{"biography":"Philip Dean Hensley\u202fJr. is the Republican nominee for the North Carolina State Senate in District\u202f16 in the November\u202f3,\u202f2026 general election. The Senate seat will be contested after the primary was cancelled, leaving Hensley on the ballot alongside incumbent Democrat Gale\u202fAdcock and Libertarian Jonathan\u202fMiller [1].\n\nHensley is a lifelong North Carolinian, born in Newport and raised in the state. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he served as Archon of the Pi\u202fKappa\u202fPhi Kappa Chapter, a fraternity noted for its involvement in campus events [8].\n\nIn 2009 he moved to Cary and purchased Tobacconists of Cary, the Triangle\u2019s oldest premium cigar store. He has run the business for more than a decade, describing himself as a small\u2011business owner with 26\u202fyears of taxpayer experience. He is married to Danielle and they have a five\u2011month\u2011old son, also named Philip [8][19].\n\nHensley first entered electoral politics in 2024, running as the Republican candidate for North Carolina House District\u202f11. He earned 32.5\u202f% of the vote (15,910 votes) but was defeated by Democratic incumbent Allison\u202fDahle, who won 64.7\u202f% [1][19]. After that campaign, he announced his 2026 Senate bid, seeking to represent the broader Wake\u2011County area.\n\nHis stated priorities focus on advocating for Cary and small\u2011business interests. He emphasizes improving transportation, housing, and infrastructure in the Triangle, supporting road repaving and long\u2011range planning. Hensley backs school\u2011choice measures such as private\u2011school vouchers through the Opportunity Scholarship program, and he calls for higher raises for state employees, school staff, and teachers. He also notes a willingness to break with his party when it threatens personal freedoms [19][8].\n\nBeyond politics, Hensley is active in his community, highlighting his long residency in Cary and his role as a local entrepreneur. He continues to operate his cigar shop while campaigning for the Senate seat.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Philip Hensley - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Philip_Hensley)\n- [8] [Philip Hensley | NC House District 11](https://www.electhensley.com/)\n- [15] [Hensley For House (@Hensley4HouseNC ...](https://twitter.com/Hensley4HouseNC)\n- [17] [Who is Philip Hensley? - North Carolina House Of ...](https://lykelect.com/post/philip-hensley/9bdec3c4-f914-4f8b-a999-96a97f3cccd4/)\n- [19] [Republican Philip Hensley, candidate for NC House District 11, answers our questions](https://www.yahoo.com/news/republican-philip-hensley-candidate-nc-223629909.html)","campaigns":[{"contest":"state_senate_016","county":"wake","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Nc State Senate District 16"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Philip","fullname":"Philip Dean Hensley JR","lastname":"Hensley","middlename":"Dean","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"state_senate_016","contest_title":"Nc State Senate District 16","county":"wake","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":null,"office_key":"state_senate","office_title":"State Senator","party":"REP","pgr":"general","state":"NC"}],"county":null,"cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"state_senate_016","contest_title":"Nc State Senate District 16","county":"wake","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":null,"office_key":"state_senate","office_title":"State Senator","party":"REP","pgr":"general","state":"NC"},"party":"REP","primary":null,"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"state_senate","office_title":"State Senator","state":"NC","terms":[]}],"suffix":"JR","summary":"Philip Hensley is the Republican candidate for North Carolina State Senate District\u202f16 in 2026, a longtime Cary small\u2011business owner and former 2024 House candidate.","terms":[],"token":"a74d8b319e27b9b1"}