{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Beth Helfrich","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"DEM","person":{"biography":"Nancy Elizabeth Gardner Helfrich filed as the Democratic candidate for NC House Of Representatives District 098 (Mecklenburg 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, Nancy Elizabeth Gardner Helfrich is a registered voter in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, registered since 1999 (27 years), with party affiliation listed as Democratic [1].\n\nThe voter file shows Nancy Elizabeth Gardner Helfrich's year of birth as 1981; 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 9 elections voted in since 2016, 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 Nancy Elizabeth Gardner Helfrich 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","firstname":"Nancy","lastname":"Helfrich","middlename":"Elizabeth Gardner","suffix":null,"token":"887d11035401bb9b"},"token":"b1K6Buf2a6jUemAM"},{"candidatename":"John Rhodes","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"John W. Rhodes is a Republican former member of the North Carolina House of Representatives who filed in December 2025 to run again for the House in the 2026 election, seeking to unseat Democratic incumbent Beth Gardner Helfrich in the 98th district [11].\n\nRhodes is a real\u2011estate broker and businessman based in Huntersville, North Carolina. The public record does not detail his formal education, but his professional background is in real\u2011estate brokerage and local business activities [11].\n\nHe first won election to the newly created 98th district in 2002, serving from January\u202f2003 until January\u202f2007. During his tenure, Rhodes was the first legislator to call for the resignation of Speaker Jim Black after ethics allegations, a stance that preceded Black\u2019s eventual resignation and conviction on state and federal charges [11]. In the 2006 Republican primary, Rhodes was defeated by future U.S. Senator Thom Tillis, ending his initial legislative service [11]. After leaving office, Rhodes attracted a petition to run as a write\u2011in candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2014, though that effort did not result in a ballot placement [11].\n\nHis 2026 campaign marks a return to state legislative politics, with the filing indicating a continued interest in representing his home district and addressing the concerns of his constituents. Specific policy positions for the upcoming race have not been detailed in the available sources [11].\n\n## Sources\n- [11] [John W. Rhodes - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_W._Rhodes)","firstname":"John","lastname":"Rhodes","middlename":"Walker","suffix":null,"token":"acb58f31db13c0e7"},"token":"yGCFjLU3oFCCZDxQ"}],"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 098"}