Valencia Applewhite

Val Applewhite is the incumbent Democratic State Senator for North Carolina’s 19th Senate District and is seeking re‑election in the November 3, 2026 general election ¹⁸. The district covers most of Fayetteville in Cumberland County. As a state senator she serves on several key committees, including Appropriations on Education/Higher Education, Appropriations/Base Budget, Senate Finance, Health Care, Pensions and Retirement and Aging, and the State and Local Government Committee for the 2025‑2026 session ¹.

Applewhite earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in political science, attending Southern New Hampshire University and Strayer University ⁷. She is a retired United States Air Force veteran, having served before beginning her civilian career ⁷¹⁴. After military service she entered the real‑estate industry, working as a broker and eventually founding Val Applewhite Real Estate and Consulting ¹¹⁸.

Her first elected office was on the Fayetteville City Council, where she served from 2007 to 2011 (some sources note 2007‑2013) ¹¹⁴. She later ran for mayor of Fayetteville in 2013 and 2015, finishing second both times ⁷. In 2022 she won the Democratic primary and general election for the State Senate, succeeding Kirk deViere and taking office on January 1, 2023 ¹⁷. She was re‑elected in 2024 with 62.9% of the vote, defeating Republican Semone Pemberton and Libertarian Steven Swinton ¹¹⁴.

During her first term Applewhite sponsored legislation addressing PFAS‑contaminated drinking water in Cumberland County, securing $15 million and helping obtain an additional $35 million federal grant for clean‑water projects ¹⁴¹⁸. She has been a vocal opponent of North Carolina’s 12‑week abortion ban, voting against Senate Bill 20 and sponsoring bills to protect reproductive rights, including a constitutional amendment to codify pre‑Roe abortion access ¹³¹⁴. Applewhite also opposes the state’s Opportunity Scholarship program, arguing that taxpayer dollars should remain in public schools ¹³¹⁴.

In the 2025‑2026 session she continued work on health‑care access, veteran services, and economic development, including advocacy for the Interstate 685 extension to boost Cumberland County’s economy ¹⁰. Her committee assignments place her at the center of budgetary decisions for education, health, and state‑local relations, allowing her to influence policy areas central to her district’s needs ¹.

Applewhite’s campaign emphasizes clean water, reproductive freedom, public‑school funding, and veteran support. She maintains a campaign website (www.valapplewhitencsenate.com) and a campaign email address ([email protected]) ⁸¹⁸.

Sources