Robert Wayne Brinson JR

Bob Brinson is the incumbent Republican State Senator for North Carolina’s 3rd Senate District, seeking a second term in the November 3, 2026 general election. He was first appointed to the Senate by Governor Roy Cooper on July 30, 2024 to fill the vacancy left by Jim Perry in District 2, and was elected by voters in November 2024 to represent District 3, which covers Beaufort, Craven and Lenoir counties【1†L1-L4】【4†L4-L7】. In the 2025‑2026 session he serves on the Agriculture, Energy, and Environment Committee; the Appropriations on Agriculture, Natural and Economic Resources Committee; the Education/Higher Education Committee; the Senate State and Local Government Committee; and the Senate Transportation Committee【1†L13-L19】.

Born Robert Wayne Brinson Jr., he earned a Bachelor of Science in political science from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1991 and later completed a Master of Public Administration at the University of Oklahoma in 2010【13†L1-L4】. He served 28 years in the United States Army, holding command and inspector‑general positions, and was deployed to Somalia, Bosnia, Kuwait and Japan after the 2011 earthquake【13†L5-L9】. After retiring from the military he settled in New Bern, where he was elected Alderman for Ward 6 in May 2022 and later served as Mayor Pro Tem【13†L10-L13】.

Brinson’s political career began at the municipal level. As an Alderman he created a Pedestrian and Bicycle Committee to prioritize sidewalk and bike‑lane projects and represented New Bern on the Area Metropolitan Planning Organization and the Civil‑Military Affairs Commission at Cherry Point【13†L14-L18】. He also held leadership roles in the Craven County Republican Party, serving as County Chairman, Precinct Organizer and Human‑Resources Volunteer Coordinator, and is secretary of the North Carolina Federation of Republican Men【13†L19-L22】.

In the Senate Brinson has sponsored a range of legislation, including the Veterans Appreciation Act (SB 109), the Freedom to Carry NC bill (SB 50), the Disaster Recovery Act of 2025 (SB 56), and measures on public safety, agriculture and education such as the Agricultural Land Protection Act and school‑choice initiatives【3†L1-L20】【3†L71-L84】. His stated priorities for his 2026 campaign focus on strengthening public safety, protecting constitutional rights—including the Second Amendment—supporting agriculture and economic development, and expanding school‑choice and workforce pathways for eastern North Carolina residents【20†L1-L9】.

Brinson lives in New Bern with his wife Amy and their three adult children. He remains active in his community through church leadership, youth sports coaching and veterans organizations. Voters can contact him by phone at 252‑349‑3444 or by email at [email protected], and learn more about his platform at his campaign website.

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