{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"David Bankert","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"David Paul Bankert is the Republican candidate for the North Carolina State Senate, District 15, on the November 3, 2026 general\u2011election ballot. The Republican primary for the seat was cancelled, placing him directly on the November ballot opposite incumbent Democrat Jay Chaudhuri [1].\n\nBorn in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Bankert earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University in 1978 and an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh in 1982 [1][15]. He resides in Raleigh, North Carolina, and lists a son among his family details [15].\n\nBankert\u2019s professional background spans engineering, manufacturing, construction, computer programming, and data work. He has described his career as involving \u201cjobs in the engineering, manufacturing, and construction industries\u201d [15][1]. No elected office has been held; his political experience consists of multiple runs for the state Senate. He was the Republican nominee for District\u202f13 in 2022, losing to Democrat Lisa\u202fGrafstein, and again ran for District\u202f15 in 2024, where he was defeated by incumbent Jay\u202fChaudhuri [1].\n\nIn his 2026 campaign, Bankert emphasizes reviving manufacturing in North Carolina and adopting \u201csensible crisis policies.\u201d He opposes legalizing sports betting, rejects state tax incentives aimed at attracting businesses, and stands against abortion access and state funding for abortion providers. His platform also supports mental\u2011health initiatives, \u201csolid, academic fundamentals\u201d in education, and policies that keep transgender women from competing on female sports teams. He advocates for election integrity, transparency, and protecting constitutional rights, and he opposes allowing schools to teach sexual orientation or gender identity to young children [15].\n\nBankert\u2019s campaign contact information includes a mailing address (PO Box\u202f58443, Raleigh, NC\u202f27658) and a phone number listed as 919\u2011215\u20115670 on VoteSmart\u2019s biography page [8]. A campaign website is provided at\u202fbank4ncsen.com [6].\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [David Bankert - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/David_Bankert)\n- [5] [iVoterGuide - David Bankert iVoterGuide Profile](https://ivoterguide.com/candidate/65217/race/17556/election/1206)\n- [6] [Vote-USA | David Bankert | Previous Candidate for State Senator District 15, North Carolina](https://vote-usa.org/Intro.aspx?State=NC&Id=NCBankertDavid)\n- [8] [David Bankert's Biography](https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/biography/207123/david-bankert)\n- [9] [David Bankert's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)](https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/political-courage-test/207123/david-bankert)\n- [13] [David Bankert For NC Senate](https://www.facebook.com/DavidBankertForNCSenate)\n- [14] [We are proud to endorse David Bankert for NC Senate!](https://www.facebook.com/WakeGOP/posts/we-are-proud-to-endorse-david-bankert-for-nc-senate/924367779724525/)\n- [15] [David Bankert platform & website | North Carolina State Senator, District 15](https://www.branch.vote/races/2024-nc-general-election-nc-state-state-senator-nc-state-senate-15/candidates/david-bankert)\n- [18] [David Bankert | BallotReady](https://www.ballotready.org/people/david-bankert)","firstname":"David","lastname":"Bankert","middlename":"Paul","suffix":null,"token":"0ee9c14e03f3767f"},"token":"hcm5vphnmy"},{"candidatename":"Jay J. Chaudhuri","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"DEM","person":{"biography":"Jay J. Chaudhuri is the incumbent Democratic State Senator for North Carolina\u2019s 15th Senate District, covering Raleigh, Cary, and Garner. He is seeking re\u2011election in the November\u202f3,\u202f2026 general election for a term that would run from January\u202f1,\u202f2027 to January\u202f1,\u202f2029. North Carolina State Senators serve two\u2011year terms, represent roughly 200,000 residents, and are responsible for drafting, debating, and voting on state legislation, approving the state budget, and providing oversight of state agencies\u202f[1][10].\n\nBorn Jyoti Chaudhuri on June\u202f8,\u202f1969 (some sources list August\u202f6,\u202f1969) to Bengali immigrant parents, Chaudhuri grew up in Fayetteville after moving from Chattanooga, Tennessee at age three\u202f[11][18]. He earned a B.A. from Davidson College, a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University\u2019s School of International and Public Affairs, and a J.D. with honors from North Carolina Central University School of Law\u202f[11][18].\n\nBefore entering elected office, Chaudhuri spent two decades working across all three branches of North Carolina government. He served as a special counsel to Attorney General Roy\u202fCooper, helping lead a multi\u2011state investigation that resulted in a landmark agreement with major social\u2011media platforms to protect children\u202f[18]. He later acted as General Counsel and senior policy advisor to State Treasurer Janet\u202fCowell, where he helped recover nearly $100\u202fmillion for pension and escheat funds and helped launch the state\u2019s $230\u202fmillion Innovation Fund\u202f[18]. Chaudhuri also taught as an adjunct law professor at North Carolina Central University and worked part\u2011time as counsel for the plaintiff firm Cohen\u202fMilstein\u202f[11][18].\n\nChaudhuri was first appointed to the North Carolina Senate on April\u202f19,\u202f2016 to fill the vacancy left by Josh\u202fStein in the 16th District\u202f[1][11]. After redistricting, he ran for and won the 15th District seat in 2018 and has been re\u2011elected in 2020, 2022, and 2024, most recently with 65.95\u202f% of the vote\u202f[1][11]. In January\u202f2019 his Democratic colleagues elected him Senate Minority Whip, the second\u2011highest leadership position in the chamber, a role he continues to hold\u202f[11][14][10].\n\nDuring his tenure Chaudhuri has served on numerous committees, including the Agriculture, Energy, and Environment Committee; Appropriations on Education/Higher Education; Senate Finance; Pensions and Retirement and Aging; Rules and Operations of the Senate; and the Senate Transportation Committee\u202f[1]. He has sponsored legislation on a range of issues, notably co\u2011authoring the Hate Crimes Prevention Act (SB\u202f794) that expanded protections for LGBTQ\u202f+\u202findividuals\u202f[14]. He has also championed funding for early\u2011grade class sizes, gun\u2011violence prevention measures in schools, and economic development initiatives such as attracting a major information\u2011technology innovation hub projected to create 2,000 jobs with salaries above the Wake County median\u202f[18].\n\nChaudhuri is the first Indian\u2011American elected to the North Carolina General Assembly\u202f[11]. He lives in Raleigh\u2019s Cameron Village neighborhood with his wife Sejal and their two children, both attending Wake County public schools\u202f[18].\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Jay Chaudhuri - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Jay_Chaudhuri)\n- [10] [Senator Jay J. Chaudhuri - Biography - North Carolina General Assembly](https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/Biography/S/395)\n- [11] [Jay Chaudhuri - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_Chaudhuri)\n- [14] [JayforNC | The Latest](https://www.jayfornc.com/thelatest)\n- [16] [Senator Chaudhuri | North Carolina | JayforNC](https://www.jayfornc.com/)\n- [17] [Senator Chaudhuri | JayforNC | Home](https://www.jayfornc.com/jayfornchome)\n- [18] [JayforNC | Meet Jay - Senator Chaudhuri](https://www.jayfornc.com/meetjay)\n- [19] [Vote Smart | Facts For All](https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/166590/jay-chaudhuri)","firstname":"Jay","lastname":"Chaudhuri","middlename":"Jyoti","suffix":null,"token":"21c05b407caf76b7"},"token":"keISIBUkZe"}],"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 15"}