{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Eric Bowles, Sr.","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"> **Editorial note \u2014 lost March 2026 primary.** Bowles placed 2nd of 2 Republican candidates in the March 3, 2026 primary for NC House District 28, receiving 862 votes (10.9%) to winner Larry C. Strickland's 7,056 votes (89.1%); Bowles will not appear on the November 3, 2026 general-election ballot [3].\n\nAccording to the North Carolina voter file, Eric Lee Bowles SR is a registered voter in Johnston County, North Carolina, registered since 1999 (27 years), with party affiliation listed as Republican [1].\n\nThe voter file shows Eric Lee Bowles SR's year of birth as 1968; NC publishes only the year of birth in its bulk voter export, so day and month are not part of the public record [1].\n\nThe voter history file shows 8 elections voted in since 2016, most recently the 2026-03-03 primary election [2].\n\nThis summary draws only from the public North Carolina voter registration and history records. No additional published biographical information was located. Voters with personal knowledge of Eric Lee Bowles SR can reach ballotproject.org with corrections or additions.\n\n## Sources\n[1] [North Carolina State Board of Elections \u2014 Voter Search](https://vt.ncsbe.gov/RegLkup/)\n\n[2] North Carolina State Board of Elections voter history file (`ncvhis_Statewide`), published at [dl.ncsbe.gov](https://dl.ncsbe.gov/)\n\n[3] [North Carolina State Board of Elections, March 3, 2026 Official Precinct-Level Results](https://s3.amazonaws.com/dl.ncsbe.gov/ENRS/2026_03_03/results_pct_20260303.zip) \u2014 NC House District 28 Republican primary, accessed 2026-07-24","firstname":"Eric","lastname":"Bowles","middlename":"Lee","suffix":"SR","token":"de6436bca5a47dd6"},"token":"uYicZgqiLob747Ev"},{"candidatename":"Larry C. Strickland","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"Larry Craig Strickland is the incumbent Republican member of the North Carolina House of Representatives for District\u202f28, a seat he has held since January\u202f1,\u202f2017 and will continue to hold through January\u202f1,\u202f2027 unless defeated in the upcoming 2026 election. As a state representative, he participates in the General Assembly\u2019s law\u2011making process, drafts and votes on legislation, and serves on multiple committees that shape the state budget, agricultural policy, education, and energy regulation, thereby representing the interests of constituents in southern Johnston County and surrounding areas [1][5][16].\n\nBorn on June\u202f7,\u202f1955, Strickland grew up on a tobacco farm in the Brogden community of Johnston County. He earned an Associate of Science from Wayne Community College and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Atlantic Christian College, preparing him for a career in business and public service [5]. Professionally, he is a real\u2011estate appraiser and farmer, co\u2011owning Strickland Brothers Farm, LLC, and operating Strickland Appraisal Services, LLC. Prior to his legislative career, he worked for the North Carolina Department of Transportation, retiring in 2016 as Assistant Manager of the Right\u2011of\u2011Way Unit [13][3].\n\nStrickland\u2019s public service began with education. He served on the Johnston County Board of Education from 1998 to 2016, including eight years as board chairman, and earlier chaired the Johnston County School Parent Advisory Board for four years. His involvement extends to local faith and civic groups: he sits on the Deacon Board and serves as treasurer of the Pine Level Free\u202fWill\u202fBaptist Church and is a member of the Pine Level Lions Club [13][5].\n\nIn the House, Strickland has held several leadership positions. For the 2023\u20112024 session he chairs the Appropriations Committee, serves as Vice Chair of the Appropriations on Agriculture and Natural and Economic Resources Committee, and sits on the Agriculture, Commerce, Education\u2011K\u201112, and Energy and Public Utilities committees. He previously chaired the Agriculture Committee and held vice\u2011chair roles on Appropriations and other key committees during earlier sessions, reflecting a focus on fiscal responsibility, agricultural development, and infrastructure [1].\n\nLegislatively, Strickland has sponsored and supported bills related to agriculture, transportation, energy, and education, aligning with his committee work and district priorities. He is recognized as a full Appropriations Chair in the General Assembly, a role that gives him significant influence over the state budget process [13].\n\nStrickland is seeking re\u2011election in the 2026 general election for House District\u202f28. He won the Republican primary on March\u202f3,\u202f2026 with 89.1% of the vote (7,042 votes) and will face Democratic challenger D.\u202fMatthew\u202fBailey on November\u202f3,\u202f2026 [1]. His campaign maintains a website at larrycstrickland.org, where supporters can volunteer and learn more about his platform [11].\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Larry Strickland - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Larry_Strickland)\n- [3] [Representative Larry C. Strickland - Biography - North Carolina General Assembly](https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/Biography/H/727)\n- [5] [Larry C. Strickland - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_C._Strickland)\n- [8] [Representative Larry Strickland (@LarryNCHouse28)](https://www.facebook.com/LarryNCHouse28/)\n- [10] [State Representative Larry Strickland | BillTrack50](https://www.billtrack50.com/legislatordetail/22299)\n- [11] [Larry Strickland | NC House 28](https://www.larrycstrickland.org/)\n- [13] [MEET LARRY | larrystrickland](https://www.larrycstrickland.org/biography)\n- [15] [Larry Strickland - North Carolina Candidate - Transparency USA](https://www.transparencyusa.org/nc/candidate/larry-strickland)\n- [16] [Larry C. Strickland | BallotReady](https://www.ballotready.org/people/larry-c-strickland-6efdfea0-584e-4781-ae53-26ac1ee2c416)\n- [18] [Larry Strickland - North Carolina House Republican Caucus](https://www.nchouserepublicans.com/members/larry-strickland/)\n- [19] [Larry Strickland \u2014 State Representative from North Carolina \u2014 85% Lifetime CPAC Rating](https://www.cpac.org/bio/nc-larry-strickland)\n- [20] [Larry C Strickland Campaign Committee - North Carolina Committee - Transparency USA](https://www.transparencyusa.org/nc/committee/larry-c-strickland-campaign-committee-sta-0h45pb-c-001-pac/contributions?cycle=2018-election-cycle&page=4)","firstname":"Larry","lastname":"Strickland","middlename":"Craig","suffix":null,"token":"ae7f1902688360e1"},"token":"SLwy2U_EY_0IaILB"}],"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 028"}