{"biography":"Suzanne Gavenus is the Democratic candidate for the North Carolina House of Representatives in District\u202f85 in the 2026 election.  The North Carolina House is a 120\u2011member lower chamber; members serve two\u2011year terms, must be at least 21\u202fyears old, and must have lived in the district for at least one year before the election.  District\u202f85 covers the western mountain counties of Avery, McDowell, Mitchell and Yancey, and the seat is currently held by Republican incumbent Dudley\u202fGreene, who will appear on the November\u202f3,\u202f2026 ballot alongside Gavenus [1][19].\n\nGavenus is a lifelong resident of western North Carolina.  She has lived in Burnsville, Yancey County, for more than 23\u202fyears with her husband Gary, and previously lived and worked in Avery County.  She and Gary raised three children, two of whom graduated from the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics (NCSSM)\u2011Durham campus [13][14][15][18].\n\nProfessionally, Gavenus is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) with over three decades of experience in psychiatric hospitals, community outpatient clinics, private practice, wilderness programs, and both university and public\u2011school settings.  She earned an AAS in Mental Health Technologies from Virginia Western Community College, a BA in Social Work from Christopher Newport University, and an MSW in Clinical Social Work from the University of New England [18].\n\nSince August\u202f2022 she has served as Director of Counseling and Wellness at NCSSM\u2019s Morganton campus, where she oversees student counseling services, managed the campus\u2019s Naviance implementation, and participates on the school\u2019s Strategic Plan Action Team and Website Advisory Committee [18].  Prior to joining NCSSM, she was the Student Support and Transition Specialist for Buncombe County Schools, providing district\u2011wide professional development on college\u2011and\u2011career readiness, social\u2011emotional learning, and Section\u202f504 compliance, and she facilitated GoAlliance Academy courses for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction [18].\n\nGavenus\u2019s campaign emphasizes three core pillars: expanding affordable health\u2011care and mental\u2011health services for rural families; strengthening public schools and ensuring fair compensation for educators; and improving economic stability for working families through affordable housing, childcare, livable wages, and long\u2011term disaster\u2011recovery investments, especially in the wake of Hurricane\u202fHelene.  She describes herself as a \u201cpeople\u2011first\u201d leader who has spent her career listening to families, students, and educators when systems aren\u2019t working and helping them find real solutions.  Her platform is aimed at ensuring that the voices of Avery, McDowell, Mitchell and Yancey counties are heard in Raleigh [13][15][1].\n\nThe Democratic primary for District\u202f85 was canceled, allowing Gavenus to advance to the general election without appearing on the primary ballot [1].  She is actively campaigning across the four counties, leveraging her background in counseling and education to connect with constituents and advocate for policies that address the unique challenges of western North Carolina\u2019s mountain communities.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Suzanne Gavenus - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Suzanne_Gavenus)\n- [10] [Suzanne Gavenus for NC House of Representatives, ...](https://www.facebook.com/Suzanne.Gavenus.4NCHouse85/)\n- [13] [Suzanne Gavenus to Appear on November Ballot | WKYK](https://www.ourlocalcommunityonline.com/2026/04/20/suzanne-gavenus-to-appear-on-november-ballot/)\n- [14] [Burnsville resident Gavenus to appear on November ballot for NC House District 85 | News | averyjournal.com](https://www.averyjournal.com/news/burnsville-resident-gavenus-to-appear-on-november-ballot-for-nc-house-district-85/article_cc6107db-c412-4834-a490-9609c1b5dc42.html)\n- [15] [Suzanne Gavenus for NC House 85](https://sites.google.com/view/suzanne-gavenus-4-nc-house-85/home)\n- [16] [Suzanne Gavenus \u2014 Donate via ActBlue](https://secure.actblue.com/donate/suzanne-gavenus-1?refcode=directory)\n- [18] [Suzanne Gavenus | North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics](https://www.ncssm.edu/directory/suzanne-gavenus)\n- [19] [2026 primary election candidate list final as filing ends | Government | averyjournal.com](https://www.averyjournal.com/news/government/2026-primary-election-candidate-list-final-as-filing-ends/article_0b21a2f9-b383-4297-a5c8-ecae1110b203.html)","campaigns":[{"contest":"state_house_085","county":"avery","county_count":4,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Nc House Of Representatives District 085"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Suzanne","fullname":"Suzanne Leigh Biggs Gavenus","lastname":"Gavenus","middlename":"Leigh Biggs","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"state_house_085","contest_title":"Nc House Of Representatives District 085","county":"avery","county_count":4,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":null,"office_key":"state_house","office_title":"State Representative","party":"DEM","pgr":"general","state":"NC"}],"county":null,"cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"state_house_085","contest_title":"Nc House Of Representatives District 085","county":"avery","county_count":4,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":null,"office_key":"state_house","office_title":"State Representative","party":"DEM","pgr":"general","state":"NC"},"party":"DEM","primary":null,"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"state_house","office_title":"State Representative","state":"NC","terms":[]}],"summary":"Suzanne Gavenus, a Burnsville\u2011based counselor and NCSSM director, is the 2026 Democratic candidate for North Carolina House District\u202f85, focusing on health, education, and economic stability for mountain communities.","terms":[],"token":"1c9aba4971ce6e67"}