{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Cheryl Caulfield","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nCheryl Ann Caulfield ran as a Republican for the North Carolina State Senate District 18 seat, covering Wake and Granville counties, in the March 3, 2026 primary election. She was endorsed by State Auditor Dave Boliek and Rep. Erin Par\u00e9 but lost the Republican primary to Chris Stock. Caulfield has served on the Wake County Public School System Board of Education representing District 1 since assuming office on December 6, 2022.\n\nDuring her state senate campaign, Caulfield highlighted her support for Opportunity Scholarship private school vouchers, a crackdown on youth vaping, and limitations on increases in home property tax valuations.\n\n## Background and education\nCaulfield earned a bachelor's degree from the Fashion Institute of Technology in 1988, concentrating in Interior Design with additional coursework in Business Management.\n\n## Career\nCaulfield's career has included work as a senior mortgage analyst and as a small business owner. She was elected to the Wake County Public School System Board of Education in November 2022, defeating incumbent Ben Clapsaddle. She later co-founded a North Carolina school board coalition.\n\nCaulfield has been active in Wake County Public Schools since her sons began pre-school, volunteering with students, teachers, the PTA, and school events.\n\n## Family\nCaulfield lives in Wake Forest with her husband and their two teenage sons, both of whom attend high school in the Wake County Public School System.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [About \u2013 Cheryl 4 NC](https://www.cheryl4nc.com/about)\n- [2] [Six downballot NC primaries worth watching \u2013 WUNC](https://www.wunc.org/politics/2026-02-24/downballot-nc-primaries-worth-watching)\n- [3] [Cheryl Caulfield \u2013 Carolina Journal](https://www.carolinajournal.com/people/cheryl-caulfield/)\n","firstname":"Cheryl","lastname":"Caulfield","middlename":"Ann","suffix":null,"token":"e8b218569f23fceb"},"token":"wt4omCYyL0mmIht8"},{"candidatename":"Chris Stock","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"Christopher Steven \"Chris\" Stock is the Republican candidate for North Carolina State Senate District 18 in the 2026 election, with the general election scheduled for November 3, 2026. The State Senate is the upper chamber of the North Carolina General Assembly, and each senator represents roughly 200,000 residents, crafting state law, approving the budget, and confirming certain executive appointments. Stock secured the Republican nomination by winning the March 3, 2026 primary, receiving 60.6% of the vote (7,629 votes) against Cheryl Caulfield\u2019s 39.4% (4,969 votes)\u30101\u3011.\n\nStock is a Wake Forest\u2011based attorney who has lived in North Carolina since his family moved from New Jersey in 2005. He grew up as the son of a small\u2011business owner and a substitute teacher and was the first in his family to graduate from college\u301019\u3011\u301017\u3011. After completing his undergraduate studies, he attended law school (the specific institution is not named in the sources) and gained early political experience by working in the office of former State Senator Brent Jackson, focusing on advocacy for special\u2011needs children\u2019s education\u301017\u3011. He later entered the public\u2011affairs sector and eventually founded his own law practice in Wake Forest\u301019\u3011. Currently, Stock serves as General Counsel for Kairos Government Affairs, advising clients on policy matters before the state legislature and agencies, with expertise in transportation, energy, and health\u2011care issues\u301017\u3011.\n\nIn his campaign, Stock emphasizes reducing the cost of living for residents. He proposes tax credits for first\u2011time homebuyers and small\u2011business owners, an expanded North Carolina child tax credit, and a freeze on property\u2011tax increases for seniors and veterans. He also pledges to eliminate taxes on tips and overtime, cut regulatory red tape, and invest in local infrastructure to spur economic growth in Granville and Wake counties. His platform further highlights public\u2011safety, education, and support for small\u2011business development as key priorities\u30101\u3011\u301010\u3011.\n\nBeyond his professional work, Stock volunteers with youth\u2011sports programs and participates in several local community organizations in Wake County\u301019\u3011. He describes his motivation for seeking office as a desire to apply his legislative knowledge and legal experience to deliver \u201cmeaningful change\u201d for constituents in northern Wake and Granville counties, positioning himself as a candidate who can navigate the legislative process from day one\u301019\u3011.\n\nIf elected, Stock would join the 50\u2011member Senate, where he would be expected to attend regular sessions, serve on committees, and represent the interests of his district\u2019s residents in the state\u2019s law\u2011making process. His background in law, public affairs, and community service aligns with the responsibilities of a state senator, which include drafting legislation, overseeing the state budget, and providing constituent services.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Chris Stock - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Chris_Stock)\n- [10] [Vote Chris Stock for North Carolina Senate](https://stockfornc.com/)\n- [16] [Chris Stock - Kairos Government Affairs LLC - Biography | LegiStorm](https://www.legistorm.com/person/bio/375825/Christopher_Stock.html)\n- [17] [General Counseling With Christopher Stock \u2014 Legistracker | Time-Saving State Legislative Bill Tracking Software](http://legistracker.squarespace.com/blog/general-counseling-with-christopher-stock)\n- [19] [Chris Stock enters NC Senate race, pledges focus on education, economy...](https://www.wakeweekly.com/news/chris-stock-enters-nc-senate-race-pledges-focus-on-education-economy-and-local-leadership-e0181dbe)","firstname":"Christopher","lastname":"Stock","middlename":"Steven","suffix":null,"token":"1de846ccc683de68"},"token":"MIob0uX4VdBdMVhF"}],"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 18"}