{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Erin Pare","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"Erin Pauling\u202fPar\u00e9 is the incumbent Republican member of the North Carolina House of Representatives for District\u202f37, seeking re\u2011election in the November\u202f3,\u202f2026 general election. The North Carolina House is a 120\u2011member lower chamber whose members serve two\u2011year terms, must be at least 21\u202fyears old, be qualified voters, and have resided in their district for one year prior to election; legislators earn a salary of $13,951 per year plus a $104 per\u2011day per diem\u202f[2].\n\nPar\u00e9 was born in Washington,\u202fD.C., and grew up in Herndon,\u202fVirginia\u202f[1][4]. She earned a B.A. in government and international politics (2000) and an M.A. in international commerce and policy (2002) from George\u202fMason\u202fUniversity\u202f[1][4]. After college she worked as a senior account executive and later as director of the Regulatory Improvement Council, a public\u2011policy consultancy focused on regulatory reform\u202f[1][5]. She also owned and operated Play\u2011It\u2011Again\u202fSports, a sporting\u2011goods store in Holly\u202fSprings, and founded the Holly\u202fStrings Youth Orchestra, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides violin instruction to children in southern Wake County\u202f[1][5][6]. Par\u00e9 has been active in her community as president of the Holly\u202fRidge Elementary School PTA, a family\u2011readiness group leader for the U.S.\u202fArmy, vice\u2011chair of the Town of Holly\u202fSprings Board of Adjustment, and a member of Triangle Community Church\u202f[1][6].\n\nIn 2020 Par\u00e9 defeated incumbent Democrat Sydney\u202fBatch, winning 50\u202f% of the vote to Batch\u2019s 47\u202f% (34,782\u201132,533 votes) and began her first term on January\u202f1,\u202f2021\u202f[1][16]. She was re\u2011elected in 2022 and again in 2024, and will run for a fourth term in 2026\u202f[1][5]. During her tenure she has served on several key committees. In the 2023\u20112024 session she was appointed to the Alcoholic Beverage Control, Appropriations, House Appropriations on Health and Human Services (Vice Chair), Energy and Public Utilities (Vice Chair), Health (Chair), Regulatory Reform, Rules, Calendar and Operations, and Military and Veterans Affairs committees\u202f[1]. Her NC\u202fGA biography lists her as Chair of the House Committee on Appropriations and Vice\u2011Chair of the Subcommittee on General Government, as well as Vice\u2011Chair of Energy and Public Utilities, Rules, Calendar and Operations, Health, Transportation, and Homeland Security, Military and Veterans Affairs\u202f[6][3].\n\nPar\u00e9\u2019s legislative record includes sponsoring bills on health, veterans\u2019 benefits, and regulatory reform, and she voted to exempt long\u2011service military retirees from state income tax\u202f[4]. She has been recognized by a range of organizations: the NC\u202fChamber of Commerce named her a \u201cJobs Champion,\u201d the North Carolina Sheriff\u2019s Association called her a \u201cDefender of Public Safety,\u201d the State Firefighter\u2019s Association a \u201cFirefighter\u2019s Friend,\u201d and the Police Benevolent Association awarded her a \u201cLeadership Excellence Award\u201d\u202f[6].\n\nPar\u00e9 lives in Holly\u202fSprings with her husband Wayne, a 24\u2011year Army veteran, and their two children. She continues to operate her small business, lead the youth orchestra, and serve as a military spouse advocate, drawing on her personal experience as the family\u2011readiness group leader for the 1st\u202fBattalion,\u202f75th\u202fRanger Regiment during deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan\u202f[6]. Her campaign website provides contact information and a donation portal for the 2026 race\u202f[6].\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Erin Par\u00e9 - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Erin_Par%C3%A9)\n- [2] [North Carolina House of Representatives District 37 - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/North_Carolina_House_of_Representatives_District_37)\n- [3] [Representative Erin Par\u00e9 - Biography - North Carolina General Assembly](https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/Biography/H/770)\n- [4] [Erin Par\u00e9 - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erin_Par%C3%A9)\n- [5] [iVoterGuide - Erin Pare iVoterGuide Profile](https://ivoterguide.com/candidate/52074/race/11228/election/946?culture=es-us)\n- [6] [Erin Par\u00e9 HD 37](https://erinfornc.com/)\n- [8] [Erin Par\u00e9](https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/189275/erin-pare)\n- [10] [Erin Par\u00e9's Voting Records](https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/key-votes/189275/erin-pare)\n- [12] [Authored & Sponsored Legislation - Erin Pare - North Carolina State Representative | LegiPlex](https://app.legiplex.com/profile/erin-pare-18148/legislation?size=10&session_id=1119&page=4)\n- [16] [Erin Par\u00e9 wins in NC House District 37 | The North State Journal](https://nsjonline.com/article/2020/11/erin-pare-wins-in-nc-house-district-37/)\n- [19] [Erin Pare - North Carolina Candidate - Transparency USA](https://www.transparencyusa.org/nc/candidate/erin-pare)\n- [20] [Erin Pare \u2014 Progress NC Action](https://progressncaction.org/erin-pare/)","firstname":"Erin","lastname":"Pare","middlename":"Pauling","suffix":null,"token":"97eabbadbced5d4b"},"token":"Gki5LXhygY"},{"candidatename":"Winn Decker","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"DEM","person":{"biography":"Winn Decker (John Winston Decker) is the Democratic nominee for the North Carolina House of Representatives, District 37 (Wake County), on the November 3, 2026 general-election ballot against Republican incumbent Erin Par\u00e9 [1][2][3]. Decker won the March 3, 2026 Democratic primary with 50.3% of the vote, ahead of Marcus Gadson (38.1%) and Ralph Clements (11.6%) [1].\n\n## Background and education\nDecker earned a bachelor's degree from Rhodes College and a Ph.D. in Public Administration from North Carolina State University, with a focus on education policy, public budgeting, and program implementation [1]. He has lived in Wake County for more than a decade and now lives in Fuquay-Varina [2].\n\n## Career\nDecker's professional background is in education and workforce policy. Per his campaign site, he has worked at the James B. Hunt Jr. Institute for Educational Leadership and Policy \u2014 founded by former North Carolina Governor Jim Hunt \u2014 advising governors, legislators, and state leaders from both parties on strengthening public schools, expanding college access, and building the workforce, and says he continues that policy work nationally while remaining active in southern Wake County [2]. Ballotpedia lists his profession as policy analyst [1].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Winn Decker - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Winn_Decker) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-19\n[2] [Winn Decker for North Carolina House District 37](https://winn4nc.com) (campaign site) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-19\n[3] [NC State Board of Elections \u2014 2026 Candidate Listing](https://s3.amazonaws.com/dl.ncsbe.gov/Elections/2026/Candidate%20Filing/Candidate_Listing_2026.csv) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-19","firstname":"John","lastname":"Decker","middlename":"Winston","suffix":null,"token":"2ec0c5c986a73d84"},"token":"L9A6XtsfOs"}],"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 037"}