{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Terence Everitt","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"DEM","person":{"biography":"> **Status update.** Sen. Everitt resigned from the North Carolina Senate effective May 1, 2026, and withdrew his candidacy for re-election; he will not appear on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot for District 18 [2][3].\n\n## Current office and 2026 campaign\nTerence Jason Everitt is a Democrat who represented North Carolina Senate District 18 (Wake and Franklin counties), taking office January 1, 2025 [2][5]. In April 2026 he announced his resignation, effective May 1, 2026, citing a desire to focus full-time on voting-rights advocacy work with the NC Voter Protection Alliance [3]. He also withdrew from the 2026 race; North Carolina's official 2026 candidate filing list for District 18 does not include his name [3][8]. Under state law, his vacant seat is filled by Democratic Party officials from the affected counties [3][7].\n\n## Background and education\nEveritt was born June 5, 1974. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Rutgers University and a Juris Doctor from The Catholic University of America's Columbus School of Law [1][5].\n\n## Career\nHe practices law as owner of the Law Office of Terence J. Everitt, focusing on business law and litigation [4].\n\n## Office history\nEveritt's political career began with an unsuccessful 2016 campaign for the NC House against incumbent Republican Chris Malone [1]. He won the House seat for District 35 in 2018 and was re-elected in 2020 and 2022, serving three terms from January 1, 2019 to January 1, 2025 [1][6]. In 2024 he was elected to the State Senate for District 18, defeating Republican Ashlee Bryan Adams and Libertarian Brad Hessel [6], and took office January 1, 2025 [2][5][7]. During the 2025-2026 session he served on the Senate Judiciary Committee, the Appropriations on General Government and Information Technology Committee, and the Pensions, Retirement and Aging Committee, before resigning effective May 1, 2026 [2][6].\n\n## Legislative record and accomplishments\nEveritt's 2024 campaign was endorsed by the Sierra Club, among other groups [6]. His campaign platform emphasized protecting reproductive freedom, investing in public education, expanding clean-energy jobs, and defending voting rights, per his campaign materials [4][5].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Terence Everitt - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terence_Everitt)\n[2] [Senator Terence Everitt - Biography - North Carolina General Assembly](https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/Biography/s/453) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-20, shows \"Resigned 5/1/26\"\n[3] [Wake County Democrat resigns from NC Senate :: WRAL.com](https://www.wral.com/news/nccapitol/north-carolina-democratic-senator-terence-everitt-announced-resignation-april-2026/)\n[4] [Terence Everitt platform & website | North Carolina State Senator, District 18](https://www.branch.vote/races/2024-nc-general-election-nc-state-state-senator-nc-state-senate-18/candidates/terence-everitt)\n[5] [Terence Everitt](https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/166616/terence-everitt)\n[6] [Terence Everitt - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Terence_Everitt)\n[7] [North Carolina State Senate District 18 - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/North_Carolina_State_Senate_District_18)\n[8] North Carolina State Board of Elections, 2026 candidate filing list (Candidate_Listing_2026.csv, dl.ncsbe.gov) \u2014 accessed 2026-07-20; no filing found for Everitt in NC Senate District 18 for the 2026 cycle.","firstname":"Terence","lastname":"Everitt","middlename":"Jason","suffix":null,"token":"7afe00d68c91adb7"},"token":"BKyrn8SSQs"},{"candidatename":"Chris Stock","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"Christopher Steven \"Chris\" Stock is the Republican candidate for North Carolina State Senate District 18 in the 2026 election, with the general election scheduled for November 3, 2026. The State Senate is the upper chamber of the North Carolina General Assembly, and each senator represents roughly 200,000 residents, crafting state law, approving the budget, and confirming certain executive appointments. Stock secured the Republican nomination by winning the March 3, 2026 primary, receiving 60.6% of the vote (7,629 votes) against Cheryl Caulfield\u2019s 39.4% (4,969 votes)\u30101\u3011.\n\nStock is a Wake Forest\u2011based attorney who has lived in North Carolina since his family moved from New Jersey in 2005. He grew up as the son of a small\u2011business owner and a substitute teacher and was the first in his family to graduate from college\u301019\u3011\u301017\u3011. After completing his undergraduate studies, he attended law school (the specific institution is not named in the sources) and gained early political experience by working in the office of former State Senator Brent Jackson, focusing on advocacy for special\u2011needs children\u2019s education\u301017\u3011. He later entered the public\u2011affairs sector and eventually founded his own law practice in Wake Forest\u301019\u3011. Currently, Stock serves as General Counsel for Kairos Government Affairs, advising clients on policy matters before the state legislature and agencies, with expertise in transportation, energy, and health\u2011care issues\u301017\u3011.