{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Eddie Settle","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"Eddie D. Settle is the incumbent Republican State Senator for North Carolina\u2019s 36th Senate district, which includes Alexander, Surry, Wilkes and Yadkin counties. He is on the ballot for re\u2011election in the November\u202f3,\u202f2026 general election, having advanced automatically after the March\u202f3,\u202f2026 primary was cancelled\u202f[1].\n\nThe North Carolina Constitution requires state senators to be at least 25 years old, a qualified voter, and to have lived in the state for two years and in the district for one year before election; senators serve two\u2011year terms with no term limits and receive a salary of $13,951 per year plus a $104 per\u2011diem\u202f[2].\n\nBorn in Wilkes County, Settle graduated from East\u202fWilkes High School in 1978 and earned an associate degree in business from Wilkes Community College in 1979\u202f[1][9]. He entered the family\u2011owned Nu\u2011Line Printing, Inc. after college, later purchasing the business from his father in 1994, and founded the Settle Cattle Company in 1990\u202f[1][17].\n\nSettle began his public service as a Wilkes County commissioner in 2012, serving three consecutive terms. During his tenure he was chairman for four years and vice\u2011chairman for three, and sat on the Wilkes County Economic Development Corporation board and the county airport board\u202f[1][19]. He was also appointed to the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC), chairing its Agriculture Steering Committee for six years and later its Environmental Steering Committee\u202f[1][17].\n\nIn the 2022 election, Settle won the newly created Senate District\u202f36 seat unopposed and was sworn in on January\u202f1,\u202f2023\u202f[1][9]. He was re\u2011elected in 2024, defeating Democrat Darren Staley with 79\u202f% of the vote (88,102 votes)\u202f[1]. In the 2025\u20112026 legislative session he served on several committees, including as Chair of the Commerce and Insurance Committee and member of the Agriculture, Energy and Environment, Appropriations on Agriculture, Natural and Economic Resources, Health Care, Transportation and State and Local Government committees\u202f[1].\n\nSettle\u2019s campaign platform emphasizes low taxes, limited government spending, and support for small\u2011business growth. He opposes tax increases, advocates for second\u2011amendment rights, and is pro\u2011life, having led a county resolution designating Wilkes County a \u201chaven for the unborn\u201d\u202f[17][20]. He supports expanding access to two\u2011year college degrees for high\u2011school graduates, opposes the teaching of Critical Race Theory, and promotes agricultural and environmental initiatives such as improving cattle markets and water\u2011quality programs\u202f[17][20].\n\nOverall, Settle\u2019s record combines business ownership, extensive county\u2011level leadership, and two years of state\u2011legislative experience, positioning him as a seasoned Republican candidate seeking a second term in the North Carolina Senate.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Eddie Settle - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Eddie_Settle)\n- [2] [North Carolina State Senate District 36 - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/North_Carolina_State_Senate_District_36)\n- [3] [Darren Staley - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Darren_Staley)\n- [4] [North Carolina elections, 2026 - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/North_Carolina_elections,_2026)\n- [6] [Senator Eddie D. Settle - Biography - North Carolina General Assembly](https://www3.ncleg.gov/Members/Biography/S/446)\n- [7] [Senate Members 2025-2026 Session - North Carolina General Assembly](https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/MemberList/s)\n- [8] [Candidate Lists | NCSBE](https://www.ncsbe.gov/results-data/candidate-lists)\n- [9] [Eddie Settle - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Settle)\n- [10] [2026 North Carolina Senate election - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_North_Carolina_Senate_election)\n- [12] [Candidate Profiles \u2013 NC Voter Guide](https://ncvoterguide.org/profiles/)\n- [13] [Eddie Settle for NC Senate | Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/settleforsenate/)\n- [14] [See the full list of candidates running in North Carolina's ...](https://www.facebook.com/thecharlotteobserver/posts/see-the-full-list-of-candidates-running-in-north-carolinas-2026-electionsread-mo/1306299098202723/)\n- [16] [State Senator Eddie Settle | BillTrack50](https://www.billtrack50.com/legislatordetail/28095)\n- [17] [Senator Eddie Settle Official Campaign Website](https://www.eddiesettle.com/)\n- [18] [North Carolina State Sen. Eddie Settle - Biography | LegiStorm](https://www.legistorm.com/person/bio/442634/Eddie_D_Settle.html)\n- [19] [Get to know Sen.-elect Eddie Settle - NC Tribune](https://nctribune.com/news/2022/jun/03/get-to-know-sen-elect-eddie-settle/)\n- [20] [ABOUT - Official Campaign: Eddie Settle for Senate](https://www.eddiesettle.com/about-eddie-settle/)","firstname":"Eddie","lastname":"Settle","middlename":"Dean","suffix":null,"token":"93199b12f214137e"},"token":"TLKimGZHY8"},{"candidatename":"Trevor Cole Hardwick","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"DEM","person":{"biography":"Trevor Cole Hardwick is the Democratic nominee for the North Carolina State Senate in District 36 in the November 3, 2026 general election. The Democratic primary scheduled for March 3, 2026, was canceled, and Hardwick advanced without appearing on the primary ballot, setting him up to face incumbent Republican Senator Eddie Settle in the general election [1].\n\nPublicly available sources do not provide details about Hardwick\u2019s education, professional background, or prior elected experience. The Ballotpedia entry lists only his candidacy and contact information, with no biographical narrative beyond his name and party affiliation.\n\nSimilarly, there is no information on Hardwick\u2019s career history, policy positions, or campaign platform in the sources consulted. The lack of a completed Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey means that voters currently have limited insight into his legislative priorities or prior public service.\n\nHardwick\u2019s campaign contact information includes an email address, trevcolehard@gmail.com, which is offered as a way for constituents and media to reach him. No phone number, campaign website, or official portrait image is provided in the sources. The only images on the Ballotpedia page are generic logos and a placeholder silhouette, not a candidate photograph.\n\nGiven the limited data, voters seeking more information should consider reaching out directly via the provided email or monitoring future updates to the Ballotpedia profile and official filing records for additional details.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Trevor Hardwick](https://ballotpedia.org/Trevor_Hardwick)\n- [13] [Candidate Profiles \u2013 NC Voter Guide](https://ncvoterguide.org/profiles/)\n- [14] [North Carolina Democratic Voting Guide with Endorsements for Voters](https://bluevoterguide.org/state/north-carolina)\n- [15] [Results from 2026 Candidate Filing - Carolina Forward](https://carolinaforward.org/blog/results-from-2026-candidate-filing/)","firstname":"Trevor","lastname":"Hardwick","middlename":"Cole","suffix":null,"token":"1595432d5e80ce07"},"token":"oMU9UWmLxV"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":"state_senator","o.office":"state_senate","office":"state_senate","officedescription":"The Tennessee Senate is the upper chamber of the state legislature, with 33 members elected from single-member districts to four-year terms. Senators pass state laws, approve the state budget, confirm certain gubernatorial appointments, and \u2014 with the House \u2014 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 Senator","partisan":1,"pgr":"general","quantity":1,"referendum":null,"source":null,"title":"Nc State Senate District 36"}