{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Steve Rutherford","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"DEM","person":{"biography":"> **Editorial note \u2014 same-name confusion.** An earlier version of this page described James Rutherford, the Democratic Minority Leader of the South Carolina House of Representatives \u2014 a different person entirely. That biography has been removed. James Stephen Rutherford, who appears on the ballot as \"Steve Rutherford,\" is the candidate profiled here.\n\n## Current office and 2026 campaign\nJames Stephen Rutherford is a Democratic candidate for North Carolina Senate District 43 (Gaston County) in the November 3, 2026 general election, facing Republican Brad Overcash [1]. He filed his candidacy on December 1, 2025 [1].\n\n## Sources\n[1] North Carolina State Board of Elections, 2026 candidate filing list (Candidate_Listing_2026.csv, dl.ncsbe.gov) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-20","firstname":"James","lastname":"Rutherford","middlename":"Stephen","suffix":null,"token":"6b73a3e6030275cb"},"token":"9XOdssKr66smwSK8"},{"candidatename":"Brad Overcash","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"Bradley Keith Overcash is the incumbent Republican State Senator for North Carolina\u2019s 43rd District, a seat he has held since the start of the 2023 legislative session and will continue to hold through January\u202f1,\u202f2027. He is on the ballot for re\u2011election in the November\u202f3,\u202f2026 general election, where he will again face Democratic challenger Steve Rutherford [1].\n\nOvercash lives in Belmont, North Carolina. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Juris Doctor from the University of Mississippi School of Law. After law school he entered private practice as an attorney, a career he continues to maintain alongside his legislative duties [1][13].\n\nBefore his election to the Senate, Overcash was active in party leadership, serving as vice\u2011chairman of the Gaston County Republican Party, chairman of the 10th Congressional District Republican Party, and treasurer of the North Carolina Republican Party. He also chaired the Gaston College Board of Trustees and served on the Gaston County Family Advisory Board, reflecting deep ties to local civic institutions [1].\n\nIn the Senate, Overcash has been assigned to several key committees. During the 2025\u20112026 session he chaired the Appropriations on Education/Higher Education Committee and the Education/Higher Education Committee, while also serving on the Commerce and Insurance, Senate Finance, and Senate Judiciary committees. In the 2023\u20112024 session he held similar assignments, adding the Pensions and Retirement and Aging Committee to his portfolio [1].\n\nElectorally, Overcash won his first Senate race in 2022 and was re\u2011elected in 2024, defeating Democrat Corey Creech with 61.8% of the vote (66,112 votes) [1]. The 2026 Republican primary was cancelled, automatically advancing him to the November general election [1].\n\nOvercash\u2019s campaign finances for the 2024\u20112025 cycle show total contributions of $204,750 and expenditures of $130,887, with notable donors including the Catawba Indian Nation and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and major payees such as Endgame Consulting LLC and the North Carolina Republican Senatorial Committee [12].\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Brad Overcash - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Brad_Overcash)\n- [4] [Senator Brad Overcash - Biography - North Carolina General Assembly](https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/Biography/s/444)\n- [12] [Bradley Overcash - North Carolina Candidate - Transparency USA](https://www.transparencyusa.org/nc/candidate/bradley-overcash)\n- [13] [Top Rated Charlotte, NC Personal Injury Attorney | Bradley Overcash | Super Lawyers](https://profiles.superlawyers.com/north-carolina/charlotte/lawyer/bradley-k-overcash/7e17a053-e2fa-4d23-9ed6-f29d511928e6.html)\n- [14] [Brad Overcash, North Carolina (7 matches): Phone Number, Email, Address - Spokeo](https://www.spokeo.com/Brad-Overcash/North-Carolina)\n- [19] [North Carolina State Sen. Brad Overcash - Biography | LegiStorm](https://www.legistorm.com/person/bio/442636/Bradley_K_Overcash.html)","firstname":"Bradley","lastname":"Overcash","middlename":"Keith","suffix":null,"token":"ad725b1882baff55"},"token":"W_qn-8uymAerKuZz"}],"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 43"}