{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Mark Pless","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nSteven Mark \"Mark\" Pless is the outgoing Republican member of the North Carolina House of Representatives for District 118, covering Haywood and Madison counties, a seat he has held since 2021 [1]. Pless lost the March 3, 2026 Republican primary to Jimmy Rogers and will not appear on the November 3, 2026 general-election ballot; his current term runs through January 1, 2027 [1].\n\n## Career\nPless's career experience includes working as a paramedic and as an insurance agent with the N.C. Farm Bureau [1].\n\n## Office history\nPless was first elected to House District 118 in November 2020 and won re-election in 2022 and 2024 [1].\n\n## Legislative record and accomplishments\nDuring the 2023\u20132024 session, Pless served on the Appropriations Committee, the House Appropriations on Health and Human Services Committee, the Wildlife Resources Committee, and the Disaster Recovery and Homeland Security Committee, and as vice chair of the Federal Relations and American Indian Affairs Committee [1].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Mark Pless - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Mark_Pless) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-21\n\n[2] [North Carolina State Board of Elections, 2026 Candidate Filing List](https://s3.amazonaws.com/dl.ncsbe.gov/Elections/2026/Candidate%20Filing/Candidate_Listing_2026.csv) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-21","firstname":"Steven","lastname":"Pless","middlename":"Mark","suffix":null,"token":"625d15c0fee09fc8"},"token":"XvXOZidEkNQmQ2C9"},{"candidatename":"James M. (Jimmy) Rogers","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nJimmy Rogers (Republican Party), legal name James McClain Rogers, is a candidate for North Carolina House District 118 (Haywood and Madison counties), facing Danny Davis (D) in the November 3, 2026 general election [1][2]. Rogers defeated incumbent Republican state representative Mark Pless, 54.7% to 45.3% (4,965 to 4,110 votes), in the March 3, 2026 Republican primary [1].\n\n## Background\nRogers currently serves on the Haywood County Schools Board of Education, representing the Clyde district [1].\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Jimmy Rogers - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Jimmy_Rogers_(North_Carolina)) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-20\n- [2] [North Carolina State Board of Elections 2026 Candidate Filing List (CSV)](https://s3.amazonaws.com/dl.ncsbe.gov/Elections/2026/Candidate%20Filing/Candidate_Listing_2026.csv) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-20","firstname":"James","lastname":"Rogers","middlename":"Mcclain","suffix":null,"token":"e28540d26fff187b"},"token":"8FLRUNIeXjLfnEDf"}],"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 118"}