{"biography":"Dontario \"Don\" Hardy is the incumbent mayor of Kinston, North Carolina, and is the Democratic candidate for the North Carolina House of Representatives District\u202f12 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].\n\nHardy 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\u2019s public safety division [19].\n\nHis transition to elected office began after Hurricane Matthew\u2019s 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\u2011elected 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].\n\nIn 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\u202f12, where he will face incumbent Republican Chris Humphrey in the November\u202f3,\u202f2026 general election. The Democratic primary was cancelled, allowing Hardy to advance without a primary contest [1].\n\nHardy\u2019s career reflects a blend of military discipline, law\u2011enforcement experience, and local\u2011government leadership, positioning him to address both city\u2011level concerns and broader legislative priorities for his district.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Don Hardy - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Don_Hardy)\n- [4] [Don Hardy (Mayor of Kinston, North Carolina, candidate 2025) - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Don_Hardy_(Mayor_of_Kinston,_North_Carolina,_candidate_2025))\n- [10] [Kinston, North Carolina - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinston,_North_Carolina)\n- [17] [Mayor Dontario Hardy, EPS' Post](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mayor-dontario-hardy-eps-7b0ba741_on-behalf-of-the-city-of-kinston-north-carolina-activity-7288010645097136128-0fGj)\n- [19] [Q&A with Kinston Mayor Dontario Hardy \u2014 Neuse News](https://www.neusenews.com/index/2018/6/11/qa-with-kinston-mayor-dontario-hardy)\n- [20] [Dontario 'Don' Hardy wins second term as Kinston's mayor | Local News | kinston.com](https://www.kinston.com/news/local/dontario-don-hardy-wins-second-term-as-kinstons-mayor/article_dc7b9d3d-1d0d-507f-a094-548059bae34c.html)","campaigns":[{"contest":"state_house_012","county":"greene","county_count":3,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Nc House Of Representatives District 012"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Dontario","fullname":"Dontario Damario Hardy","lastname":"Hardy","middlename":"Damario","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"state_house_012","contest_title":"Nc House Of Representatives District 012","county":"greene","county_count":3,"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_012","contest_title":"Nc House Of Representatives District 012","county":"greene","county_count":3,"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":"Dontario \"Don\" Hardy, mayor of Kinston, NC, is the Democratic candidate for the state House District\u202f12 in 2026.","terms":[],"token":"6a3a5e28d2b65891"}