{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Carl Ford","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"Carl Lindsey Ford is the incumbent Republican State Senator for North Carolina\u2019s 33rd District and is on the ballot for re\u2011election in the November\u202f3,\u202f2026 general election.  The North Carolina Senate is the upper chamber of the General Assembly; senators serve two\u2011year terms, must be at least 25 years old, and must reside in the district they represent\u30101\u3011.\n\nBorn July\u202f11,\u202f1957 in Kannapolis, NC, Ford grew up in Rowan County and graduated from A.L.\u202fBrown High School.  He earned a textile certificate from Rowan Technical Community College and attended the North Carolina College of Textiles at Belmont\u301010\u3011\u301012\u3011.  He is an Eagle Scout and a lifelong member of the City Revival Church in Kannapolis.\n\nFord\u2019s early career was in manufacturing and entertainment.  From 1973\u20111982 he worked as a section man at Cannon\u202fMills in Kannapolis, then managed Frye\u2019s Roller\u202fRink in Concord.  In 1982 he entered radio, first as a manager at WRKB, later purchasing WRKB and WRNA in 1992 and forming Ford Broadcasting, a station that has earned multiple Golden Mic awards\u301010\u3011\u301020\u3011.\n\nHis public\u2011service r\u00e9sum\u00e9 began with local appointments: seven\u2011and\u2011a\u2011half years on the Rowan County Department of Social Services Board, two years on the Rowan County Planning Board, and service on the Rowan County Board of Commissioners from 2008\u20112012, including terms as Vice\u2011Chair and Chair.  He was named Rowan County Republican of the Year in 2007 and 2008\u301010\u3011.\n\nFord was elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives in 2012, representing the 76th District.  He served three terms (2013\u20112019) and chaired the Committee on State and Local Government for two sessions.  In 2018 he won election to the State Senate, assuming office on January\u202f1,\u202f2019, and has been re\u2011elected in 2020, 2022, and 2024.  He currently serves as the Senate Republican Joint Caucus Leader (2021\u2011present)\u30108\u3011\u301012\u3011.\n\nDuring his Senate tenure Ford has held numerous committee leadership positions.  He chairs the Appropriations Committee on General Government and Information Technology and the Pensions and Retirement and Aging Committee, and serves on the Finance, Rules and Operations, and State and Local Government committees, among others\u30101\u3011.  He has sponsored legislation on a range of issues, including SB\u202f22 (local act for the 33rd district), SB\u202f48 (access to sports and extracurriculars), SB\u202f91 (newborn safety devices), and SB\u202f227 (eliminating DEI in public education)\u30105\u3011.\n\nFord\u2019s platform emphasizes limited government, fiscal responsibility, and protecting what he describes as \u201cfamily values.\u201d  He highlights his business background, his record of supporting tax cuts and reduced regulation, and his leadership on expanding the state\u2019s Rainy\u2011Day Fund and other budgetary measures\u301011\u3011.  He is seeking another two\u2011year term to continue these priorities for District\u202f33.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Carl Ford (North Carolina) - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Carl_Ford_(North_Carolina))\n- [2] [Carl Ford - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Carl_Ford)\n- [3] [North Carolina elections, 2026 - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/North_Carolina_elections,_2026)\n- [4] [Senator Carl Ford - Biography - North Carolina General Assembly](https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/Biography/s/410)\n- [5] [Senator Carl Ford's Introduced Bills - North Carolina General Assembly](https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/IntroducedBills/S/410)\n- [6] [Senator Carl Ford - Biography - North Carolina General Assembly](https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/Biography/S/410)\n- [8] [Carl Ford (politician) - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Ford_(politician))\n- [9] [2026 North Carolina Senate election - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_North_Carolina_Senate_election)\n- [10] [Meet Carl \u2014 Carl Ford](https://www.votecarlford.com/meet-carl)\n- [11] [Carl Ford](https://www.votecarlford.com)\n- [12] [Vote Smart | Facts For All](https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/biography/114823/carl-ford)\n- [13] [Senator Carl Ford (@SenatorCarlFord)](https://www.facebook.com/SenatorCarlFord/)\n- [14] [Carl Ford (@VoteCarlFord) / X](https://x.com/votecarlford?lang=en)\n- [16] [Carl Ford (@VoteCarlFord)](https://www.facebook.com/VoteCarlFord/)\n- [17] [State Senator Carl Ford | BillTrack50](https://www.billtrack50.com/legislatordetail/18001)\n- [18] [North Carolina State Sen. Carl Ford - Biography | LegiStorm](https://www.legistorm.com/person/bio/242796/Carl_Lindsey_Ford.html)\n- [20] [Carl Ford - North Carolina Republican Senate Caucus](https://ncstatesenate.com/members/carl-ford/)","firstname":"Carl","lastname":"Ford","middlename":"Lindsey","suffix":null,"token":"7faec5bc620cf9be"},"token":"_bQudsL8Dvp_NbLB"},{"candidatename":"Gary R. Weart","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"DEM","person":{"biography":"Gary Weart is the Democratic candidate for North Carolina State Senate District\u202f33 in the 2026 general election, scheduled for November\u202f3,\u202f2026. The State Senate is the upper chamber of the North Carolina General Assembly, responsible for drafting, debating, and voting on state legislation, approving the state budget, and confirming certain executive appointments. Senators serve two\u2011year terms and must represent the interests of their district\u2019s constituents while adhering to the Constitution of North Carolina and state statutes.\u202f[1]\n\nWeart is a longtime educator and community activist from North Carolina. He spent thirty\u2011three years as a public\u2011school teacher, administrator, and athletic coach before retiring. After retirement he has continued to work with the University of North Carolina, supervising student teachers and lecturing on non\u2011violence and conflict resolution. He lives with his wife Wanda in the state.\u202f[18][20]\n\nIn addition to his education career, Weart served in Army counter\u2011intelligence, carried the Olympic Torch for both the 1996 Atlanta and 2002 Salt Lake City Games, and has been involved in a variety of civic and athletic endeavors, including meeting members of the historic Green Bay Packers and playing fantasy baseball under manager Earl Weaver. He founded Students Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE), a network that grew to chapters in forty\u2011four states and seven foreign countries, and received the Presidential Service Award from President Bill\u202fClinton in 1995 for his anti\u2011violence work.\u202f[18][20]\n\nWeart\u2019s candidacy advanced without a primary contest after the Democratic primary scheduled for March\u202f3,\u202f2026 was canceled, placing him directly against incumbent Republican Senator Carl\u202fFord in the November general election. While his campaign platform details have not been published in the sources consulted, his public record emphasizes school safety, non\u2011violence education, and community engagement\u2014issues reflected in his memoir, *A Teacher Shoots Back: Targeting School Violence*, which chronicles his experiences in education, military service, and activism.\u202f[18][20]\n\nIf elected, Weart would bring his extensive experience in education, public service, and grassroots organizing to the legislative process, aiming to influence policies on public safety, education reform, and community health in North Carolina\u2019s 33rd Senate district.\u202f[1]\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Gary Weart - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Gary_Weart)\n- [15] [Candidate Profiles \u2013 NC Voter Guide](https://ncvoterguide.org/profiles/)\n- [17] [Gary Weart (@GWeart) / X](https://x.com/gweart)\n- [18] [A Teacher Shoots Back: Targeting School Violence by Gary Weart - Books on Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/books/details/A_Teacher_Shoots_Back_Targeting_School_Violence?id=5ZpBDQAAQBAJ&hl=en_US&gl=US)\n- [19] [A Teacher Shoots Back: Targeting School Violence: Weart, Gary R: 9780595465729: Books - Amazon.ca](https://www.amazon.ca/Teacher-Shoots-Back-Targeting-Violence/dp/0595465722)\n- [20] [\u200eA Teacher Shoots Back on Apple Books](https://books.apple.com/us/book/a-teacher-shoots-back/id1164466491)","firstname":"Gary","lastname":"Weart","middlename":"Reynolds","suffix":null,"token":"b1c101ce11927a29"},"token":"XlR-sMzdmh-vyPLk"}],"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 33"}