Raymond Edward Smith JR

Raymond Edward Smith Jr. is the Democratic nominee for the U.S. House of Representatives in North Carolina’s 3rd Congressional District in the November 3, 2026 election. After winning the Democratic primary with 56.6% of the vote (23,438 votes) against Allison Jaslow, he will face incumbent Republican Rep. Greg Murphy and Libertarian Daniel Cavender in the general election ¹¹²¹⁴.

Born in Goldsboro, North Carolina, Smith earned a high‑school diploma from Goldsboro High School and went on to obtain a bachelor’s degree in supply‑chain management from North Carolina A&T State University (1992), a master’s in public administration from North Carolina Central University (1998), and a doctorate in education leadership from Fayetteville State University (2020) ¹⁴¹¹. He served in the United States Army during the Persian Gulf War, later working as a military policeman and earning the status of a decorated veteran ¹⁴¹¹.

Smith’s professional career spans transportation and education. He has held positions as executive director of the Goldsboro/Wayne Transportation Authority, a statewide planner for the North Carolina Department of Transportation, and director of Wayne Interagency Transportation Inc. He also worked as a consultant, transportation professional, and teacher, and served on the Wayne County Board of Education, becoming the first African‑American at‑large member and later vice‑chairman of that board ¹¹¹¹⁰.

In 2018, Smith was elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives from District 21, representing parts of Wayne and Sampson counties. He served two terms (January 1, 2019 – January 1, 2023) and held the role of Minority Whip. During the 2019‑2020 session he served on the Appropriations, Military and Veterans Affairs, Transportation, and Health‑and‑Human‑Services committees; in the 2021‑2022 session he sat on Education‑Community Colleges, Local Government, Federal Relations and American Indian Affairs, Finance, and Homeland Security, Military and Veterans Affairs committees ¹⁴¹⁰.

After an unsuccessful bid for the North Carolina State Senate (District 4) in 2022, where he received 45.5% of the primary vote against incumbent Toby Fitch, Smith turned his attention to Congress. His congressional campaign emphasizes expanding rural health‑care access, increasing funding for public education, improving infrastructure (including broadband and transportation), and protecting working families through affordable health care and cost‑of‑living relief. He positions himself as a bipartisan voice, drawing on his legislative record and veteran background to appeal to a diverse electorate in the newly redrawn, more competitive 3rd district ⁶¹⁴²⁰.

Smith has secured endorsements from the Democratic National Committee, the Congressional Black Caucus PAC, and numerous local organizations. His campaign finance committee, “RAYMOND SMITH FOR NORTH CAROLINA,” reports total receipts of $115,666.76 and expenditures of $68,460.87 as of the latest FEC filing ².

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