{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Dennis A. Breen","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"DEM","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n\nDennis Arthur Breen is the Democratic nominee for the North Carolina House of Representatives District 17, which covers Brunswick County. The Democratic primary was canceled because he had no opponent [1]. He faces incumbent Republican Frank Iler in the November 3, 2026 general election [1]. Iler defeated Nia Moore 74.4% to 25.6% (8,385 to 2,888 votes) in the March 3, 2026 Republican primary [1][2].\n\n## Background and education\n\nPer his Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey, Breen earned a high school diploma from Saint Francis Preparatory School, a bachelor's degree from the State University of New York at Brockport in 1973, a graduate degree from SUNY Binghamton in 1977, and a law degree from the University of Dayton School of Law in 1982 [1].\n\n## Career\n\nBreen's campaign profile lists his career experience as working as a lawyer [1].\n\n## Sources\n\n- [1] [Dennis Breen (North Carolina) - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Dennis_Breen_(North_Carolina))\n- [2] NC State Board of Elections 2026 primary precinct-level results file, [dl.ncsbe.gov](https://s3.amazonaws.com/dl.ncsbe.gov/ENRS/2026_03_03/results_pct_20260303.zip)\n- [3] NC State Board of Elections 2026 Candidate Filing list, [dl.ncsbe.gov](https://s3.amazonaws.com/dl.ncsbe.gov/Elections/2026/Candidate%20Filing/Candidate_Listing_2026.csv)","firstname":"Dennis","lastname":"Breen","middlename":"Arthur","suffix":null,"token":"eca353624087bc6b"},"token":"tlhwXYSCy0"},{"candidatename":"Frank Iler","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"Frank Iler is the incumbent Republican candidate for the North Carolina House of Representatives, District 17, on the November 3, 2026 general ballot.  The North Carolina House requires members to meet the constitutional qualifications for state legislators \u2013 being at least 21 years old, a U.S. citizen, and a resident of the district for a minimum period before the election \u2013 and to file the appropriate paperwork with the State Board of Elections [4].\n\nBorn Francis Robertson Iler\u202fJr. on January\u202f10,\u202f1942, he earned a B.A. in business from Campbell University and spent much of his career as a businessman and accountant before retiring [1][9].  He lives in Oak Island (formerly listed in Calabash) in Brunswick County, North Carolina, and is active in his local Baptist church and community organizations such as the Boy Scouts and the Brunswick County Republican Party [10][11].\n\nIler entered the General Assembly in 2009 when he was appointed to fill the vacancy left by Bonner Stiller\u2019s resignation.  Since then he has been re\u2011elected every two years, most recently advancing from the March\u202f3,\u202f2026 Republican primary and filing for the 2026 general election to again represent District\u202f17, which covers Brunswick County and parts of the coastal region [1][9][15].\n\nDuring his tenure Iler has served on a wide range of committees, often in leadership roles.  He has been Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee, Chair of the Appropriations\u2011Transportation Committee, Chair of the Environment Committee, and Chair of the House Transportation Committee in recent sessions.  He has also sat on the Commerce, Education\u2011K\u201112, Election Law and Campaign Finance Reform, Marine Resources and Aquaculture, and Wildlife Resources committees, among others [1][12].\n\nIler\u2019s legislative record emphasizes low taxes, public safety, and conservative social policies.  According to his campaign website, he helped cut personal and corporate income tax rates, supported the enactment of voter\u2011ID requirements, and voted to override the governor\u2019s veto on bills restricting transgender participation in girls\u2019 sports and on the Parents\u2019 Bill of Rights.  He also backed the Illegal Alien Enforcement Act and championed the PFAS Pollution and Polluter Liability Act in 2025, securing funding for clean\u2011water and coastal\u2011protection projects in his district [11].\n\nOutside the legislature, Iler has held leadership positions within the Republican Party, serving as former chair of the 7th Congressional District Republican Party and the Brunswick County Republican Party, and he has been a member of the Brunswick Community College Board of Trustees.  He is an Eagle Scout and a deacon at Southport Baptist Church, reflecting long\u2011standing community involvement [10].\n\nIf elected to another term, Iler will continue to represent District\u202f17 in the North Carolina House, where he will be expected to legislate on matters ranging from budgeting and transportation to education and environmental protection, all while adhering to the constitutional qualifications and procedural rules governing state legislators.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Frank Iler - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Frank_Iler)\n- [4] [Representative Frank Iler - Biography - North Carolina General Assembly](https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/Biography/H/598)\n- [9] [Frank Iler - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Iler)\n- [10] [Meet Civic Sage - Vote Smart - Facts For All](https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/biography/112440/frank-iler-jr)\n- [11] [Frank Iler for N.C. House \u2013 Brunswick County, N.C.](https://ilerforhouse.com/)\n- [15] [Francis \"Frank\" Iler | BallotReady](https://www.ballotready.org/people/frank-iler)\n- [18] [North Carolina State Rep. Frank Iler - Biography | LegiStorm](https://www.legistorm.com/person/bio/192855/Francis_Robertson_Iler_Jr_.html)","firstname":"Francis","lastname":"Iler","middlename":"Robertson","suffix":"JR","token":"c75ee271c59c6a40"},"token":"wx6PCJB02O"}],"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 017"}