{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Dudley Greene","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nDudley Greene is the Republican incumbent representing North Carolina House District 85 (Avery, McDowell, Mitchell, and Yancey counties), a seat he has held since January 1, 2021 [1][2]. He is running for re-election in the November 3, 2026 general election, facing Democrat Suzanne Gavenus [2].\n\n## Background and education\nGreene, whose full name is Edwin Dudley Greene, was born in Newland, North Carolina. He holds an Associate of Applied Science degree from Mayland Community College. He is married to Allyson and has two children [1].\n\n## Career\nGreene spent his career in law enforcement, working for the North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement division, the Newland Police Department, the Avery County Sheriff's Office, and the McDowell County Sheriff's Office. He served as Sheriff of McDowell County from 2008 to 2018, first appointed in 2008 and subsequently re-elected twice [1].\n\n## Office history\nGreene succeeded Josh Dobson as the District 85 representative, taking office January 1, 2021 [1].\n\n## Legislative record and accomplishments\nFor the 2023-2024 session, Greene's committee assignments include Appropriations (Vice Chair); Appropriations, Justice and Public Safety (Chair); Families, Children, and Aging Policy; House Select Committee on Helene Recovery (Chair); Judiciary II; State Government; and State Personnel (Vice Chair). In the 2021-2022 session he served on Appropriations - Justice and Public Safety, Families, Children, and Aging Policy, Judiciary II (Vice Chair), Local Government - Land Use, Planning and Development, and State Personnel (Vice Chair) [1].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Dudley Greene - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dudley_Greene)\n[2] North Carolina State Board of Elections, 2026 Candidate Listing (NC House District 085, Avery/McDowell/Mitchell/Yancey counties) \u2014 https://s3.amazonaws.com/dl.ncsbe.gov/Elections/2026/Candidate%20Filing/Candidate_Listing_2026.csv, accessed 2026-07-20","firstname":"Edwin","lastname":"Greene","middlename":"Dudley","suffix":null,"token":"66db9f9bebffd6fe"},"token":"VLvTNVBhot"},{"candidatename":"Suzanne Gavenus","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"DEM","person":{"biography":"Suzanne Gavenus is the Democratic candidate for the North Carolina House of Representatives in District\u202f85 in the 2026 election.  The North Carolina House is a 120\u2011member lower chamber; members serve two\u2011year terms, must be at least 21\u202fyears old, and must have lived in the district for at least one year before the election.  District\u202f85 covers the western mountain counties of Avery, McDowell, Mitchell and Yancey, and the seat is currently held by Republican incumbent Dudley\u202fGreene, who will appear on the November\u202f3,\u202f2026 ballot alongside Gavenus [1][19].\n\nGavenus is a lifelong resident of western North Carolina.  She has lived in Burnsville, Yancey County, for more than 23\u202fyears with her husband Gary, and previously lived and worked in Avery County.  She and Gary raised three children, two of whom graduated from the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics (NCSSM)\u2011Durham campus [13][14][15][18].\n\nProfessionally, Gavenus is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) with over three decades of experience in psychiatric hospitals, community outpatient clinics, private practice, wilderness programs, and both university and public\u2011school settings.  She earned an AAS in Mental Health Technologies from Virginia Western Community College, a BA in Social Work from Christopher Newport University, and an MSW in Clinical Social Work from the University of New England [18].\n\nSince August\u202f2022 she has served as Director of Counseling and Wellness at NCSSM\u2019s Morganton campus, where she oversees student counseling services, managed the campus\u2019s Naviance implementation, and participates on the school\u2019s Strategic Plan Action Team and Website Advisory Committee [18].  Prior to joining NCSSM, she was the Student Support and Transition Specialist for Buncombe County Schools, providing district\u2011wide professional development on college\u2011and\u2011career readiness, social\u2011emotional learning, and Section\u202f504 compliance, and she facilitated GoAlliance Academy courses for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction [18].\n\nGavenus\u2019s campaign emphasizes three core pillars: expanding affordable health\u2011care and mental\u2011health services for rural families; strengthening public schools and ensuring fair compensation for educators; and improving economic stability for working families through affordable housing, childcare, livable wages, and long\u2011term disaster\u2011recovery investments, especially in the wake of Hurricane\u202fHelene.  She describes herself as a \u201cpeople\u2011first\u201d leader who has spent her career listening to families, students, and educators when systems aren\u2019t working and helping them find real solutions.  Her platform is aimed at ensuring that the voices of Avery, McDowell, Mitchell and Yancey counties are heard in Raleigh [13][15][1].\n\nThe Democratic primary for District\u202f85 was canceled, allowing Gavenus to advance to the general election without appearing on the primary ballot [1].  She is actively campaigning across the four counties, leveraging her background in counseling and education to connect with constituents and advocate for policies that address the unique challenges of western North Carolina\u2019s mountain communities.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Suzanne Gavenus - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Suzanne_Gavenus)\n- [10] [Suzanne Gavenus for NC House of Representatives, ...](https://www.facebook.com/Suzanne.Gavenus.4NCHouse85/)\n- [13] [Suzanne Gavenus to Appear on November Ballot | WKYK](https://www.ourlocalcommunityonline.com/2026/04/20/suzanne-gavenus-to-appear-on-november-ballot/)\n- [14] [Burnsville resident Gavenus to appear on November ballot for NC House District 85 | News | averyjournal.com](https://www.averyjournal.com/news/burnsville-resident-gavenus-to-appear-on-november-ballot-for-nc-house-district-85/article_cc6107db-c412-4834-a490-9609c1b5dc42.html)\n- [15] [Suzanne Gavenus for NC House 85](https://sites.google.com/view/suzanne-gavenus-4-nc-house-85/home)\n- [16] [Suzanne Gavenus \u2014 Donate via ActBlue](https://secure.actblue.com/donate/suzanne-gavenus-1?refcode=directory)\n- [18] [Suzanne Gavenus | North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics](https://www.ncssm.edu/directory/suzanne-gavenus)\n- [19] [2026 primary election candidate list final as filing ends | Government | averyjournal.com](https://www.averyjournal.com/news/government/2026-primary-election-candidate-list-final-as-filing-ends/article_0b21a2f9-b383-4297-a5c8-ecae1110b203.html)","firstname":"Suzanne","lastname":"Gavenus","middlename":"Leigh Biggs","suffix":null,"token":"1c9aba4971ce6e67"},"token":"Pxxy39F5Hv"}],"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 085"}