{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Mitchell Smith Setzer","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"Mitchell Smith Setzer is the incumbent Republican member of the North Carolina House of Representatives for District 89 and is seeking re\u2011election in the November\u202f3,\u202f2026 general election [1][5].  He has represented the district continuously since first taking office in 1999, and his current term runs until January\u202f1,\u202f2027 [1].  In the 2025\u20112026 legislative session he serves as House Speaker Pro Tempore, a senior leadership position that assists the Speaker in managing House business [5][9].\n\nSetzer earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of North Carolina\u2011Greensboro in 1987 and an Associate of Arts from Lees\u2011McRae College in 1985, as listed in his Vote\u00a0Smart biography [9].  He was born on March\u202f12,\u202f1965 in Catawba, North Carolina, where he continues to reside and maintains a family\u2011owned pipe\u2011manufacturing business, Smith\u202fSetzer &\u202fSons, Inc., where he serves as Vice President [1][5][9].\n\nDuring his more than two decades in the state House, Setzer has held a variety of committee assignments, often in senior roles.  He has chaired the Insurance Committee and the House Finance Committee, and served as Vice Chair of the Ethics Committee in multiple sessions.  Recent assignments (2023\u20112024) include the Energy and Public Utilities Committee, the Ethics Committee (Vice Chair), the House Finance Committee (Senior Chair), the Health Committee, the Insurance Committee (Chair), the Local Government Committee, and the UNC Board of Governors Nominations Committee [1].  Earlier sessions show a consistent focus on finance, insurance, ethics, health, and local government, reflecting his legislative priorities.\n\nSetzer\u2019s electoral record shows repeated success in the district.  He ran unopposed in several cycles (2008\u20112016) and won contested races in 2018, 2020, and 2024 with vote shares ranging from 73\u202f% to 76\u202f% against Democratic challenger Greg Cranford [7].  In the 2022 Republican primary he secured 57\u202f% of the vote, defeating two intra\u2011party challengers [7].  He advanced from the March\u202f3,\u202f2026 Republican primary and appears on the November ballot for another term [1].\n\nBeyond legislative duties, Setzer is recognized in his community for constituent services, such as providing state\u2011flag gifts for local celebrations, as noted in a 2022 Facebook post from a constituent who praised his responsiveness [17].  His professional background as a business executive informs his policy perspective on economic and regulatory matters.\n\nSetzer\u2019s official contact information includes a Raleigh capitol office at 16\u202fWest\u202fJones\u202fStreet, Room\u202f2204, and a mailing address at P.O.\u202fBox\u202f416, Catawba, NC\u202f28609.  Phone numbers listed for the office are 919\u2011733\u20114948 and 828\u2011241\u20113570 [19].  While a direct email address is not provided in the available sources, constituents can reach his office through the listed phone numbers or by mail.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Mitchell Setzer - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Mitchell_Setzer)\n- [5] [Representative Mitchell S. Setzer - Biography - North Carolina General Assembly](https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/Biography/H/149)\n- [7] [Mitchell S. Setzer - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitchell_S._Setzer)\n- [8] [iVoterGuide - Mitchell Smith Setzer iVoterGuide Profile](https://ivoterguide.com/candidate/2151/race/8441/election/1206)\n- [9] [Mitchell Setzer's Biography](https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/biography/21013/mitchell-setzer)\n- [10] [Mitchell Setzer's Campaign Finances - The Voter's Self Defense System - Vote Smart](https://votesmart.org/candidate/campaign-finance/21013/mitchell-setzer)\n- [12] [Vote Smart | Facts For All](https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/21013/mitchell-setzer)\n- [17] [Look what Mitchell Setzer did for us!! We were gifted with ...](https://www.facebook.com/100042339386325/posts/look-what-mitchell-setzer-did-for-us-we-were-gifted-with-the-north-carolina-stat/1710868970334399/)\n- [19] [State Representative Mitchell Setzer | BillTrack50](https://www.billtrack50.com/legislatordetail/949)\n- [20] [North Carolina State Rep. Mitchell Setzer - Biography | LegiStorm](https://www.legistorm.com/person/bio/192899/Mitchell_Smith_Setzer.html)","firstname":"Mitchell","lastname":"Setzer","middlename":"Smith","suffix":null,"token":"7ff65e9ad145ed65"},"token":"JOYt_2-EMURPrHi_"},{"candidatename":"Robert (Spider) Thompson","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"DEM","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nRobert \"Spider\" Thompson is the Democratic candidate for the North Carolina House of Representatives in District 89 (Catawba and Iredell counties) in the 2026 general election on November 3, 2026 [1][2]. The Democratic primary scheduled for March 3, 2026 was not needed, and Thompson advanced directly to the November ballot [2].\n\nThompson faces incumbent Republican Representative Mitchell Setzer, who won his party's nomination over Lisa Koperski with 86.2% of the vote in the Republican primary [1].\n\nBallotpedia's profile for Thompson does not provide additional biographical details such as education, professional background, or prior public service [1].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Robert Thompson (North Carolina) - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Robert_Thompson_(North_Carolina))\n[2] North Carolina State Board of Elections, 2026 Candidate Listing (NC House District 089, Catawba/Iredell counties) \u2014 https://s3.amazonaws.com/dl.ncsbe.gov/Elections/2026/Candidate%20Filing/Candidate_Listing_2026.csv, accessed 2026-07-20","firstname":"Robert","lastname":"Thompson","middlename":"Lloyd","suffix":null,"token":"e05f8bc81017b3ef"},"token":"dJQxoDglZRu0TBxB"}],"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 089"}