{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Benton Sawrey","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"Benton G. Sawrey is the incumbent Republican State Senator for North Carolina\u2019s 10th Senate District and is seeking re\u2011election in the November\u202f3,\u202f2026 general election.  He first won the Republican primary on March\u202f3,\u202f2026 with 84.8% of the vote and advanced to the general ballot alongside Democratic challenger Pat\u202fLeGrand and Libertarian Kevin\u202fTerrett\u30101\u2020L31-L41\u3011.  The North Carolina Constitution requires senators to be at least 25 years old, a qualified voter, and to have lived in the state for two years and in the district for one year before election\u30102\u2020L15-L20\u3011; Sawrey meets these qualifications.\n\nBorn and raised in Johnston County, Sawrey graduated from Smithfield\u2011Selma Senior High School in 2005.  He earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science and government from North Carolina State University in 2009 and a Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 2013\u30101\u2020L22-L27\u3011.  He is a practicing attorney who works with small\u2011business owners, farmers, and families on regulatory, tax, litigation, and transactional matters\u301015\u2020L31-L38\u3011.\n\nBefore his election, Sawrey served on the Board of Trustees of Johnston Community College, was president of the Downtown Smithfield Development Corporation, and treasurer of the Partnership for Children of Johnston County\u30101\u2020L28-L30\u3011.  He was first elected to the North Carolina Senate in the 2022 cycle and assumed office on January\u202f1,\u202f2023\u30101\u2020L9-L12\u3011.  In the 2025\u20112026 legislative session he chaired the Senate Appropriations on Health and Human Services Committee and served on the Appropriations/Base Budget, Health Care, Judiciary, and Rules and Operations of the Senate committees\u30101\u2020L34-L38\u3011.\n\nDuring his first term Sawrey authored and sponsored legislation focused on reducing regulation, cutting taxes, expanding school\u2011choice options, and improving rural health care.  He voted to lower the state income\u2011tax rate by more than 50% in 2023 and has advocated for eliminating the personal income tax altogether\u301015\u2020L71-L78\u3011.  He has also co\u2011sponsored bills protecting farmland, increasing access to health\u2011care providers in rural areas, and expanding the Opportunity Scholarship program for school choice\u301015\u2020L84-L95\u3011.  His leadership on health\u2011care policy earned him the chairmanship of the Health and Human Services appropriations subcommittee.\n\nSawrey\u2019s campaign is supported by several conservative groups, including Americans for Prosperity\u2011North Carolina, the North Carolina Values Coalition, and the North Carolina Property Rights Fund\u301011\u2020L1-L9\u3011.  He emphasizes \u201climited government, economic freedom, and traditional Eastern North Carolina values\u201d in his public statements and campaign literature\u301015\u2020L1-L5\u3011.  His official campaign website is bentonsawrey.com, which lists his office at 86 Riverglade Drive, Clayton, NC, and a contact phone number of (919)\u202f413\u20110507\u301010\u2020L5-L9\u3011.\n\nIn addition to his legislative work, Sawrey continues to practice law as a partner with Narron\u202fWenzel, P.A., and remains active in local Republican Party leadership, having served as general counsel for the Johnston County Republican Party and volunteering as an intern for the state party in 2005\u301018\u2020L13-L20\u3011.  He is married to Beth, has two children, and identifies as a Methodist Christian\u30106\u2020L6-L9\u3011.