{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"LaKeshia M. Alston","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"Lakeshia Mashonda Ruddi Alston is the Republican nominee for North Carolina State Senate District 22 in the November\u202f3,\u202f2026 general election. The North Carolina State Senate is the upper chamber of the state legislature; senators serve two\u2011year terms and must satisfy the state\u2019s constitutional qualifications for office, including age, residency, and voter registration requirements [1].\n\nAlston was born and raised in Durham, where she has been a registered voter since at least 2004. For more than a decade she voted in Democratic primaries, casting ballots for Democratic candidates in 2012, 2015 and again in the 2024 election cycle. In late 2025 she switched her party affiliation and filed as a Republican for the State Senate race, a move she described as a personal evolution and a \u201cmaturation\u201d toward the Republican Party\u2019s values [17][20].\n\nHer candidacy attracted national attention because her campaign photo showed her wearing a niqab, a full-face veil worn by some Muslim women. The image circulated widely on social media and prompted discussion about her religious background, political history, and policy positions. In interviews with the Daily Caller and other outlets, Alston emphasized her support for immigration enforcement (referring to ICE) and expressed alignment with former President Donald Trump\u2019s tariff policies, while also noting that critics sometimes framed skepticism about her candidacy in racial terms [20][16].\n\nAlston\u2019s path to the GOP nomination was unopposed. She filed with the Durham County Board of Elections just two days before the filing deadline, and because no other Republican filed for District\u202f22, the party\u2019s primary was canceled under state law, automatically making her the Republican nominee [1][16][18]. The district, which includes parts of Durham, leans heavily Democratic; incumbent Democrat Sophia\u202fChitlik won the Democratic primary with 65.6% of the vote and will face Alston in the November contest [1].\n\nBeyond the campaign, Alston\u2019s public record includes a background as the daughter of a Vietnam\u2011era Army veteran and a professional history that has not yet included elected office. She has not completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey, but the site lists a campaign\u2011related email address (alstonlakeshia0@gmail.com) for voter outreach [1]. Her campaign materials and public statements suggest a focus on \u201csubstance over style,\u201d positioning herself as a qualified candidate despite questions from local GOP leaders about her alignment with the party platform [20].\n\nAlston\u2019s candidacy exemplifies the dynamics of North Carolina\u2019s open primary system, where voters can switch party affiliation at filing, and highlights the scrutiny candidates may face when their prior voting history diverges from their current party label. The upcoming November election will determine whether her party switch and unconventional campaign imagery can overcome the district\u2019s Democratic lean.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Lakeshia Alston - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Lakeshia_Alston)\n- [5] [Lakeshia Alston, a lifelong Democrat, has won the ...](https://www.facebook.com/77WABC/posts/lakeshia-alston-a-lifelong-democrat-has-won-the-republican-primary-for-district-/1508124011320966/)\n- [6] [MAGA WAKE UP: Meet Lakeshia Alston, the \"Republican\" ...](https://www.facebook.com/shane.morgan.50702/videos/maga-wake-up-meet-lakeshia-alston-the-republican-candidate-for-north-carolina-st/1506282590445628/)\n- [7] [LaKeshia Alston, a former #Democrat, secured the # ...](https://www.facebook.com/TheNCBeat/posts/lakeshia-alston-a-former-democrat-secured-the-republican-nomination-for-nc-senat/1497622181929905/)\n- [8] [Meet Lakeshia Alston, the \"Republican\" candidate for North ...](https://www.facebook.com/shane.morgan.50702/posts/maga-wake-up-meet-lakeshia-alston-the-republican-candidate-for-north-carolina-st/25676341501960386/)\n- [12] [Lakeshia Alston, the woman running for election as a ...](https://www.facebook.com/PatriotOneNews/posts/breaking-lakeshia-alston-the-woman-running-for-election-as-a-republican-in-north/940524471824387/)\n- [14] [Durham County Board of Elections on X: \"2026 Statewide Primary and Election Candidate Filing Update: December 17, 2025 - Lakeshia M. Alston filed for N.C. Senate District 22. https://t.co/M922piRNvU\" / X](https://x.com/dcovotes/status/2001412378995442007)\n- [15] [UPDATE: According to voter research history, this woman ...](https://www.facebook.com/TheNCBeat/posts/update-according-to-voter-research-history-this-woman-is-a-longtime-democrat-but/1443491514009639/)\n- [16] [Niqab-Wearing Muslim Woman Who Voted for Democrats in 2024 Becomes North Carolina\u2019s GOP](https://newsbeyonddetroit.net/2026/03/04/niqab-wearing-muslim-woman-who-voted-for-democrats-in-2024-becomes-north-carolinas-gop/)\n- [17] [LaKeshia Alston Wins Republican Primary For NC Senate District 22, Will Face Sophia Chitlik](https://thencbeat.com/lakeshia-alston-nc-senate-district-22-republican/)\n- [18] [Unopposed Candidate Wearing Niqab Becomes GOP Nominee for North Carolina State Senate Seat \u2013 [your]NEWS](https://yournews.com/2026/03/04/6593506/unopposed-candidate-wearing-niqab-becomes-gop-nominee-for-north-carolina/)\n- [19] [Niqab-Wearing Muslim Woman Who Voted for Democrats in 2024 Becomes North Carolina's GOP State Senate Nominee After Running Unopposed | The Gateway Pundit | by Anthony Scott](https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/03/niqab-wearing-muslim-woman-who-voted-democrats-2024/)\n- [20] [Are progressives strategically running in NC GOP primaries?](https://www.carolinajournal.com/are-progressives-strategically-running-in-nc-gop-primaries/)","firstname":"Lakeshia","lastname":"Alston","middlename":"Mashonda Ruddie","suffix":null,"token":"7b8124c5186bbc2b"},"token":"BgMYwb2-nlW9-bdf"},{"candidatename":"Sophia Chitlik","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"DEM","person":{"biography":"Sophia Chitlik is the incumbent Democratic State Senator for North Carolina\u2019s 22nd Senate district and is seeking re\u2011election in the November\u202f3,\u202f2026 general election.  