Marcella Bragio Barbour

Current office and 2026 campaign

Marcella Bragio Barbour ran as a Republican candidate for the North Carolina House of Representatives in District 4, covering Duplin and Wayne counties ¹². In the March 3, 2026 Republican primary she received 18.3% of the vote against incumbent Rep. James Dixon, who won with 81.7% ²³.

Barbour's campaign focused on school safety and strong educational opportunities, addressing healthcare challenges in rural areas, and highlighting the importance of agriculture and small business in Duplin and Wayne counties, per her campaign website ¹.

Background and education

Barbour was born in Brazil and grew up on her grandparents' farm; her campaign biography credits that upbringing with teaching her that hard work matters and that farms and small businesses are the backbone of strong communities ¹. She later became a naturalized U.S. citizen. Per her campaign biography, she earned both a bachelor's and a master's degree in business administration from the Federal University of Viçosa in Brazil, along with additional certifications from Harvard University ¹.

Career

After becoming a U.S. citizen, Barbour enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served as a Hospital Corpsman, gaining medical training in high-pressure environments, per her campaign biography ¹. Her professional background also includes leadership roles in human resources, public relations, and supply-chain operations across three countries, plus work in education and healthcare; she has taught at a Christian school and served as a substitute teacher ¹.

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