{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Kevin Crutchfield","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"Kevin Roger Crutchfield is the Republican candidate for the North Carolina State Senate, District\u202f34, in the November\u202f3,\u202f2026 general election.  The Senate is the upper chamber of the North Carolina General Assembly; candidates must be at least 25\u202fyears old, be qualified voters, and have lived in the district for at least one year before the election\u202f[1].\n\nBorn in Kingston, New\u202fYork, Crutchfield graduated from Owego Free Academy in 1978 and earned an associate degree from Broome Community College in 1981\u202f[1][4].  He later completed a computer\u2011science equivalency at the University of North\u202fCarolina\u2011Charlotte, where he achieved a 3.9\u202fGPA\u202f[12].  He is married to Cheryl, and they have three sons and nine grandchildren\u202f[4][12].\n\nCrutchfield\u2019s professional career spans more than four decades in technology, manufacturing, and entrepreneurship.  He began at IBM Corporation (1981\u20111994), serving as an electronic\u2011technician engineer, purchasing agent, and software developer\u202f[1][6][7].  After IBM he was national sales manager for Cabarrus Plastics (1994\u20111995) and vice\u2011president of operations for Rite\u202fLite\u202fSigns (1995\u20111996)\u202f[1][6].  In 1998 he and his wife founded Casco\u202fSigns, where he serves as president and chief financial officer, and also created The\u202fCrutchfield\u202fGroup, a real\u2011estate and equipment\u2011leasing company\u202f[1][5][7][12].  Additional ventures include Castaway\u202fProperties (managing partner) and Crutchfield\u202fFarms (president/CFO, 2015\u20112023)\u202f[12][7].  He holds a general\u2011contractor license, an electrical\u2011contracting license, and UL manufacturing certification\u202f[1].\n\nPolitically, Crutchfield first served on the Cabarrus County Republican Party Executive Committee before resigning to run for office in 2022\u202f[4].  He was elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives from the newly created District\u202f83, serving from January\u202f1,\u202f2023 to January\u202f1,\u202f2025\u202f[1][4][12].  During his term he was appointed Freshman Majority Leader\u202f[7][12], founded and co\u2011chaired the House Small Business Caucus, and co\u2011chaired the Economic Development Manufacturing Caucus\u202f[7][12].  Committee assignments included Appropriations, Appropriations\u2011Education, Education\u2011Universities, Health, and Local Government\u2011Land Use\u202f[1].  He sponsored numerous bills covering concealed\u2011carry permits, firearms training, government\u2011agency permits, school health services, and human\u2011trafficking penalties, among others\u202f[3].  His legislative achievements were recognized with awards such as the 2023\u202fNC\u202fChamber Jobs Champion, Legislator of the Year from the North\u202fCarolina Federation of Young Republicans, and Defender of Public Safety from the State Sheriffs Association\u202f[7].  He helped secure more than $185\u202fmillion in appropriations for his district\u202f[5][7].\n\nIn the 2026 election cycle, Crutchfield announced his candidacy for the State Senate seat in District\u202f34\u202f[5][4].  He defeated incumbent Senator Chris\u202fMeasmer in the Republican primary on March\u202f3,\u202f2026, earning 53.7\u202f% of the vote (7,472 votes)\u202f[1].  He will face Democrat April\u202fCook in the November general election\u202f[1].  His campaign platform emphasizes support for small\u2011business growth, protection of the Second Amendment, increased funding for law\u2011enforcement and first\u2011responders, and legislation to combat human trafficking and protect seniors from financial scams\u202f[9][5].\n\nCrutchfield\u2019s extensive business background, legislative leadership, and community\u2011service record are central to his bid for the Senate, where he seeks to continue advocating for economic development, public safety, and limited government for North\u202fCarolina residents.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Kevin Crutchfield - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Kevin_Crutchfield)\n- [3] [Representative Kevin Crutchfield's Introduced Bills - North Carolina General Assembly](https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/IntroducedBills/H/801/2023/true)\n- [4] [Kevin Crutchfield - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Crutchfield)\n- [5] [Official Campaign Site | Kevin Crutchfield for NC Senate District 34 \u2013 Kevin Crutchfield for Senate](https://www.votekevincrutchfield.com/)\n- [6] [iVoterGuide - Kevin Crutchfield iVoterGuide Profile](https://ivoterguide.com/candidate/64937/race/8431/election/1090)\n- [7] [Resume \u2013 Official Campaign Site | Kevin Crutchfield for NC Senate District 34](https://www.votekevincrutchfield.com/resume/)\n- [9] [Issues \u2013 Official Campaign Site | Kevin Crutchfield for NC House 83](https://www.votekevincrutchfield.com/issues/)\n- [12] [Vote Smart | Facts For All](https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/biography/202738/kevin-crutchfield)\n- [15] [State Representative Kevin Crutchfield | BillTrack50](https://www.billtrack50.com/legislatordetail/28117)\n- [16] [Get to know Rep.