Dontario Damario Hardy

Dontario "Don" Hardy is the incumbent mayor of Kinston, North Carolina, and is the Democratic candidate for the North Carolina House of Representatives District 12 in the 2026 general election. The state House seat requires the member to draft, debate, and vote on state legislation, serve on committees, and represent the interests of constituents in the district, which includes parts of Lenoir County and surrounding areas ¹.

Hardy was born and raised in Kinston and graduated from Kinston High School. After high school he enlisted in the United States Navy, serving four years aboard three ships and traveling internationally to locations such as Singapore, Australia, Hawaii, and Guantanamo Bay. Following his military service he attended Lenoir Community College, earning Basic Law Enforcement Training, and subsequently joined the Kinston Police Department, where he worked in traffic control for seven years and later served as a police sergeant for the UNC Lenoir Health Care hospital’s public safety division ¹⁹.

His transition to elected office began after Hurricane Matthew’s flooding in 2016, which motivated him to run for mayor to improve emergency response and community services. Hardy won the nonpartisan mayoral race in November 2015 and was re‑elected to a second term in 2020, defeating Mayor Pro Tem Felicia Solomon by more than 300 votes ²⁰. As mayor, he has emphasized building relationships with local, state, and federal partners, securing resources for infrastructure, workforce development, and housing, and coordinating emergency management during winter storms and other crises ¹⁷.

In addition to his municipal duties, Hardy is seeking to expand his public service to the state level. The Ballotpedia candidate page lists him as the Democratic nominee for House District 12, where he will face incumbent Republican Chris Humphrey in the November 3, 2026 general election. The Democratic primary was cancelled, allowing Hardy to advance without a primary contest ¹.

Hardy’s career reflects a blend of military discipline, law‑enforcement experience, and local‑government leadership, positioning him to address both city‑level concerns and broader legislative priorities for his district.

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