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Benton Sawrey - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Benton_Sawrey)\n- [2] [North Carolina State Senate District 10 - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/North_Carolina_State_Senate_District_10)\n- [3] [Candidate Lists | NCSBE](https://www.ncsbe.gov/results-data/candidate-lists)\n- [4] [Senate Members 2025-2026 Session - North Carolina General Assembly](https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/MemberList/s)\n- [5] [Senator Benton G. Sawrey - Biography - North Carolina General Assembly](https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/Biography/s/445)\n- [6] [Benton Sawrey - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benton_Sawrey)\n- [7] [2026 North Carolina Senate election - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_North_Carolina_Senate_election)\n- [9] [iVoterGuide - Benton Sawrey iVoterGuide Profile](https://ivoterguide.com/candidate/65215/race/8463/election/869)\n- [10] [Vote-USA | Benton Sawrey | Candidate for State Senator District 10, North Carolina | March 3, 2026 North Carolina Republican Party State Primary](https://vote-usa.org/Intro.aspx?State=NC&Id=NCSawreyBentonGrey)\n- [11] [AFP-NC Announces Additional 2026 State Legislature Endorsements - Americans for Prosperity](https://americansforprosperity.org/press-release/afp-nc-announces-additional-2026-state-legislature-endorsements/)\n- [14] [Benton Sawrey (@SawreyforNC) / ...](https://x.com/sawreyfornc?lang=en)\n- [15] [Benton Sawrey for North Carolina State Senate in Johnston County - Committee to Elect Benton Sawrey](https://bentonsawrey.com/)\n- [16] [State Senator Benton Sawrey | BillTrack50](https://www.billtrack50.com/legislatordetail/28096)\n- [17] [Benton Sawrey Re-Elected to NC State Senate - Narron Wenzel, P.A.](https://narronwenzel.com/benton-sawrey-re-elected-to-nc-state-senate/)\n- [18] [Benton Sawrey - North Carolina Republican Senate Caucus](https://ncstatesenate.com/members/benton-sawrey/)\n- [19] [North Carolina State Sen. Benton Sawrey - Biography | LegiStorm](https://www.legistorm.com/person/bio/442628/Benton_G_Sawrey.html)\n- [20] [Benton Sawrey Elected Republican Candidate for North Carolina Senate District 10 Representing Johnston County - Narron Wenzel, P.A.](https://narronwenzel.com/benton-sawrey-elected-republican-candidate-for-north-carolina-senate-district-10-representing-johnston-county/)","firstname":"Benton","lastname":"Sawrey","middlename":"Grey","suffix":null,"token":"38b7b533ce10ace4"},"token":"V6JNlg7YEk9GNcEn"},{"candidatename":"Caitlin Marsh","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"**Caitlin Sara Nicole Marsh lost the March 3, 2026 Republican primary for NC State Senate District 10, placing 2nd of 2 candidates with 2,661 votes (15.2%); Benton Sawrey won the nomination with 14,903 votes (84.8%) [4].**\n\nCaitlin Sara Nicole Marsh filed as the Republican candidate for NC State Senate District 10 (Johnston counties) on December 5, 2025, according to the North Carolina State Board of Elections' 2026 candidate filing list [3].\n\nAccording to the North Carolina voter file, Caitlin Sara Nicole Marsh is a registered voter in Johnston County, North Carolina, registered since 2024 (2 years), with party affiliation listed as Republican [1].\n\nThe voter file shows Caitlin Sara Nicole Marsh's year of birth as 2000; 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 5 elections voted in since 2020, most recently the 2026-03-03 primary election [2].\n\nThis summary draws only from the public North Carolina voter registration and history records and the state's official candidate filing list. No additional published biographical information was located. Voters with personal knowledge of Caitlin Sara Nicole Marsh can reach ballotproject.org with corrections or additions.\n\n## Sources\n[1] [North Carolina State Board of Elections -- 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 -- 2026 Candidate Filing List](https://s3.amazonaws.com/dl.ncsbe.gov/Elections/2026/Candidate%20Filing/Candidate_Listing_2026.csv), accessed 2026-07-21\n\n[4] North Carolina State Board of Elections, March 3, 2026 primary election results (precinct-level canvass), published at dl.ncsbe.gov (https://s3.amazonaws.com/dl.ncsbe.gov/ENRS/2026_03_03/results_pct_20260303.zip)","firstname":"Caitlin","lastname":"Marsh","middlename":"Sara Nicole","suffix":null,"token":"4a08592d3e81be30"},"token":"Nyvx_MO20nU1OQgg"}],"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 10"}