{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Deborah K. Ross","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"DEM","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n\nDeborah K. Ross is the Democratic U.S. Representative for North Carolina's 2nd Congressional District [3][4]. Her official biography states that she was sworn into the House on January 3, 2025 for her third term, representing a district that includes most of Wake County [1]. The Clerk of the House lists her as elected on November 5, 2024 and sworn in on January 3, 2025, with a Raleigh hometown and an office at 1221 Longworth House Office Building [4].\n\nShe has filed for re-election and appears on the November 3, 2026 general-election ballot, where the North Carolina State Board of Elections candidate-filing list shows her running against Republican Eugene F. Douglass and Libertarian Matthew Laszacs [12]. The 2026 election is being conducted under the congressional plan the North Carolina General Assembly enacted on October 22, 2025 as Senate Bill 249 / Session Law 2025-95, \"Realign Congressional Districts 2025\" [16], which the General Assembly's redistricting site identifies as \"Enacted in 2025, to be used for the 2026 election\" [17].\n\nFederal Election Commission candidate summary data covering the 2026 cycle through June 30, 2026 report $1,675,978 in total receipts, $1,075,801 in total disbursements, and $1,337,687 in cash on hand for her authorized campaign committees [13].\n\n## Background and education\n\nThe Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress records that Ross was born in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, on June 20, 1963, earned an A.B. from Brown University in 1985, and earned a J.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1990 [3]. Her official House biography likewise says she graduated from law school at UNC-Chapel Hill [1].\n\n## Career\n\nThe Biographical Directory lists her as a lawyer in private practice and as state director of the American Civil Liberties Union from 1994 to 2002 [3]. WRAL reported that before her legislative career she was \"state director for the American Civil Liberties Union\" [5]. Her official biography says that as a civil rights lawyer she helped to pass \"the South's first anti-racial profiling law and reforms to the state's juvenile justice laws\" [1].\n\nWRAL reported that after leaving the legislature she spent two years as a general counsel to GoTriangle, which provides mass transit service in Wake, Durham and Orange counties, and that she resigned that position as she weighed a U.S. Senate bid [5]. Her official biography says that later, in private practice, she \"worked to build North Carolina's clean energy future, helping to create thousands of jobs in the renewable energy sector\" [1].\n\n## Office history\n\nRoss served in the North Carolina House of Representatives from 2003 to 2013 [3]. Her official biography says she first ran for and won a Wake County seat in 2002 [1]; WRAL described her as a member of the state House Democratic caucus leadership [5]. State Board of Elections certified precinct results record her as the winning Democratic candidate in North Carolina House District 38 in the 2010 general election [6] and in House District 34 in the 2012 general election [7].\n\nShe was the unsuccessful Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2016 [3]. State Board of Elections results for that race record 2,395,376 votes for Republican Richard Burr, 2,128,165 for Ross, and 167,592 for Libertarian Sean Haugh [8].\n\nRoss was elected to the U.S. House in 2020 and took office on January 3, 2021 [3]. Certified precinct results record 311,887 votes for Ross, 172,544 for Republican Alan D. Swain, and 10,914 for Libertarian Jeff Matemu, roughly 63 percent for Ross [9]. In 2022 she received 190,714 votes to Republican Christine E. Villaverde's 104,155, roughly 65 percent [10]. In 2024 she received 268,662 votes to Swain's 128,164 and Green Party candidate Michael Dublin's 8,691, roughly 66 percent [11].\n\n## Legislative record and accomplishments\n\nRoss's official committees page lists her on the House Judiciary Committee (Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement and Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet); the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, where she is Ranking Member of the Energy Subcommittee and a member of the Environment Subcommittee; and the House Ethics Committee [2]. The Clerk of the House's member data for the 119th Congress records the same three full-committee assignments [4]. The Biographical Directory records Judiciary and Science, Space, and Technology assignments beginning in the 117th Congress, Rules in the 117th Congress, and Ethics beginning in the 118th [3]. Her official biography says she also serves as a Chief Deputy Whip and on House Democrats' Steering and Policy Committee [1].