{"biography":"Rodney Donte Pierce is the incumbent Democratic member of the North Carolina House of Representatives for District\u202f27, a seat he has held since the start of the 2025\u20112027 term and for which he is seeking re\u2011election in the November\u202f3,\u202f2026 general election [1][6].\n\nThe North Carolina House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the state legislature. Its 120 members introduce, debate, amend, and vote on state laws, approve the state budget, and serve on standing committees that oversee policy areas such as education, public safety, and health care. Representatives also act as the primary liaison between the state government and the residents of their districts, handling constituent services, advocating for local interests, and responding to community concerns [1].\n\nPierce was born on October\u202f5,\u202f1978, in Landover, Maryland, and grew up in Halifax County, North Carolina, attending school in Roanoke Rapids [8]. He earned an associate degree from Halifax Community College in 2010, a bachelor\u2019s degree from North Carolina Wesleyan University in 2012, and a teaching licensure from East Carolina University (date not specified) [8][1].\n\nBefore entering politics, Pierce built a career as an educator and historian. He taught social studies in Halifax County schools, earning the North Carolina Council for the Social Studies Teacher of the Year award in 2019 and the Marathon Teaching Institute\u2019s African\u2011American Male Teacher of the Year in 2022 [8][15]. He served on the Governor\u2019s Teacher Advisory Committee and is a member of professional organizations including the North Carolina Association of Educators, the American Federation of Teachers, and the State Employees Association of North Carolina [1][9].\n\nPierce first won a legislative seat by defeating longtime incumbent Rep. Michael Wray in the 2024 Democratic primary by a narrow margin of 34 votes, a result confirmed by the North Carolina State Board of Elections [15][20]. He was re\u2011elected unopposed in the 2024 general election, receiving 31,914 votes (100\u202f% of the ballot) [1]. In the 2026 Democratic primary he again bested Wray, capturing 64.2\u202f% of the vote (8,679 votes) while Wray received 35.8\u202f% (4,846 votes) [1]. He now faces Republican Kenneth Bentley Jr. in the November 2026 general election [1].\n\nDuring his first term, Representative Pierce has focused on education funding, voting\u2011rights protection, public safety, and economic development for the \u201cNeglected Northeast\u201d of the state. He championed full funding of public schools through the Leandro Plan, co\u2011authored legislation to create a bipartisan Rural Violent Crime Task Force, and filed a formal protest and lawsuit (Pierce\u202fv.\u202fN.C. State Board of Elections) challenging congressional maps he says dilute Black voting power [17][15]. He also launched a \u201cBringing the Capital to the Constituents\u201d series to bring state officials to the district and organized community events such as the Eastern\u202fNC Civics Bowl and a district blood drive [17].\n\nPierce\u2019s stated priorities on his campaign website include fully funding public schools, defending the right to vote, supporting workers\u2019 rights and a living wage, and expanding affordable health care, housing, and equitable economic development for northeastern North Carolina residents [9]. He is endorsed by organizations such as Pro\u2011Choice\u202fNC, the Sierra Club of North Carolina, and former U.S. Rep. Eva\u202fClayton, reflecting his progressive platform [17].\n\nAs a legislator, Pierce holds the occupation of historian/consultant according to the North Carolina General Assembly biography and maintains a Capitol office at 16\u202fWest\u202fJones\u202fStreet, Room\u202f1421, Raleigh, NC\u202f27601\u20111096, with a listed phone number of 919\u2011733\u20115662 [6][11].\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Rodney Pierce - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Rodney_Pierce)\n- [6] [Representative Rodney D. Pierce - Biography - North Carolina General Assembly](https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/Biography/H/838)\n- [8] [Rodney D. Pierce - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodney_D._Pierce)\n- [9] [Rodney Pierce for NC House District 27](https://piercefornc.com/)\n- [11] [State Representative Rodney Pierce | BillTrack50](https://www.billtrack50.com/legislatordetail/29781)\n- [12] [North Carolina State Rep. Rodney Pierce - Biography | LegiStorm](https://www.legistorm.com/person/bio/516804/Rodney_Donte_Pierce.html)\n- [15] [Interview: NC House primary winner Rodney Pierce, a social studies teacher, on how he'll serve 'Neglected Northeast' | WUNC News](https://www.wunc.org/politics/2024-04-16/rodney-pierce-nc-house-roanoke-rapids-social-studies-teacher)\n- [17] [Rep. Pierce seeks another term | Local News | rrdailyherald.com](https://www.rrdailyherald.com/news/local/rep-pierce-seeks-another-term/article_a0b81366-5ed0-539c-a9fa-70774e9ede48.html)\n- [20] [Pierce wins HD-27 rematch against former Rep. Wray](https://www.carolinajournal.com/pierce-wins-hd-27-rematch-against-former-rep-wray/)","campaigns":[{"contest":"state_house_027","county":"bertie","county_count":10,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Nc House Of Representatives District 027"},{"contest":"state_house_027","county":null,"county_count":0,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Nc House Of Representatives District 027"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Rodney","fullname":"Rodney Donte Pierce","lastname":"Pierce","middlename":"Donte","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"state_house_027","contest_title":"Nc House Of Representatives District 027","county":"bertie","county_count":10,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":null,"office_key":"state_house","office_title":"State Representative","party":"DEM","pgr":"general","state":"NC"},{"contest":"state_house_027","contest_title":"Nc House Of Representatives District 027","county":null,"county_count":0,"electiondate":"2026-03-03","office_county":null,"office_key":"state_house","office_title":"State Representative","party":"DEM","pgr":"general","state":"NC"}],"county":null,"cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"state_house_027","contest_title":"Nc House Of Representatives District 027","county":null,"county_count":0,"electiondate":"2026-03-03","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":"Rodney D. Pierce is a Democratic North Carolina state representative for District\u202f27, an award\u2011winning educator now seeking re\u2011election in 2026.","terms":[],"token":"561992a7077b23c1"}