-elect Kevin Crutchfield - NC Tribune](https://nctribune.com/news/2022/jun/13/get-to-know-rep-elect-kevin-crutchfield/)\n- [17] [Kevin Crutchfield - North Carolina Leadership Forum](https://sites.duke.edu/nclf/kevin-crutchfield/)\n- [18] [Former State Rep. Kevin Crutchfield - Biography | LegiStorm](https://www.legistorm.com/person/bio/442619/Kevin_Crutchfield.html)","firstname":"Kevin","lastname":"Crutchfield","middlename":"Roger","suffix":null,"token":"3733a901d602a9ee"},"token":"Mp7wbsZJ5t"},{"candidatename":"April Cook","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"DEM","person":{"biography":"April Reynolds Cook is the Democratic candidate for North Carolina State Senate District 34 in the 2026 election, with the general election scheduled for November 3, 2026. The North Carolina Senate, the upper chamber of the General Assembly, consists of 50 members who serve two\u2011year terms and are responsible for crafting state law, approving the budget, and representing the interests of their districts.\n\nCook currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the North Carolina Association of Free and Charitable Clinics, a statewide network of 62 clinics that provide primary and preventive care to uninsured and underinsured families. In this role she oversees clinical operations, advocacy, and funding efforts for the network, positioning her as a leading voice on healthcare access in the state [12]. Her career spans more than two decades in the health\u2011care sector, during which she helped build a free clinic from the ground up and has worked directly with underserved populations across North Carolina [19].\n\nThe Democratic primary for Senate District 34 was canceled, allowing Cook to advance to the general election without appearing on the ballot, where she will face Republican nominee Kevin\u202fCrutchfield [1]. In addition to her professional background, Cook publicly disclosed a breast\u2011cancer diagnosis in early 2026, noting that the disease was caught early and affirming her commitment to continue campaigning despite the personal health challenge [17].\n\nCook\u2019s campaign platform emphasizes five key areas. First, she argues that access to health care should not depend on a person\u2019s bank account, proposing to strengthen and expand community\u2011based clinics, support early\u2011intervention policies, and reduce cost\u2011shifting that drives medical debt [19]. Second, she advocates for robust public\u2011school funding, competitive teacher pay, and policies that recognize the realities faced by public schools [19]. Third, she focuses on affordability in Cabarrus County, seeking policies that address housing stability, child\u2011care costs, and other financial pressures on working families [19]. Fourth, she calls for efficient, evidence\u2011based government that treats taxpayer dollars responsibly and prioritizes accountability [19]. Finally, she champions women\u2019s health autonomy, asserting that reproductive decisions belong between women and their doctors [19].\n\nIf elected, Cook would bring her extensive health\u2011care leadership experience to the Senate, aiming to translate her on\u2011the\u2011ground knowledge of clinic operations into state\u2011wide policy solutions that improve health outcomes, education, and economic stability for North Carolinians.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [April Cook - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/April_Cook)\n- [12] [Join April Cook for NC for her fundraising event TONIGHT ...](https://www.facebook.com/cabarrusdemocrats/posts/join-april-cook-for-nc-for-her-fundraising-event-tonight-april-24-2026-at-730-pm/1445593774275870/)\n- [17] [April Cook reveals breast cancer diagnosis, vows to continue N.C. Senate campaign](https://cabarruscompass.com/p/april-cook-reveals-breast-cancer)\n- [18] [April Cook for NC Senate District 34 (@aprilcookfornc) \u2022 Threads, Say more](https://www.threads.com/@aprilcookfornc)\n- [19] [Platform | April Cook for NC Senate 34](https://www.aprilcook.com/platform)","firstname":"April","lastname":"Cook","middlename":"Reynolds","suffix":null,"token":"5fc973c2fbb5bcc8"},"token":"eNn3P5Cqap"}],"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 34"}