\n\nHer official biography states that 15 pieces of her legislation have been signed into law since she took office, \"including bills to increase funding for sexual assault nurse examiners, hold perpetrators of child sexual abuse accountable, enhance judicial ethics and transparency, and bolster North Carolina's offshore wind energy potential\" [1]. It also says she is the lead sponsor of legislation to strengthen the U.S. Center for SafeSport and introduced a bill to protect \"Documented Dreamers, the children of long-term visa holders\" [1].\n\nHer office's 2025 year-end report, released December 22, 2025, credits her with three bills signed into law that year and 15 since taking office, more than $34 million in federal resources and benefits returned to Wake County residents and small businesses since taking office, six town halls in 2025 (which the report says is more than any other member of the North Carolina congressional delegation), and reversals of Trump administration funding cuts affecting Wake County Public Schools, the investigation into toxic chemicals at N.C. State's Poe Hall, and women's health research [15].\n\nOn February 11, 2026 Ross voted against what her office called Congressional Republicans' \"SAVE America Act,\" legislation her office says would require documentary proof of citizenship and in-person registration for federal elections and would require states to turn voter rolls over to the federal government; her office says 69 million women who have legally changed their names would face added hurdles, including more than 2 million women in North Carolina whose birth certificates do not match their legal name, and that she had voted against an earlier version of the SAVE Act in April 2025 [14].\n\n## Sources\n\n[1] [About / Official Biography - Representative Deborah Ross](https://ross.house.gov/about) - U.S. House of Representatives, accessed 2026-07-30\n[2] [Committees and Caucuses - Representative Deborah Ross](https://ross.house.gov/committees-and-caucuses) - U.S. House of Representatives, accessed 2026-07-30\n[3] [ROSS, Deborah K.](https://history.house.gov/People/Detail/25769817694) - U.S. House of Representatives History, Art & Archives (Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress), accessed 2026-07-30\n[4] [Member Data, 119th Congress](https://clerk.house.gov/xml/lists/MemberData.xml) - Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, accessed 2026-07-30\n[5] [Ex-Wake lawmaker Ross enters US Senate race](https://www.wral.com/story/ex-wake-lawmaker-ross-enters-us-senate-race/14967485/) - WRAL, accessed 2026-07-30\n[6] [Precinct-level results, November 2, 2010 general election](https://dl.ncsbe.gov/ENRS/2010_11_02/results_pct_20101102.zip) - North Carolina State Board of Elections, accessed 2026-07-30\n[7] [Precinct-level results, November 6, 2012 general election](https://dl.ncsbe.gov/ENRS/2012_11_06/results_pct_20121106.zip) - North Carolina State Board of Elections, accessed 2026-07-30\n[8] [Precinct-level results, November 8, 2016 general election](https://dl.ncsbe.gov/ENRS/2016_11_08/results_pct_20161108.zip) - North Carolina State Board of Elections, accessed 2026-07-30\n[9] [Precinct-level results, November 3, 2020 general election](https://dl.ncsbe.gov/ENRS/2020_11_03/results_pct_20201103.zip) - North Carolina State Board of Elections, accessed 2026-07-30\n[10] [Precinct-level results, November 8, 2022 general election](https://dl.ncsbe.gov/ENRS/2022_11_08/results_pct_20221108.zip) - North Carolina State Board of Elections, accessed 2026-07-30\n[11] [Precinct-level results, November 5, 2024 general election](https://dl.ncsbe.gov/ENRS/2024_11_05/results_pct_20241105.zip) - North Carolina State Board of Elections, accessed 2026-07-30\n[12] [2026 Candidate Listing](https://s3.amazonaws.com/dl.ncsbe.gov/Elections/2026/Candidate%20Filing/Candidate_Listing_2026.csv) - North Carolina State Board of Elections, accessed 2026-07-30\n[13] [All-candidate summary bulk data, 2026 cycle](https://www.fec.gov/files/bulk-downloads/2026/weball26.zip) - Federal Election Commission, accessed 2026-07-30\n[14] [Congresswoman Ross Votes Against GOP Voter Suppression Bill](https://ross.house.gov/2026/2/congresswoman-ross-votes-against-gop-voter-suppression-bill) - Office of Rep. Deborah Ross, accessed 2026-07-30\n[15] [REPORT & VIDEO: Congresswoman Ross Releases 2025 Year-End Report](https://ross.house.gov/2025/12/report-video-congresswoman-ross-releases-2025-year-end-report) - Office of Rep. Deborah Ross, accessed 2026-07-30\n[16] [Senate Bill 249 / SL 2025-95, Realign Congressional Districts 2025](https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2025/S249) - North Carolina General Assembly, accessed 2026-07-30\n[17] [2025 NC Congressional Map](https://www.ncleg.gov/Redistricting/DistrictPlanMap/C2025E) - North Carolina General Assembly, accessed 2026-07-30","firstname":"Deborah","lastname":"Ross","middlename":"K","suffix":null,"token":"88a8efc09e3eaa91"},"token":"7Vp8wiUQci"},{"candidatename":"Matthew Laszacs","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"LIB","person":{"biography":"Matthew Frank Laszacs is the Libertarian Party nominee for the U.S. House of Representatives in North Carolina\u2019s 2nd Congressional District in the November\u202f3,\u202f2026 general election. The Libertarian primary for the race was cancelled, and Laszacs advanced to the ballot alongside Democrat incumbent Deborah\u202fRoss and Republican challenger Eugene\u202fDouglass [1].