{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Laura Budd","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"DEM","person":{"biography":"Laura Budd is the incumbent Democratic member of the North Carolina House of Representatives for District\u202f103 and is seeking re\u2011election in the November\u202f3,\u202f2026 general election [1][2]. The North Carolina Constitution requires that a House member be a qualified voter, have resided in the district for at least one year before the election, and be at least 21 years old; legislators serve two\u2011year terms with no term limits and assume office on January\u202f1 following the election [2].\n\nBorn in Atlanta, Georgia, Budd earned a Bachelor of Arts in history and political science, cum\u202flaude, from Ohio University in 1999 and a Juris Doctor from Wake\u202fForest School of Law in 2002 [1][7]. She practices law as an attorney and is a member of the Mecklenburg County Bar [1][7][15]. Budd\u2019s community involvement includes serving as president of the Matthews Athletic Recreation Association (2020\u20112022) and vice\u2011president of the Piedmont Gymnastics Association (2020\u20112022). She has also held leadership roles with the Peace &\u202fJustice Immigration Clinic, the Matthews Health Clinic, and the Matthews Free Medical Clinic, and volunteers with local charities such as Room in the Inn [1][7][15].\n\nBudd was first elected to the state House in 2022, assuming office on January\u202f1,\u202f2023, and was re\u2011elected in 2024 with 58.1% of the vote (25,772 votes) against Republican Joshua Niday (41.9%) [1][1]. She will complete her current term on January\u202f1,\u202f2027 and is running again in 2026; the Democratic primary was cancelled, allowing her to advance automatically to the general ballot [1].\n\nDuring the 2023\u20112024 session Budd served on the Appropriations Committee, the Appropriations\u2011Information Technology Committee, the Education\u2011K\u201112 Committee, the Judiciary\u202fII Committee, and the UNC Board of Governors Nominations Committee [1]. In the 2025\u20112026 session she sits on the Appropriations Committee, Appropriations\u2011Transportation, Education\u2011K\u201112, the House Select Committee on Helene Recovery, the House Select Committee on Involuntary Commitment and Public Safety, and is an advisory member of Judiciary\u202fII and Transportation [6].\n\nBudd has introduced a range of legislation, including the Fair Maps Act (HB\u202f20), an Environmental Justice bill (HB\u202f77), multiple bills restricting law\u2011enforcement cooperation with ICE (HB\u202f78,\u202f80), the Pollinator Protection Act (HB\u202f84), a COLA increase for state and local retirees (HB\u202f90), and measures supporting veterans, teachers, and Medicaid sustainability (e.g., HB\u202f106,\u202f113,\u202f118) [5]. These bills reflect her focus on equitable representation, environmental stewardship, public safety reform, and support for vulnerable populations.\n\nBudd\u2019s campaign emphasizes education, healthcare, economic opportunity, and social\u2011justice issues, positioning herself as a community\u2011focused legislator who leverages her legal background and local leadership experience to serve constituents in Mecklenburg County\u2019s South Charlotte, Ballantyne, and Pineville areas [15][9]. Her official legislative site provides contact information and resources for constituents, while her campaign website outlines her platform and invites community engagement [9][16].\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Laura Budd - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Laura_Budd)\n- [2] [North Carolina House of Representatives District 103 - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/North_Carolina_House_of_Representatives_District_103)\n- [3] [Representative Laura Budd - Biography - North Carolina General Assembly](https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/Biography/H/796)\n- [4] [Representative Laura Budd - Biography - North Carolina General Assembly](https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/DistrictRepresentation/H/103)\n- [5] [Representative Laura Budd's Introduced Bills - North Carolina General Assembly](https://ncleg.gov/Members/IntroducedBills/h/796)\n- [6] [Committees - North Carolina General Assembly](https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/Committees/H/796)\n- [7] [Laura Budd - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laura_Budd)\n- [9] [Home | ElectLauraBudd](https://www.electlaurabudd.com/)\n- [10] [iVoterGuide - Laura Budd iVoterGuide Profile](https://ivoterguide.com/candidate/71336/race/11221/election/1206)\n- [13] [State Representative Laura Budd | BillTrack50](https://www.billtrack50.com/legislatordetail/28121)\n- [14] [North Carolina State Rep. Laura Budd - Biography | LegiStorm](https://www.legistorm.com/person/bio/442620/Laura_Budd.html)\n- [15] [Laura Budd- House District 103](https://nchousedems.com/our-members/laura-budd-house-district-103/)\n- [16] [Representative Laura Budd | Official Legislative Site](https://www.replaurabudd.com/)\n- [17] [Rep. Laura Budd (D) | North Carolina Advocates for Justice](https://www.ncaj.com/people/rep-laura-budd)","firstname":"Laura","lastname":"Budd","middlename":"Huntingdon","suffix":null,"token":"866ae649ff72d498"},"token":"RWmeWIZtUE"}],"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 103"}