{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Darren Armstrong","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"Darren Armstrong is the Republican nominee for the North Carolina House of Representatives District\u202f79 in the November\u202f3,\u202f2026 general election. After winning the March\u202f3,\u202f2026 Republican primary with 52.3% of the vote (7,430 votes to incumbent Keith Kidwell\u2019s 6,779)\u30101\u2020L19-L24\u3011\u301019\u2020L1-L4\u3011, he will appear on the ballot as the party\u2019s candidate for a two\u2011year term in the state\u2019s lower chamber\u30106\u2020L1-L4\u3011. \n\nThe North Carolina House of Representatives is the lower house of the General Assembly; members serve two\u2011year terms, must be at least 21\u202fyears old, and must reside in the district they represent. District\u202f79 covers Beaufort, Hyde and Pamlico counties and part of Dare County\u30106\u2020L1-L4\u3011\u301020\u2020L1-L4\u3011. \n\nArmstrong was born in Hyde County and raised in the Ponzer community of the same county. He earned an associate\u2019s degree in Agricultural Business from North Carolina State University\u2019s Agricultural Institute in 1993\u30104\u2020L9-L12\u3011\u30109\u2020L9-L12\u3011. He has spent the better part of three decades as a co\u2011owner of Armstrong Farms, a multigenerational family operation that grows corn, soybeans, wheat and cotton for livestock feed and commercial markets\u30104\u2020L1-L5\u3011\u30108\u2020L1-L5\u3011. The farm has expanded over the years, incorporating land from his father\u2011in\u2011law and adding new acreage as it became available\u30104\u2020L6-L9\u3011. \n\nBeyond the farm, Armstrong has held a series of leadership roles in statewide and national agricultural organizations. He served on the grower advisory panel for Bayer, was elected chairman of the United States Grains Council (USGC) in 2019, and has chaired the Corn Board of North Carolina and the Hyde County Farm Bureau\u30104\u2020L13-L18\u3011\u30108\u2020L5-L9\u3011. He also sits on several local boards, including the Beaufort County Community College Board of Trustees, the Pungo Christian Academy Board of Directors (as chair), and the Hyde County Soil and Water Board\u30109\u2020L15-L22\u3011. \n\nArmstrong entered the political arena in late\u202f2025, filing to run for the District\u202f79 seat and announcing his candidacy in a December\u202f24 press release\u301011\u2020L1-L6\u3011. His campaign emphasizes protecting the region\u2019s \u201cagriculture, fishing and timber\u201d industries, expanding \u201cright\u2011to\u2011farm\u201d protections, supporting the 2nd\u202fAmendment, backing law\u2011enforcement, and advocating for parental\u2011choice education and lower taxes\u301013\u2020L9-L14\u3011\u301018\u2020L1-L5\u3011. He also calls for a shift from the \u201cpermanent continuation budget\u201d to a biennial budgeting process\u301018\u2020L6-L8\u3011. \n\nThe race attracted a high\u2011profile endorsement from North Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture Steve\u202fTroxler, who praised Armstrong\u2019s commitment to an annual Farm Act and \u201cright\u2011to\u2011farm\u201d legislation\u30109\u2020L23-L27\u3011. Armstrong\u2019s campaign website lists his contact email (contact@darrenarmstrong.com) and provides a suite of biographical details, including his family (wife Dawn and three sons) and his civic affiliations\u30101\u2020L31-L33\u3011\u30109\u2020L23-L30\u3011. With no Democratic challenger filed, the primary victory effectively secures the seat for Armstrong, who will be sworn in when the new General Assembly convenes in January\u202f2027\u301019\u2020L5-L7\u3011\u301020\u2020L1-L4\u3011.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Darren Armstrong - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Darren_Armstrong)\n- [2] [North Carolina elections, 2026 - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/North_Carolina_elections,_2026)\n- [3] [Building a family legacy by growing corn at Armstrong Farm](http://info.ncagr.gov/blog/2020/11/27/building-a-family-legacy-by-growing-corn-at-armstrong-farm/)\n- [4] [Building a family legacy by growing corn at Armstrong Farm | In the Field](https://blog.ncagr.gov/2020/11/27/building-a-family-legacy-by-growing-corn-at-armstrong-farm/)\n- [6] [2026 North Carolina House of Representatives election - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_North_Carolina_House_of_Representatives_election)\n- [7] [Darren