, with whom he has eight children and several grandchildren\u301019\u2020L5-L9\u3011.\n\nBefore entering politics, Riddell served ten years in the U.S. Naval Reserve, rising to lieutenant before honorable discharge in 1988\u30104\u2020L21-L23\u3011. He spent 35\u202fyears as an engineering officer in the U.S. Merchant Marine (1978\u20112013)\u301019\u2020L13-L15\u3011 and taught high\u2011school social studies for seven years (1985\u20111992)\u301019\u2020L17-L19\u3011. He later founded FreedomIR Thermal Imaging (2008\u2011present) and the Heritage Stables Equestrian Facility (2004\u2011present)\u30106\u2020L35-L38\u3011\u301019\u2020L21-L23\u3011.\n\nRiddell was first elected to the North Carolina General Assembly in 2012 and has been re\u2011elected every two years since, most recently winning 62.69% of the vote in 2022 against Democrat Ron Osborne\u301010\u2020L1-L5\u3011 and 54.95% in 2024 against Democrat LeVon Barnes\u301014\u2020L1-L4\u3011. His legislative record includes leadership roles on key appropriations and regulatory committees. In the 2023\u20112024 session he served as Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee and Chair of both the Appropriations\u2011General Government Committee and the Regulatory Reform Committee, while also sitting on Education\u2011K\u201112, Election Law, Energy & Public Utilities, and Federal Relations & American Indian Affairs committees\u30101\u2020L9-L20\u3011. He has held similar positions in prior sessions dating back to 2013\u30101\u2020L21-L55\u3011.\n\nAmong his policy priorities, Riddell emphasizes low taxes, reduced regulatory burdens, and a balanced state budget, crediting these factors for North Carolina\u2019s strong economy\u301010\u2020L7-L11\u3011. He supports the current 12\u2011week abortion ban with exceptions up to 20\u202fweeks for rape and incest\u301014\u2020L5-L7\u3011, and backs Second Amendment protections and pro\u2011business legislation\u301014\u2020L1-L4\u3011. He also advocates for criminal code recodification to de\u2011criminalize entrepreneurial activity and for protecting children from sexual predators\u301015\u2020L9-L13\u3011.\n\nRiddell is active in his community, serving on the boards of the Piedmont Rescue Mission, the Alamance County Republican Party (former chair), and various civic groups such as the NRA, North Carolina Right to Life, and the Marine Engineers Beneficial Association\u301019\u2020L31-L38\u3011. He volunteers as a deacon and Sunday school teacher at Pleasant Hill Christian Church and coaches youth volleyball and 4\u2011H programs\u301019\u2020L27-L30\u3011.\n\nHis official legislative office is located at the Legislative Office Building, 300\u202fN. Salisbury St., Raleigh, NC\u202f27603\u20115925, with a district office at 6343\u202fBeale Rd., Snow Camp, NC\u202f27349\u30109\u2020L1-L4\u3011\u30109\u2020L5-L7\u3011. He can be reached by phone at 336\u2011222\u20111303 (main) or 919\u2011733\u20115905 (legislative)\u30109\u2020L5-L7\u3011\u301018\u2020L9-L11\u3011, and by email at Dennis.Riddell@ncleg.gov\u301018\u2020L12-L13\u3011.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Dennis Riddell - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Dennis_Riddell)\n- [4] [Dennis Riddell - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_Riddell)\n- [6] [Dennis Riddell's Biography](https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/biography/136288/dennis-riddell)\n- [9] [State Representative Dennis Riddell | BillTrack50](https://www.billtrack50.com/legislatordetail/17966)\n- [10] [Dennis Riddell reelected to NC House for District 64 - Elon News Network](https://www.elonnewsnetwork.com/article/2022/11/north-carolina-house-of-representatives-district-64-results)\n- [11] [Dennis Riddell](https://www.carolinajournal.com/people/dennis-riddell/)\n- [14] [Dennis Riddell elected North Carolina House of Representatives District 64 - Elon News Network](https://www.elonnewsnetwork.com/article/2024/11/dennis-riddell-elected-north-carolina-house-representatives-district-64)\n- [15] [Dennis Riddell | BallotReady](https://www.ballotready.org/people/dennis-riddell)\n- [16] [North Carolina State Rep. Dennis Riddell - Biography | LegiStorm](https://www.legistorm.com/person/bio/240986/Dennis_Patrick_Riddell.html)\n- [17] [North Carolina Representative Dennis Riddell - FastDemocracy](https://fastdemocracy.com/bill-search/nc/legislators/NCL000042/)\n- [18] [Contact Representative Dennis Riddell of North Carolina | Official Contact Information](https://sengov.com/states/north-carolina/dennis-riddell/)\n- [19] [Meet Dennis - Riddell for NC House Dist 64](https://riddell4nchouse64.com/about-dennis.php)\n- [20] [Dennis Riddell and Eric Henry square off in North Carolina state house District 64 race - Elon News Network](https://www.elonnewsnetwork.com/article/2020/10/alamance-county-district-64-race)","firstname":"Dennis","lastname":"Riddell","middlename":"Patrick","suffix":null,"token":"fcb4cd311b08b4fe"},"token":"5ymcF917Si"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":"state_representative","o.office":"state_house","office":"state_house","officedescription":"The Tennessee House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the state legislature, with 99 members elected from single-member districts to two-year terms. Representatives pass state laws, originate revenue bills, approve the state budget, and \u2014 with the Senate \u2014 confirm gubernatorial appointments and propose constitutional amendments.","officequalities":"- **Integrity** \u2014 Acts in the interest of constituents and the public good rather than for personal gain, and remains independent of undue influence from donors, lobbyists, and party leadership.\n- **Understanding of the constituency** \u2014 Grasps both the economic-development needs of the district and the day-to-day concerns of individual residents \u2014 safety, healthcare, education, infrastructure.\n- **Persuasion** \u2014 Engages, listens to, and persuades both fellow legislators and constituents. Can change minds and explain votes honestly.\n- **Legislative craft** \u2014 Reads, drafts, and amends statute with care. Understands how specific bill language translates to outcomes, and knows the body of law being modified.\n- **Coalition-building** \u2014 Finds common ground across partisan and factional lines, brokers compromises that hold, and forms working majorities even when consensus is hard to reach.","officeterm":2,"officetitle":"State Representative","partisan":1,"pgr":"general","quantity":1,"referendum":null,"source":null,"title":"Nc House Of Representatives District 064"}