{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Henry Hostetler","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nEarl Henry Hostetler II \u2014 who filed and appears on the ballot as \"Henry Hostetler\" \u2014 is the Republican nominee for North Carolina State Senate District 5, on the ballot in the November 3, 2026 general election [1]. He defeated Angelene Mitchell in the March 3, 2026 Republican primary, 83.3% to 16.7% (5,377 votes to 1,079 votes) [1][2]. In the general election he faces Democrat Kandie D. Smith [1].\n\nHostetler's NC State Board of Elections candidate filing lists his residence as Winterville, in Pitt County [1]. No further biographical information (education, prior elected office, or employment) is confirmed by public sources.\n\n## Sources\n[1] NC State Board of Elections, 2026 Candidate Filing List \u2014 accessed 2026-07-20 (https://s3.amazonaws.com/dl.ncsbe.gov/Elections/2026/Candidate%20Filing/Candidate_Listing_2026.csv)\n[2] NC State Board of Elections, March 3, 2026 primary precinct-level results \u2014 accessed 2026-07-20 (https://s3.amazonaws.com/dl.ncsbe.gov/ENRS/2026_03_03/results_pct_20260303.zip)","firstname":"Earl","lastname":"Hostetler","middlename":"Henry","suffix":"II","token":"a9810d8d787770e6"},"token":"tGF9qkgDIc"},{"candidatename":"Kandie D. Smith","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"DEM","person":{"biography":"Senator Kandie Diane Smith is the Democratic incumbent seeking re\u2011election to the North Carolina State Senate for District\u202f5 in the November\u202f3,\u202f2026 general election. She has represented the district since taking office on January\u202f1,\u202f2023, and will appear on the ballot without a primary challenger after the March\u202f3,\u202f2026 Democratic primary was cancelled [1].\n\nSmith earned a Bachelor of Science in sociology (with a communications minor) from Charleston Southern University in 1991, where she also served as student\u2011body treasurer and competed on a track scholarship [8]. After working in mental\u2011health services and moving to Greenville in 2004, she entered local politics, winning a seat on the Greenville City Council in 2009 by a 12\u2011vote margin and serving the 1st district until 2017 [19]. When Mayor Allen\u202fThomas resigned, council members elected Smith as interim mayor, making her the first African\u2011American woman to hold that office in Greenville [8][19].\n\nIn 2017 Smith ran for the North Carolina House of Representatives, winning the open 8th\u2011district seat after the incumbent, Susan\u202fMartin, announced retirement. She was re\u2011elected in 2020 and served two terms (2019\u20112023), serving on committees such as Agriculture, Education\u2011K\u201112, Education\u2011Universities, Election Law and Campaign Finance Reform, Finance, and Health [8][1].\n\nIn the 2022 election she won a Senate seat, succeeding Donald\u202fDavis. As a senator she has been assigned to the Agriculture, Energy, and Environment Committee; Appropriations on Agriculture, Natural and Economic Resources Committee; Education/Higher Education Committee; Senate Transportation Committee; and Senate State and Local Government Committee for the 2025\u20112026 session [1]. Her legislative record includes sponsoring bills on a range of issues, from the repeal of the death penalty (SB\u202f94) and extending teacher contracts (SB\u202f99) to funding local infrastructure projects such as the Pitt\u2011Greenville Airport (SB\u202f253) and the Edgecombe and Pitt County School Nurses program (SB\u202f238) [7].\n\nSmith\u2019s recent leadership roles include being appointed Chair of the North Carolina Legislative Black Caucus in June\u202f2024 and earning a 2023 Jobs Champion rating from the NC Chamber of Commerce, where she scored 89\u202f% on a bipartisan business\u2011policy scorecard [20]. She has also secured significant funding for her district, including $175\u202fmillion for Edgecombe and Pitt counties and championed Medicaid expansion and reproductive\u2011rights legislation such as the NC CROWN Act (SB\u202f154) and a repeal of the death penalty (SB\u202f94) [19][7].\n\nHer campaign website, kandiesmith.com, outlines a \u201cpeople\u2011first\u201d platform focused on public\u2011education funding, lowering cost of living, and expanding health\u2011care access in Eastern North Carolina [17]. Endorsements for her 2026 race include Planned Parenthood, Emily\u2019s List, and Down Home\u202fNC, reflecting her progressive stance on reproductive rights and rural community issues [19]. Smith\u2019s opponent in the general election is Republican attorney Alexander\u202fPaschall [1].\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Kandie Smith - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Kandie_Smith)\n- [7] [Senator Kandie D. Smith's Introduced Bills - North Carolina General Assembly](https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/IntroducedBills/S/447)\n- [8] [Kandie Smith - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kandie_Smith)\n- [10] [iVoterGuide - Kandie D Smith iVoterGuide Profile](https://ivoterguide.com/candidate/47223/race/17443/election/1206)\n- [14] [Senator Kandie Smith (@Sen_KandieSmith) / X](https://x.com/Sen_KandieSmith)\n- [15] [North Carolina Senator Kandie Smith @kandienchouse Don't ...](https://www.facebook.com/ancbeo/videos/no-matter-what-room-north-carolina-sen-kandie-smith-in-you-can-best-believe-shes/1176772201021344/)\n- [16] [State Senator Kandie Smith | BillTrack50](https://www.billtrack50.com/legislatordetail/23927)\n- [17] [Kandie Smith For NC \u2013 People First](https://kandiesmith.com/)\n- [18] [North Carolina State Sen. Kandie Smith - Biography | LegiStorm](https://www.legistorm.com/person/bio/309784/Kandie_Diane_Smith.html)\n- [19] [Read About Progressive N.C. Sen. Kandie Smith\u2019s Campaign](https://thestoryexchange.org/this-state-senator-won-her-first-race-by-12-votes-now-shes-vying-to-stay-in-the-fight/)\n- [20] [2024 \u2013 Kandie Smith For NC](https://kandiesmith.com/2024/)","firstname":"Kandie","lastname":"Smith","middlename":"Diane","suffix":null,"token":"68b65665f8e69d3e"},"token":"XtFMTDmjDf"}],"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 05"}