{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Natalie S. Murdock","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"DEM","person":{"biography":"Natalie Shapelle Murdock is the incumbent Democratic State Senator for North Carolina\u2019s 20th District, seeking re\u2011election in the November\u202f3,\u202f2026 general election. She was appointed to the Senate on April\u202f1,\u202f2020 by Governor Roy Cooper and has since been elected in 2020, 2022, and 2024, with her current term set to end on January\u202f1,\u202f2027\u202f[1][4]. The 20th District covers all of Chatham County and part of Durham County.\n\nMurdock earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Communication Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She also completed graduate coursework at Western Carolina University (public administration) and Pfeiffer University (leadership and organizational change)\u202f[4][16]. Her early career included roles as Deputy Director of Communications for the North Carolina Department of Justice and as traveling press secretary for Deborah\u202fRoss\u2019s U.S. Senate campaign\u202f[4][7]. She later founded the public\u2011relations firm Attal Strategies and served as principal and chief strategist for Murdock Anderson Consulting\u202f[7][18].\n\nBefore entering the legislature, Murdock worked in regional transportation and economic development, serving as Director of Communications and Public Affairs for GoTriangle (2015\u20112016) and as a public\u2011involvement manager for the same agency\u202f[7]. She also held positions with the Town of Chapel Hill, the Land\u2011of\u2011Sky Regional Council, and the Institute for Southern Studies, gaining experience in grant coordination, transportation planning, and research\u202f[7].\n\nIn the Senate, Murdock has served on a range of committees. For the 2025\u20112026 session she sits on Agriculture, Energy, and Environment; Appropriations on Department of Transportation; Appropriations/Base Budget; Senate Finance; Health Care; and Senate Transportation\u202f[1]. Earlier sessions saw her on Education/Higher Education and other appropriations committees\u202f[1]. She has sponsored legislation focused on economic development, workforce automation, small\u2011business tax relief, renewable energy incentives, and veteran\u2011owned business participation, among other issues\u202f[15][13].\n\nMurdock\u2019s community involvement includes leadership roles in the North Carolina Democratic Party\u2019s African\u2011American Caucus, the Durham County Democratic Party, and various civic organizations such as the Black Leaders Organizing Collective and the UNC\u2011Chapel Hill Institute\u2019s Board of Visitors\u202f[7][19]. She is a co\u2011chair of the Future Caucus network, emphasizing bipartisan problem\u2011solving\u202f[19].\n\nHer campaign platform emphasizes expanding health\u2011care access, affordable housing, job training, education funding, criminal\u2011justice reform, and environmental protection, reflecting the priorities outlined on her campaign website\u202f[12].\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Natalie Murdock - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Natalie_Murdock)\n- [3] [Senator Natalie S. Murdock - Biography - North Carolina General Assembly](https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/Biography/S/422)\n- [4] [Natalie Murdock - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natalie_Murdock)\n- [7] [Natalie Murdock's Biography](https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/biography/189039/natalie-murdock)\n- [9] [Senator Natalie Murdock (@NatalieforNC) / ...](https://twitter.com/NatalieforNC)\n- [11] [Natalie for NC Senate (@NatalieforNC)](https://www.facebook.com/NatalieforNC/)\n- [12] [2022 NC District 20 Senate Election: Durham | Dem Natalie Murdock](https://natalie-murdock.com/)\n- [13] [State Senator Natalie Murdock | BillTrack50](https://www.billtrack50.com/legislatordetail/24791)\n- [15] [North Carolina Senate Candidate: Natalie Murdock for NC District 20](https://natalie-murdock.com/meet-natalie/)\n- [16] [Natalie Murdock - UNC Institute for the Environment](https://ie.unc.edu/people/natalie-murdock/)\n- [17] [North Carolina State Sen. Natalie Murdock - Biography | LegiStorm](https://www.legistorm.com/person/bio/365705/Natalie_S_Murdock.html)\n- [18] [Natalie Murdock \u2014 Winning Margins](https://yourwinningmargins.com/natalie-murdock)\n- [19] [NC Sen. Murdock - Future Caucus](https://futurecaucus.org/future-caucus/state-future-caucus-network/state-caucus-chairs/nc-sen-murdock/)\n- [20] [Durham, NC Senate Election: Democrat Natalie Murdock: Contact Us](https://natalie-murdock.com/contact/)","firstname":"Natalie","lastname":"Murdock","middlename":"Shapelle","suffix":null,"token":"8a04dbe811cbca8a"},"token":"bw4WBoCG1L"}],"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 20"}