\n\nIn his campaign, Stock emphasizes reducing the cost of living for residents. He proposes tax credits for first\u2011time homebuyers and small\u2011business owners, an expanded North Carolina child tax credit, and a freeze on property\u2011tax increases for seniors and veterans. He also pledges to eliminate taxes on tips and overtime, cut regulatory red tape, and invest in local infrastructure to spur economic growth in Granville and Wake counties. His platform further highlights public\u2011safety, education, and support for small\u2011business development as key priorities\u30101\u3011\u301010\u3011.\n\nBeyond his professional work, Stock volunteers with youth\u2011sports programs and participates in several local community organizations in Wake County\u301019\u3011. He describes his motivation for seeking office as a desire to apply his legislative knowledge and legal experience to deliver \u201cmeaningful change\u201d for constituents in northern Wake and Granville counties, positioning himself as a candidate who can navigate the legislative process from day one\u301019\u3011.\n\nIf elected, Stock would join the 50\u2011member Senate, where he would be expected to attend regular sessions, serve on committees, and represent the interests of his district\u2019s residents in the state\u2019s law\u2011making process. His background in law, public affairs, and community service aligns with the responsibilities of a state senator, which include drafting legislation, overseeing the state budget, and providing constituent services.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Chris Stock - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Chris_Stock)\n- [10] [Vote Chris Stock for North Carolina Senate](https://stockfornc.com/)\n- [16] [Chris Stock - Kairos Government Affairs LLC - Biography | LegiStorm](https://www.legistorm.com/person/bio/375825/Christopher_Stock.html)\n- [17] [General Counseling With Christopher Stock \u2014 Legistracker | Time-Saving State Legislative Bill Tracking Software](http://legistracker.squarespace.com/blog/general-counseling-with-christopher-stock)\n- [19] [Chris Stock enters NC Senate race, pledges focus on education, economy...](https://www.wakeweekly.com/news/chris-stock-enters-nc-senate-race-pledges-focus-on-education-economy-and-local-leadership-e0181dbe)","firstname":"Christopher","lastname":"Stock","middlename":"Steven","suffix":null,"token":"1de846ccc683de68"},"token":"Y5CaHzlIbe"},{"candidatename":"Brad Hessel","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"LIB","person":{"biography":"Brad Evert Hessel is the Libertarian Party candidate for the North Carolina State Senate, District 18, on the November 3, 2026 general\u2011election ballot.  The state Senate is the upper chamber of the North Carolina General Assembly; senators draft, debate, and vote on state laws, approve the state budget, and represent the interests of their district\u2019s constituents.  Hessel will seek to fill the seat currently held by Democrat Terence Everitt.\n\nHessel was born in New York, New York, and attended Sleepy Hollow High School before enrolling at Phillips Exeter Academy.  He earned a Bachelor of Arts from Brown University in 1975\u202f[1][11].  His professional background spans management consulting, simulation design and development, game and magazine publishing, technical writing and training, software pricing schema design, and corporate web\u2011architecture design\u202f[1].\n\nBeyond his private\u2011sector work, Hessel has been active in a range of civic and political organizations.  He has served on the Raleigh North Citizens Advisory Council, the Beth Meyer Social Action Committee, and the Wake County Libertarian Party\u202f[1].  Additional affiliations listed on his iVoterGuide profile include the Capital Area Soccer League (as a high\u2011school subdivision coordinator and coach) and the Libertarian Party of North Carolina, where he has held the role of Executive Director\u202f[11].\n\nHessel previously ran for the same Senate seat in 2024, receiving 3.2\u202f% of the vote (3,906 votes) in a three\u2011way race won by the Democratic incumbent\u202f[1].  He also sought the seat in 2016 and 2018, according to his iVoterGuide filing\u202f[11].  In the 2026 cycle, the Libertarian primary was cancelled, allowing Hessel to advance automatically to the general election\u202f[1].\n\nDuring the 2024\u20112025 campaign season, Hessel announced an endorsement from the North Carolina Forward Party\u202f[10] and spoke at the \u201cMore Voices More Choices\u201d rally, urging counties and municipalities to adopt instant\u2011runoff (ranked\u2011choice) voting for local elections\u202f[10].  His platform emphasizes expanding electoral choice, protecting civil liberties, and limiting the deployment of North Carolina National Guard troops overseas without a formal congressional declaration of war\u202f[11].\n\nFinancial disclosures filed with Transparency USA show Hessel\u2019s 2024 campaign raised $1,090 and spent $1,143, with expenditures including a canvassing service, web hosting, and payment\u2011processing fees\u202f[20].  While no campaign\u2011issued email address or phone number appears in the publicly available sources, his campaign website provides further information and contact options\u202f[10].\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Brad Hessel - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Brad_Hessel)\n- [10] [Elect Brad Hessel | Reclaim Your State](https://electbradhessel.org)\n- [11] [iVoterGuide - Brad Hessel iVoterGuide Profile](https://ivoterguide.com/candidate/79702/race/11230/election/1206)\n- [20] [Brad Hessel - North Carolina Candidate - Transparency USA](https://www.transparencyusa.org/nc/candidate/brad-hessel)","firstname":"Brad","lastname":"Hessel","middlename":"Evert","suffix":null,"token":"6d0ba09206150090"},"token":"n4JGvRqRME"}],"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 18"}