\n\nLaszacs is a 45\u2011year\u2011old business executive who holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, earned cum\u202flaude, and has spent roughly two decades in the private sector. He resides in Cary, North Carolina, and lists his campaign address as 3025 Olde Weatherstone Way, Cary, NC\u202f27513 on the Vote\u2011USA candidate profile [9]. His campaign website, matt4nc.us, provides additional contact information and policy statements [9][12].\n\nBefore seeking federal office, Laszacs ran twice for state\u2011level positions as a Libertarian. In 2024 he was the party\u2019s candidate for North Carolina House District\u202f41, receiving 23.4\u202f% of the vote (9,659 votes) against Democrat Maria\u202fCervania, who won with 76.6\u202f% [1]. Earlier, in 2022 he appeared on the ballot for State Senate District\u202f14, earning 2.9\u202f% (1,875 votes) in a race won by Democrat Dan\u202fBlue [1]. These campaigns gave him experience in statewide ballot access efforts and voter outreach.\n\nLaszacs\u2019 platform emphasizes reducing government intervention and expanding market\u2011based solutions. He advocates for lowering taxes, deregulating health\u2011care at the local level, and removing barriers that prevent new health\u2011care providers from entering the market, such as the Certificate of Need system [15]. He proposes granting full practice authority to nurse practitioners and pharmacists to increase access to primary and preventive care, especially in rural and medically underserved areas [16]. On education, he supports expanding educational savings accounts and private\u2011school vouchers to give families greater choice, while calling for market\u2011driven reforms to teacher compensation that allow educators to negotiate directly with employers [16]. Housing policy priorities include repealing exclusionary zoning laws and streamlining permitting to boost supply and affordability [16].\n\nIn addition to policy positions, Laszacs frames his candidacy as part of a broader effort to give North Carolina\u2019s sizable unaffiliated electorate a viable third\u2011party option. He describes the Libertarian Party as a \u201cbig\u2011tent\u201d organization that welcomes diverse viewpoints and seeks incremental progress toward greater liberty through voter education and grassroots campaigning [15]. While he has not held elected office, his repeated runs for state and federal seats demonstrate a commitment to building the party\u2019s presence in a state where Libertarians typically receive less than 1\u202f% of the vote [15].\n\nIf elected to Congress, Laszacs would join a small Libertarian caucus and aim to introduce legislation that aligns with his market\u2011oriented philosophy, focusing on health\u2011care reform, educational choice, and deregulation. His prior campaign experience, business background, and articulated policy agenda position him as a consistent Libertarian voice in the 2026 race for North Carolina\u2019s 2nd District.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Matthew Laszacs - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Matthew_Laszacs)\n- [2] [North Carolina's 2nd Congressional District election, 2026 - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/North_Carolina's_2nd_Congressional_District_election,_2026)\n- [3] [United States House of Representatives elections in North Carolina, 2026 - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections_in_North_Carolina,_2026)\n- [4] [North Carolina elections, 2026 - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/North_Carolina_elections,_2026)\n- [8] [2026 United States House of Representatives elections in North Carolina - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections_in_North_Carolina)\n- [9] [Vote-USA | Matthew Laszacs | Previous Candidate for State Representative District 41, North Carolina](https://vote-usa.org/Intro.aspx?State=NC&Id=NCLaszacsMatthew)\n- [12] [North Carolina Libertarian candidate Matthew Laszacs is ...](https://www.facebook.com/libertarianparty/posts/north-carolina-libertarian-candidate-matthew-laszacs-is-running-for-us-house-dis/1469600531188639/)\n- [15] [The Battle for Ballot Access: Third Party Candidates Strive for Change, And Votes, In North Carolina](https://indyweek.com/news/northcarolina/the-battle-for-ballot-access-third-party-candidates-strive-for-change-and-votes-in-north-carolina/)\n- [16] [Libertarian Matthew Laszacs, candidate for NC House District 41, answers our questions](https://www.aol.com/news/libertarian-matthew-laszacs-candidate-nc-175746509.html)\n- [18] [Our Campaigns - Candidate - Matthew Laszacs](https://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=550795)","firstname":"Matthew","lastname":"Laszacs","middlename":"Frank","suffix":null,"token":"262cf5bbe09720a7"},"token":"9mHUFV6P59"},{"candidatename":"Eugene F. Douglass","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":null,"party":"REP","person":{"biography":"Eugene Farley Douglass is the Republican candidate for the United States House of Representatives in North Carolina\u2019s 2nd Congressional District in the 2026 election.  