{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"April Montgomery","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"UNA","person":{"biography":"April Montgomery is a candidate for the North Carolina House of Representatives in District 51, running as an unaffiliated (independent) candidate in the November\u202f3,\u202f2026 general election [1]. The North Carolina House seat represents all of Lee County and part of Moore County, covering communities such as Sanford, Broadway, Carthage, Cameron, and Vass [14].\n\nMontgomery has lived in the district for more than two decades and earned her education at Florida State University and the University of Florida, where she completed undergraduate studies [20]. She has spent nearly 20\u202fyears as a small\u2011business owner, building and selling companies in the commercial renewable\u2011energy sector and serving as Chief Development Officer of an energy\u2011storage firm. She and her husband also operate a historic\u2011property renovation business [19].\n\nHer public\u2011service record includes leadership roles on several local boards: she has chaired the Sanford Area Growth Alliance, served on the Lee County Parks and Recreation Board, and led the Lee County Environmental Advisory Board. These positions have given her experience addressing community development, environmental stewardship, and local infrastructure needs [14][19].\n\nMontgomery\u2019s campaign emphasizes pragmatic, community\u2011focused solutions. She advocates for responsible growth, investment in public education, transparent representation, and an \u201call\u2011of\u2011the\u2011above\u201d energy strategy tailored to district needs. She also stresses support for small businesses, infrastructure upgrades, and early\u2011childhood education initiatives. Her alignment with the North Carolina Forward Party underscores a commitment to moving beyond the two\u2011party duopoly while remaining unaffiliated on the ballot [14][19].\n\nIn preparation for the ballot, Montgomery gathered more than the required 2,275 signatures from registered voters in District\u202f51, submitting over 3,300 signatures, of which 2,826 were verified by the State Board of Elections [19]. She continues to campaign through community events, such as the Broadway My Way Festival, and maintains a presence on social media and a campaign website (URL not publicly listed) [15][20].\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [April Montgomery (North Carolina) - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/April_Montgomery_(North_Carolina))\n- [13] [April Montgomery at NCFP](https://www.ncforwardparty.com/66376)\n- [14] [NCFP Endorses Independent for NC House as Momentum for More Choices Grows - NCFP](https://www.ncforwardparty.com/ncfp_endorses_independent_for_nc_house_as_momentum_for_more_choices_grows)\n- [15] [Broadway My Way Festival - NCFP](https://www.ncforwardparty.com/broadway_my_way_festival)\n- [17] [Candidate Profiles \u2013 NC Voter Guide](https://ncvoterguide.org/profiles/)\n- [18] [Area business owner April Montgomery is seeking a seat ...](https://www.facebook.com/therant905/posts/area-business-owner-april-montgomery-is-seeking-a-seat-in-the-north-carolina-hou/1381278230225204/)\n- [19] [April Montgomery, independent for state house](https://www.politicsnc.com/p/april-montgomery-independent-for)\n- [20] [Montgomery launches independent bid for NC House seat \u2013 THE RANT](https://rantnc.com/2025/11/11/montgomery-launches-independent-bid-for-nc-house-seat/)","firstname":"April","lastname":"Montgomery","middlename":"Alperin","suffix":null,"token":"0f181f0282072e8b"},"token":"Vemv0txFMj"},{"candidatename":"Tasherra Nichols McDuffie - WITHDRAWN","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"DEM","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n\nTasherra Nichols McDuffie, of Cameron, filed on December 18, 2025 as the Democratic candidate for North Carolina House District 51, which covers all of Lee County and part of eastern Moore County [1][2]. She was the only Democrat to file for the seat, and no Democratic primary was held [1].\n\nMcDuffie withdrew before the general election. She filed withdrawal paperwork with the Moore County Board of Elections on March 6, 2026, and the North Carolina State Board of Elections' 2026 candidate filing record lists her ballot entry as \"Tasherra Nichols McDuffie - WITHDRAWN\" [1][2]. She told The Rant, a Sanford news outlet, that she had \"temporarily suspended\" the campaign \"due to a personal family matter,\" adding: \"I've had the luxury of living my life through my heart's desire over the past ten years. Now I want to do my part to make sure my family has every opportunity to succeed together\" [2]. Her name did not appear on the November 3, 2026 ballot [2].