North Carolina senators serve two\u2011year terms, must be at least 25 years old, a qualified voter, and have resided in the state for two years and in the district for one year before election\u202f[2].  Senators assume office on January\u202f1 following the election and earn a salary of $13,951 per year plus a $104 per\u2011day per diem\u202f[2].\n\nChitlik earned a Bachelor of Arts from New York University in 2011, graduating magna cum laude with a self\u2011designed major in Political Community Building\u202f[5][7].  She began her political career as a field organizer for Barack Obama\u2019s 2008 presidential campaign, leading general\u2011election operations in Loudoun County, Virginia\u202f[5][13].  After the campaign she served as a young presidential appointee in the Obama administration, working in the U.S. Department of Labor and later in the White House\u202f[5][17].\n\nLeaving federal service, Chitlik moved to Durham, North Carolina in 2017.  She became chief operating officer of The Future Project, an education\u2011focused nonprofit, overseeing an $11\u202fmillion budget and driving rapid growth\u202f[5][17].  She later worked as a strategic\u2011planning consultant, investor, and fractional chief operating officer for a range of community\u2011based organizations, focusing on women\u2011owned businesses, maternal health, and social\u2011impact ventures\u202f[5][7][13].  She co\u2011founded Aya Birth & Community Wellness, a Black\u2011owned birth center, and helped launch Tend, a pregnancy\u2011support company\u202f[5][17].\n\nIn the 2024 election cycle Chitlik defeated three\u2011term incumbent Mike Woodard in the Democratic primary with 57.6\u202f% of the vote and won the general election with 86\u202f% against Libertarian Ray\u202fUbinger\u202f[5][1].  She took office on January\u202f1,\u202f2025\u202f[1][5].  During her first term she served on the Appropriations on Education/Higher Education Committee, the Education/Higher Education Committee, and the Senate Judiciary Committee\u202f[1].  She sponsored over 100 bills, including an amendment on childcare that became law in 2025, and was the only freshman Democrat to have legislation signed that year\u202f[7][13].  Her legislative priorities, described as a \u201cPlatform of Care,\u201d focus on expanding public\u2011school access, affordable community\u2011college and apprenticeship programs, child\u2011care, women\u2019s reproductive rights, maternal\u2011health equity, affordable housing, and clean\u2011energy initiatives\u202f[8][14].\n\nChitlik\u2019s constituency work includes personally responding to more than 1,400 constituent emails in her first eleven months and assisting over 100 residents with issues ranging from immigration to TANF delays\u202f[13].  She has raised tens of thousands of dollars for the Senate Democratic Caucus and local nonprofits, and has secured $6\u202fmillion in funding for survivors of sexual assault and additional resources for North Carolina Central University and Durham Tech\u202f[13].\n\nShe resides in Durham with her husband, Ben\u202fAbram, an energy\u2011sector executive, and their son\u202f[5][17].  Chitlik is a member of the Jewish\u202fFor\u202fGood network, a recipient of its 2021 Young Leadership Award, and an active participant in her local synagogue\u202f[5][17].  She continues to serve on the boards of several community organizations, including NC Funders for Maternal Health and Narrow Bridge Fund\u202f[1].\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Sophia Chitlik - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Sophia_Chitlik)\n- [2] [North Carolina State Senate District 22 - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/North_Carolina_State_Senate_District_22)\n- [5] [Sophia Chitlik - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophia_Chitlik)\n- [7] [About - Sophia Chitlik for North Carolina Senate](https://sophiafornc.com/about/)\n- [8] [Sophia Chitlik for North Carolina State Senate](https://sophiafornc.com/)\n- [10] [Sophia for NC State Senate (@SophiaForNC)](https://www.facebook.com/SophiaForNC/)\n- [11] [State Senator Sophia Chitlik | BillTrack50](https://www.billtrack50.com/legislatordetail/29661)\n- [12] [Sophia Chitlik | BallotReady](https://www.ballotready.org/people/sophia-chitlik)\n- [13] [NC Senate District 22: Sophia Chitlik | 2026 Primary Candidates](https://indyweek.com/news/n-c-senate-district-22-sophia-chitlik-2026/)\n- [14] [Candidate Questionnaire: Sophia Chitlik, NC Senate District 22](https://indyweek.com/news/elections-news/candidate-questionnaire-sophia-chitlik-nc-senate-district-22/)\n- [17] [Sophia Chitlik | NC Senate Democratic Caucus](https://www.ncsenate.org/sophia-chitlik)\n- [19] [North Carolina State Sen. Sophia Chitlik - Biography | LegiStorm](https://www.legistorm.com/person/bio/516820/Sophia_Chitlik.html)","firstname":"Sophia","lastname":"Chitlik","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"cdf1c10209de9272"},"token":"oswV1CQl-7tayrpV"}],"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 22"}