{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Ray Jeffers","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"DEM","person":{"biography":"Brannon Ray Jeffers is the incumbent Democratic member of the North Carolina House of Representatives for District\u202f2, which includes all of Person County and part of Durham County.  Under the North Carolina Constitution, a state representative must be at least 21\u202fyears old, a resident of the district for one year prior to election, and a qualified voter in the state; Jeffers meets these criteria and has served since assuming office on January\u202f1,\u202f2023 [11].\n\nJeffers was born in Person County, North Carolina, and grew up on a family farm.  He attended Person County Schools, Piedmont Community College, and earned a bachelor\u2019s degree from North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University, where he studied a field related to agriculture and nonprofit management [15].\n\nHis public\u2011service career began with a twelve\u2011year tenure on the Person County Board of Commissioners (2008\u20112020).  At age\u202f24, he became the youngest commissioner ever elected in North Carolina and later served as board chairman in 2020.  He also held leadership roles beyond the county, serving as president of the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (2013\u20112014)\u2014the first Person County official and the youngest in the organization\u2019s history\u2014and sitting on the board of the National Association of Counties for multiple terms [15].\n\nIn the 2022 election, Jeffers won the District\u202f2 House seat with 54.57\u202f% of the vote, defeating incumbent Republican Larry\u202fYarborough, and was re\u2011elected in 2024 [11].  During the 2023\u20112024 legislative session he serves on the Appropriations Committee, the Appropriations \u2013 Agriculture and Natural and Economic Resources subcommittee, the Agriculture Committee, the Local Government Committee, and the State Government Committee [11].  His legislative focus reflects his rural background: he advocates for broadband expansion, farmland preservation, economic development, and improvements to public education in his district and across the state [15].\n\nJeffers\u2019 professional experience includes farming and nonprofit administration, which inform his policy priorities on supporting rural economies and community services.  He continues to be an active voice for his constituents, participating in town halls and legislative initiatives aimed at enhancing connectivity and quality of life in Person and Durham counties.\n\n## Sources\n- [11] [Ray Jeffers - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Jeffers)\n- [15] [Ray Jeffers](https://grokipedia.com/page/Ray_Jeffers)\n- [20] [North Carolina State Rep. Ray Jeffers - Biography | LegiStorm](https://www.legistorm.com/person/bio/442599/Brannon_Ray_Jeffers.html)","firstname":"Brannon","lastname":"Jeffers","middlename":"Ray","suffix":null,"token":"9adce542a31ead9c"},"token":"IPm6La6IPsIy-FsT"}],"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 002"}