Armstrong, North Carolina Farmer, Elected USGC ...](https://www.facebook.com/BrianAllmerRadioNetwork/posts/darren-armstrong-north-carolina-farmer-elected-usgc-chairman-at-cincinnati-meeti/2022919227812836/)\n- [8] [Who is Darren Armstrong?](https://www.thewashingtondailynews.com/news/headline-who-is-darren-armstrong-27e59cbb)\n- [9] [Meet Darren - Darren Armstrong for NC House](https://darrenarmstrong.com/meet-darren/)\n- [10] [Darren Armstrong for NC House District 79](https://darrenarmstrong.com/)\n- [11] [The Outer Banks Voice - Darren Armstrong formally announces for District 79 NC House seat](https://www.outerbanksvoice.com/2025/12/24/darren-armstrong-formally-announces-for-district-79-nc-house-seat/)\n- [13] [The Outer Banks Voice - It\u2019s Kidwell versus Armstrong in the NC House District 79 Republican contest](https://www.outerbanksvoice.com/2026/02/17/its-kidwell-versus-armstrong-in-the-house-district-79-republican-contest/)\n- [14] [2026 Williams Mullen NC Primary Election Update | Williams Mullen](https://www.williamsmullen.com/insights/news/legal-news/2026-williams-mullen-nc-primary-election-update)\n- [15] [What We Learned From North Carolina's 2026 Primaries](https://www.theassemblync.com/news/politics/elections/north-carolina-2026-primary-elections-takeaways/)\n- [16] [2026 North Carolina Elections: Early Filing Update - Albemarle Observer](https://albemarleobserver.news/2025/12/04/2026-north-carolina-elections-early-filing-update/)\n- [18] [Darren Armstrong \u2013 Candidate for North Carolina House of Representativ...](https://www.thecoastlandtimes.com/news/darren-armstrong-candidate-for-north-carolina-house-of-representatives-district-79-ef15497d/)\n- [19] [Armstrong unseats Kidwell in primary; tax sales tax referendum fails | Ocracoke Observer](https://ocracokeobserver.com/2026/03/04/armstrong-unseats-kidwell-in-primary-tax-referendum-fails/)\n- [20] [Armstrong wins GOP primary for District 79 seat, will head to General Assembly](https://wcti12.com/news/local/armstrong-wins-gop-primary-for-district-79-seat-will-head-to-general-assembly)","firstname":"Darren","lastname":"Armstrong","middlename":"Keith Sawyer","suffix":null,"token":"a4ce2180bf858170"},"token":"lmsfcgOFQG7W3Wnm"},{"candidatename":"Keith Kidwell","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nKeith D. Kidwell was a four-term Republican incumbent representing NC House District 79, which covers Beaufort, Hyde, Pamlico, and part of Dare County. He was defeated in the March 3, 2026 Republican primary by challenger Darren Armstrong, who received more than 53 percent of the vote.\n\nKidwell was a leading figure in the NC House Freedom Caucus and consistently advocated for fiscally conservative and socially conservative positions throughout his tenure.\n\n## Background and education\nKidwell was born June 21, 1961. He attended Passaic High School in New Jersey, studied Business Management and Computer Programming at William Paterson College in Paterson, NJ, and later completed coursework in Accounting and Business at Beaufort County Community College.\n\n## Career\nKidwell spent nine years in retail warehousing and international distribution with several Fortune 100 companies, and two years in food service sales management. For approximately 40 years he operated H&R Block offices in Washington, NC and New Jersey as a manager and franchise owner. He is an Enrolled Agent licensed by the US Department of Treasury to represent taxpayers before the IRS in all 50 states. He teaches at Beaufort County Community College and serves on its Business and Accounting Advisory Board. He was first elected to the NC House in 2019 and has been rated the most conservative member of the General Assembly each year he served.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Representative Keith Kidwell \u2013 Biography, NC General Assembly](https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/Biography/H/749)\n- [2] [Beaufort County GOP incumbent defeated in House primary \u2013 WITN](https://www.witn.com/2026/03/05/beaufort-county-gop-incumbent-defeated-house-primary/)\n- [3] [NC House Freedom Caucus leader faces primary challenge \u2013 WUNC](https://www.wunc.org/politics/2025-12-29/nc-house-freedom-caucus-keith-kidwell-primary-republican-darren-armstrong)\n","firstname":"Keith","lastname":"Kidwell","middlename":"D","suffix":null,"token":"e8ed195d784208d2"},"token":"w1SLIS50P5b-Yp3N"}],"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 079"}