A member of the U.S. House represents a congressional district by drafting and voting on federal legislation, serving on committees, and providing constituent services in Washington, D.C.\u202fThe seat covers a large portion of central North Carolina and is contested in the general election on November\u202f3,\u202f2026, after the Republican primary was cancelled and Douglass advanced automatically to the ballot\u202f[1].\n\nDouglass grew up in the Philadelphia area, graduating from Swarthmore High School.  He earned a bachelor\u2019s degree from The King\u2019s College in 1979, a graduate degree from the University of Connecticut in 1982, and a Ph.D. from North Carolina State University in 2010.  He also completed studies at Bethel Theological Seminary in San Diego\u202f[1].\n\nProfessionally, Douglass has worked as a scientist and is affiliated with the American Chemical Society, indicating a background in chemistry and research\u202f[1].  His scientific career has informed his public messaging, as reflected in recent campaign materials that emphasize \u201cchemists have solutions\u201d\u202f[17].\n\nIn the 2026 race, Douglass is running against incumbent Democrat Deborah\u202fRoss and Libertarian candidate Matthew\u202fLaszacs.  The Republican primary was cancelled, allowing him to appear on the November ballot without a primary contest\u202f[1].  While specific policy positions are not detailed in the available sources, his campaign branding highlights his scientific expertise and faith background (holding an MDiv), suggesting a platform that blends technical problem\u2011solving with conservative values.\n\nDouglass\u2019s educational credentials, scientific career, and affiliation with professional societies provide the experience he brings to a congressional role, where he would be expected to apply analytical skills to federal policymaking and represent the interests of constituents in North Carolina\u2019s 2nd District.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Eugene Douglass - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Eugene_Douglass)\n- [6] [Form 1 for Gene Douglass for Congress](https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/forms/C00372250/63826/)\n- [7] [Form 1 for Gene Douglass for Congress](https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/forms/C00372250/46577/)\n- [17] [Eugene F Douglass, MS, PhD on LinkedIn: Official Campaign Ad - Gene Douglass For Congress North Carolina District\u2026](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/efdouglass_official-campaign-ad-gene-douglass-for-activity-7167974935305388033-CzNI)\n- [18] [Eugene F Douglass, MS, PhD on LinkedIn: Raleigh News and Observer - Candidate for US House District 2 in NC, GOP\u2019s\u2026](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/efdouglass_raleigh-news-and-observer-candidate-for-activity-7164036961572237312-5Pll)","firstname":"Eugene","lastname":"Douglass","middlename":"Farley","suffix":null,"token":"2f3e5c62a5c587fe"},"token":"QZCM6jPeeM"}],"choices":null,"description":null,"district":null,"districtgroup":null,"districtgroupname":null,"districtname":null,"job_type":"us_representative","o.office":"us_house","office":"us_house","officedescription":"A United States Representative represents a single congressional district in the lower chamber of Congress, serving a two-year term. Representatives write and pass federal law, originate revenue bills, fund and oversee the executive branch, and serve constituents in dealings with federal agencies.","officequalities":"- Legislative craft at the federal level: reading, drafting, and amending federal statute, and knowing the law being changed.\n- Understanding of the district's economic and everyday concerns, and constituent-service capacity for casework with federal agencies.\n- Persuasion and coalition-building across party and factional lines to form working majorities.\n- Integrity: acting for constituents and the public good rather than personal gain, independent of undue influence.\n- Oversight judgment: the House funds and oversees the executive branch and the military.","officeterm":2,"officetitle":"U.S. Representative","partisan":1,"pgr":"general","quantity":1,"referendum":null,"source":null,"title":"Us House Of Representatives District 02"}