{"biography":"Evonne S. Hopkins is the Democratic nominee for North Carolina House District 35 in the 2026 general election, scheduled for November 3, 2026. The North Carolina House of Representatives is a 120\u2011member lower chamber that enacts state law, approves the budget, and represents constituents' interests; members serve two\u2011year terms and must reside in the district they represent\u30101\u3011.\n\nHopkins earned a Bachelor of Arts with Honors in Philosophy from Rollins College in 1998 and a joint JD/MBA from the University of San Francisco in 2003\u30103\u3011\u301020\u3011. She is licensed to practice law in North Carolina, California, and the District of Columbia, and in 2015 became a North Carolina Board\u2011Certified Family Law Specialist, a distinction held by roughly 1\u202f% of the state\u2019s attorneys\u301015\u3011.\n\nProfessionally, Hopkins runs the Raleigh Law Center, a family\u2011law practice she founded in North Raleigh, where she also serves as a certified parent coordinator. She volunteers with \u201cThe Child\u2019s Advocate,\u201d a Legal Aid project representing children in high\u2011conflict custody cases, and was honored with Legal Aid\u2019s Pro\u202fBono Hero Award in 2023 and again in 2024 for that work\u30103\u3011\u301015\u3011\u301016\u3011. Her civic involvement includes serving as former chair of the Family Law Section of the North Carolina Advocates for Justice and holding leadership roles on several state judicial committees\u301020\u3011.\n\nIn 2024, Hopkins narrowly lost the District\u202f35 race to Republican incumbent Mike\u202fSchietzelt, earning 47.1\u202f% of the vote to Schietzelt\u2019s 50.3\u202f%\u30101\u3011. The Democratic primary for 2026 was canceled, allowing her to advance automatically to the November ballot\u30101\u3011. Her campaign emphasizes fully funding public schools, supporting teachers, protecting reproductive rights, expanding affordable healthcare, addressing the district\u2019s rapid growth with infrastructure investments, and promoting clean air, water, and renewable energy. She also pledges to support small\u2011business owners, improve public transportation, and ensure law\u2011enforcement agencies have adequate resources\u30103\u3011\u301015\u3011\u301018\u3011.\n\nHopkins, 48, lives in North Raleigh with her husband, Joe, and their two children. She describes herself as a mother, small\u2011business owner, and lifelong North Carolinian, drawing on her legal experience and community service to advocate for families and children in the General Assembly\u30103\u3011\u301015\u3011.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Evonne Hopkins - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Evonne_Hopkins)\n- [3] [Democrat for NC House: Elect Evonne Hopkins for a Safer, Stronger North Carolina](https://www.hopkinsforhouse.com/)\n- [14] [Evonne Hopkins - Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee](https://dlcc.org/candidates/evonne-hopkins/)\n- [15] [Candidate Questionnaire: Evonne Hopkins, NC House District 35](https://indyweek.com/news/elections-news/candidate-questionnaire-evonne-hopkins-nc-house-district-35/)\n- [16] [Join States Win in supporting Evonne Hopkins!](https://secure.actblue.com/donate/sd188-nc-hopkins-nj)\n- [17] [Evonne Hopkins for House District 35 | North Carolina Asian Americans Together in Action (NCAATIA)](https://ncaatinaction.org/endorsement/evonne-hopkins-for-house-district-35/)\n- [18] [In Wake County\u2019s House District 35, Democrat Evonne Hopkins is Running Against a GOP Candidate With Extremist Ties - NC Voices](https://ncvoices.com/in-wake-countys-house-district-35-democrat-evonne-hopkins-is-running-against-a-gop-candidate-with-extremist-ties/)\n- [20] [Democratic Evonne Hopkins, candidate for NC House District 35, answers our questions - AOL](https://www.aol.com/news/democratic-evonne-hopkins-candidate-nc-132458780.html)","campaigns":[{"contest":"state_house_035","county":"wake","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Nc House Of Representatives District 035"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Evonne","fullname":"Evonne Sammartino Hopkins","lastname":"Hopkins","middlename":"Sammartino","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"state_house_035","contest_title":"Nc House Of Representatives District 035","county":"wake","county_count":1,"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_035","contest_title":"Nc House Of Representatives District 035","county":"wake","county_count":1,"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":"Evonne Hopkins, a family\u2011law attorney and small\u2011business owner, is the Democratic candidate for North Carolina House District\u202f35 in 2026.","terms":[],"token":"9804c7cef2b51447"}