{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Norman Sanderson","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"Norman Wesley Sanderson\u202fJr. is the incumbent Republican State Senator for North Carolina\u2019s Senate District\u202f2, which covers Carteret, Craven and Pamlico counties. He began his current term on\u202fJanuary\u202f1,\u202f2025 and is on the ballot for re\u2011election in the November\u202f3,\u202f2026 general election; the Republican primary was cancelled [1].  North Carolina senators serve two\u2011year terms, must be at least 25 years old, a qualified voter, and have lived in the state for two years and in the district for one year prior to election; they earn a salary of $13,951 per year plus a $104 per\u2011day per diem [2].\n\nBorn July\u202f7,\u202f1951, Sanderson earned a B.A. in Christian education from Logos University in\u202f2002 [1].  Before entering politics he worked as a sheriff\u2019s deputy, owned a real\u2011estate business, and has run small\u2011business enterprises for more than two decades, including the Kids Heaven School\u2011Age Care Center [1].\n\nSanderson first won elective office in the North Carolina House of Representatives, serving the 3rd House district from\u202fJanuary\u202f2011 to\u202fJanuary\u202f2013 [12].  He was elected to the State Senate in\u202f2012 and has represented District\u202f2 (with a brief stint in the 1st district during the 2023\u20112025 session) continuously since\u202fJanuary\u202f2013 [12].  Throughout his Senate career he has held numerous leadership positions, most recently chairing the Agriculture, Energy, and Environment Committee and the Appropriations on Agriculture, Natural and Economic Resources Committee for the 2025\u20112026 session [1].  He also serves on the Senate Appropriations on Justice and Public Safety Committee, the Appropriations/Base Budget Committee, the Education/Higher Education Committee, the Senate Judiciary Committee, and the Rules and Operations of the Senate Committee [1].\n\nLegislatively, Sanderson has focused on agricultural policy, budgetary matters, and public safety.  In 2021 he introduced a bill to prohibit gender\u2011confirmation surgery for individuals under 21 and to require state employees to notify parents of children displaying gender nonconformity, reflecting his stance on LGBTQ+ issues [12].  He has also been appointed to the North Carolina Military Affairs Commission, representing the Marine Corps Air Station at Cherry Point and advocating for military\u2011community interests [7].\n\nIn October\u202f2025 Sanderson was arrested on a DWI charge with a reported blood\u2011alcohol level of 0.16; he described the incident as a \u201cregrettable mistake\u201d and the case received local media coverage [12][15][16].  Despite the controversy, he remains the Republican nominee for 2026 and continues to campaign from his official website, normansanderson.com [12].\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Norman Sanderson - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Norman_Sanderson)\n- [2] [North Carolina State Senate District 2 - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/North_Carolina_State_Senate_District_2)\n- [7] [The Honorable Norman Sanderson | DMVA](https://www.milvets.nc.gov/nc-mac/commission-members/honorable-norman-sanderson)\n- [10] [Senator Norman W. Sanderson - Biography - North Carolina General Assembly](https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/Biography/s/375)\n- [11] [2026 North Carolina Senate election - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_North_Carolina_Senate_election)\n- [12] [Norman W. Sanderson - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_W._Sanderson)\n- [15] [Norman Sanderson, a North Carolina State Senator who ...](https://www.facebook.com/wcti12/posts/norman-sanderson-a-north-carolina-state-senator-who-represents-enc-was-arrested-/1248072397352131/)\n- [16] [Norman Sanderson has served in the North Carolina ...](https://www.facebook.com/WFMYNews2/posts/norman-sanderson-has-served-in-the-north-carolina-general-assembly-since-2013/1241302848040768/)\n- [17] [North Carolina State Sen. Norman Sanderson - Biography | LegiStorm](https://www.legistorm.com/person/bio/192898/Norman_Wesley_Sanderson_Jr_.html)\n- [18] [State Senator Norman Sanderson | BillTrack50](https://www.billtrack50.com/legislatordetail/4980)\n- [20] [Norman Sanderson - North Carolina Candidate - Transparency USA](https://www.transparencyusa.org/nc/candidate/norman-sanderson)","firstname":"Norman","lastname":"Sanderson","middlename":"Wesley","suffix":"JR","token":"958919768ac3b6de"},"token":"3eU8dAUqVy"},{"candidatename":"Roy Surrett","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"DEM","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nWilliam Roy Surrett (listed on the ballot as \"Roy Surrett\") is a Democratic candidate for NC Senate, District 2, according to the North Carolina State Board of Elections' 2026 candidate filing list [1]. William filed for candidacy on December 19, 2025, for a multi-county northeastern North Carolina district including Carteret, Chowan, Halifax, and Hyde Counties [1]. The race appears on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot [1].\n\n## Background\nAccording to the North Carolina voter file, William Roy Surrett is a registered voter in Carteret County, North Carolina, registered since 2025 (1 years), with party affiliation listed as Democratic [2]. The voter file shows William Roy Surrett's year of birth as 1963; NC publishes only the year of birth in its bulk voter export, so day and month are not part of the public record [2]. The voter history file shows 2 elections voted in since 2025, most recently the 2026-03-03 primary [3].\n\nThis biography draws on the North Carolina State Board of Elections' candidate filing records and the state's public voter registration and history files. No additional published biographical information (news coverage, a campaign website, or a Ballotpedia profile) was located. Voters with personal knowledge of William Roy Surrett can reach ballotproject.org with corrections or additions.\n\n## Sources\n[1] North Carolina State Board of Elections, 2026 Candidate Filing List (bulk CSV), accessed 2026-07-21 -- https://s3.amazonaws.com/dl.ncsbe.gov/Elections/2026/Candidate%20Filing/Candidate_Listing_2026.csv\n[2] [North Carolina State Board of Elections - Voter Search](https://vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup/)\n[3] North Carolina State Board of Elections voter history file (`ncvhis_Statewide`), published at [dl.ncsbe.gov](https://dl.ncsbe.gov/)","firstname":"William","lastname":"Surrett","middlename":"Roy","suffix":null,"token":"488f7785d0329fff"},"token":"q5k3oiP5e2"}],"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 02"}