Phillip Ray Shepard

Phillip Ray Shepard is the incumbent Republican member of the North Carolina House of Representatives for District 15 and is seeking re‑election in the November 3, 2026 general election ¹¹¹¹⁶. He represents Onslow County and has served continuously since first taking office in 2011, having been elected to eight terms in the state House ¹¹⁶²⁰.

Born on November 10, 1954 in Jacksonville, North Carolina, Shepard attended Jacksonville Senior High and later earned coursework at Coastal Carolina Community College ¹¹¹⁶²⁰. He spent 36 years working for the Traffic Management Office at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, retiring from civil service before entering full‑time politics. For more than a decade he also served as pastor of Lighthouse Baptist Church, a role he continues in a retired capacity ¹¹⁶²⁰.

Shepard’s legislative career began with his 2010 election to the House, and he has since held a variety of leadership positions. He is Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee and Chair of the Transportation Committee, as well as Chair of the Appropriations‑on‑Transportation subcommittee and a member of the Commerce, Education‑K‑12, Health, and Homeland Security, Military and Veterans Affairs committees in the 2023‑2024 session ¹⁹¹⁶. Over the past decade he has consistently chaired the Transportation Committee and served as Vice Chair of Appropriations, reflecting a focus on infrastructure and fiscal policy.

During his tenure Shepard has highlighted several policy achievements. He cites delivering lower taxes, promoting economic growth, and expanding transportation infrastructure for his district. In the 2023 session he helped pass a $95 million increase in K‑12 funding to support enrollment growth and to eliminate the waitlist for roughly 55,000 families seeking opportunity scholarships, underscoring his emphasis on school choice and education funding ²⁰. He also notes a record of constituent transparency through newsletters and open communication channels.

Shepard’s community involvement includes service on the Onslow County Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, the Little League Baseball coaching staff, and leadership roles with the NRA and the Onslow County Republican Party. He continues to reside in Jacksonville, NC, at 111 Vernon Shepard Lane, and maintains both a campaign email ([email protected]) and a legislative email ([email protected]) for constituent outreach ²⁰.

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