\n\nThe District 51 seat was open because Republican Rep. John Sauls is retiring. Sanford City Councilman Charles M. Taylor is the Republican nominee, and Sanford business owner April Montgomery qualified for the ballot as an unaffiliated candidate by petition [1][2].\n\n## Sources\n\n[1] [2026 Candidate Filing List (Candidate_Listing_2026.csv)](https://s3.amazonaws.com/dl.ncsbe.gov/Elections/2026/Candidate%20Filing/Candidate_Listing_2026.csv) - North Carolina State Board of Elections, accessed 2026-07-30\n[2] [McDuffie drops out of House 51 race](https://rantnc.com/2026/03/13/mcduffie-drops-out-of-house-51-race/) - The Rant (Sanford, NC), accessed 2026-07-30","firstname":"Tasherra","lastname":"Nichols Mcduffie","middlename":"Louise","suffix":null,"token":"274930e4559aba77"},"token":"XIKfhXH0s0"},{"candidatename":"Charles M. Taylor","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"> **Editorial note \u2014 same-name confusion.** Web searches for \"Charles Taylor\" in North Carolina politics will also surface Charles Hart Taylor, a different, well-known Republican who represented western North Carolina's 11th Congressional District in the U.S. House from 1991 to 2007. That person is not the candidate profiled here. Charles Mclamb Taylor is a member of the Sanford City Council (Ward 2) in Lee County running for NC House District 51 [1][3].\n\nCharles Taylor is the Republican candidate for North Carolina's House of Representatives District 51 in the 2026 general election, slated for November\u202f3,\u202f2026. He secured the Republican nomination by defeating Sherry Womack in the March\u202f3,\u202f2026 primary with 54.2% of the vote (3,005 votes) to Womack's 45.8% (2,543 votes) [1]. In the upcoming general election he will face Independent candidate April Montgomery [1].\n\nTaylor currently serves on the Sanford City Council, representing Ward\u202f2. He was first elected to the council in November\u202f2007 and won re-election in the November\u202f5,\u202f2019 municipal election, defeating Democrat Brandon Charles Atkins with 63.1% of the vote (488 votes) to Atkins's 36.9% (285 votes) [3]. His ongoing role on the council gives him experience in local governance and constituent services.\n\nWhile detailed biographical information such as education or professional background is not provided in the available sources, his public service record includes more than a decade of municipal experience. As a city council member, Taylor has participated in local decision-making for Sanford, a city in Lee County, North Carolina.\n\nTaylor's campaign for the state House emphasizes his Republican affiliation and his local government experience, positioning him as a candidate familiar with the concerns of his district's residents. The primary results demonstrate solid support within the party, and his upcoming contest will determine whether he moves from municipal to state-level representation.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Charles Taylor (North Carolina State House candidate) - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Charles_Taylor_(North_Carolina_State_House_candidate))\n- [3] [Charles Taylor (Sanford, North Carolina) - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Charles_Taylor_(Sanford,_North_Carolina))\n- [17] [Staff Directory \u2022 Charles Taylor](https://www.sanfordnc.net/directory.aspx?EID=82)","firstname":"Charles","lastname":"Taylor","middlename":"Mclamb","suffix":null,"token":"262ef915534d7c39"},"token":"Nvy6QSqSmJ"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":"state_representative","o.office":"state_house","office":"state_house","officedescription":"The Tennessee House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the state legislature, with 99 members elected from single-member districts to two-year terms. Representatives pass state laws, originate revenue bills, approve the state budget, and \u2014 with the Senate \u2014 confirm gubernatorial appointments and 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 Representative","partisan":1,"pgr":"general","quantity":1,"referendum":null,"source":null,"title":"Nc House Of Representatives District 051"}