Howard Lassister Penny JR

Howard Lassiter Penny Jr. is the incumbent Republican member of the North Carolina House of Representatives for District 53 and is on the ballot for re‑election in the November 3, 2026 general election ¹². The North Carolina Constitution requires that a House member be a qualified voter, have resided in the district for at least one year before election, and be at least 21 years old; legislators serve two‑year terms with no term limits ².

Born August 5, 1947, Penny is a retired agribusiness professional who has spent his career in farming, sales, and manufacturing, now operating a fourth‑generation family farm ⁹¹¹. He has been active in local civic life, serving on the Harnett County Board of Education (2014‑2016) and the Harnett County Board of Commissioners (2016‑2020), where he held vice‑chair and chair positions and participated on planning, tax, and adjustment boards ¹⁹.

Penny entered the state legislature after the Harnett County GOP Executive Committee selected him to replace retiring Rep. David Lewis on the November 2020 ballot and to fill the resulting vacancy; he was sworn in on September 17, 2020 ¹⁹. He has been re‑elected in 2022 and 2024 and is seeking a fourth term in 2026. In the 2025‑2026 session he serves as Deputy Majority Whip and chairs the Local Government Committee, while also holding seats on Agriculture, Appropriations, Education‑Community Colleges, Environment, and Local Government committees ⁷¹¹¹.

During the 2021‑2022 session Penny was Vice Chair of the State Personnel Committee and served on Agriculture, Wildlife Resources, Appropriations, and Appropriations‑General Government committees ¹⁹. He has sponsored a range of legislation, including bills on driver‑license designations for autism (HB 21), restoring down‑zoning authority (HB 24), the Second Amendment Financial Privacy Act (HB 38), and the Protect Those Who Serve & Protect Act (HB 52) ⁸¹⁵. His legislative focus reflects his background in agriculture and public safety, and he has been appointed chair of the Agriculture and Environment Committee by the House Speaker ¹¹¹⁸.

Penny’s public service is framed by his statement that he works “much of his life in the Agriculture Industry… and has served thirty years on County Planning Boards, Tax Board of Equalization, Board of Education, and as County Commissioner,” giving him a perspective on how government serves taxpayers and businesses ¹¹. He resides in Harnett County and maintains a family farm, continuing to identify as a businessman‑turned‑legislator.

In the 2026 race, Penny faces Democratic challenger Kevin G. Thurman and Libertarian Christopher Sessions; the Republican primary was canceled, allowing him to advance automatically to the general ballot ¹.

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