{"biography":"Tom McInnis is the incumbent Republican State Senator for North Carolina\u2019s 21st Senate District and is on the ballot for re\u2011election in the November\u202f3,\u202f2026 general election.  He first won a Senate seat in 2014, began serving on January\u202f1,\u202f2015, and after the 2022 redistricting now represents District\u202f21, which includes Moore and parts of Cumberland County.  He will complete a sixth two\u2011year term if re\u2011elected, having served six terms in the chamber overall\u202f[7][1][17].\n\nThe North Carolina State Senate is the upper chamber of the General Assembly.  Senators represent roughly 200,000 residents, serve two\u2011year terms, introduce and vote on legislation, and sit on standing committees that shape policy and the state budget.  As a member, McInnis is required to attend regular sessions, meet with constituents, and oversee the implementation of state laws\u202f[1].\n\nBorn on April\u202f16,\u202f1954 in Richmond County, North Carolina, McInnis grew up on a family farm as the son of a farmer and a public\u2011school teacher.  He attended the Certified Auctioneers Institute at Indiana University in Bloomington and also completed coursework at the Reisch College of Auctioneering\u202f[7][8][9].\n\nBefore entering politics, McInnis built a career in the auction and real\u2011estate industries.  In 1983 he co\u2011founded Iron Horse Auction Company, where he has served as chief operating officer and principal broker for more than four decades\u202f[7][9][8].  He also spent eight years on the Richmond County Board of Education and held leadership roles on the Richmond County Economic Development Board, Planning and Zoning Board, and Board of Elections\u202f[7][9].\n\nIn the Senate, McInnis has held a series of senior committee assignments.  For the 2025\u20112026 session he chairs the Senate Finance Committee, chairs the Regulatory Reform Committee, and co\u2011chairs the Revenue Laws Study Committee, while also serving on the Agriculture, Energy & Environment, Commerce & Insurance, Education/Higher Education, and Transportation committees\u202f[1][3][9][8].  Earlier sessions saw him chair the Appropriations on Department of Transportation Committee and the Senate Transportation Committee\u202f[1].\n\nMcInnis has sponsored a wide range of legislation.  Notable bills include SB\u202f50 (permit\u2011less concealed\u2011carry), SB\u202f24 (government mandates and healthcare costs), SB\u202f153 (North Carolina Border Protection Act), and SB\u202f92 (Voter ID constitutional amendment).  He has also advanced bills on disaster recovery, zero\u2011based budgeting, and vocational\u2011education expansion, many of which advanced to floor votes in 2025\u20112026\u202f[6][14].\n\nHis work has earned multiple recognitions.  He was named Richmond Community College Foundation Citizen of the Year (2020), received the Henry\u202fW.\u202fLittle\u202fIII Community Leadership Award, Delta\u202fWaterfowl Legislator of the Year (2017), NC\u202fForestry Association Legislator of the Year (2016), and was inducted into the North Carolina Auctioneers Association Hall of Fame (1994).  He holds an A+ rating from the NRA Political Victory Fund and a 100\u202f% rating from the North Carolina Chamber of Commerce\u202f[7][9].\n\nBeyond the Capitol, McInnis is active in community service.  He volunteers with the Boy Scouts, participates in benefit auctions that have raised millions for charities such as Habitat for Humanity, hospice care, and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Foundation, and serves on the boards of several local nonprofit organizations\u202f[9].\n\nHis campaign platform emphasizes reducing regulatory burdens on small businesses, expanding vocational and technical education, increasing teacher pay and school\u2011choice options, combating the opioid epidemic, protecting Second\u2011Amendment rights, and supporting voter\u2011ID legislation.  He argues that rural North Carolina has been \u201cshort\u2011changed\u201d by state and federal policymakers and seeks to use his business experience to promote economic growth and government efficiency\u202f[9][17][1].\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Tom McInnis - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Tom_McInnis)\n- [2] [North Carolina elections, 2026 - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/North_Carolina_elections,_2026)\n- [3] [Senator Tom McInnis - Biography - North Carolina General Assembly](https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/Biography/S/389)\n- [5] [Candidate Lists | NCSBE](https://www.ncsbe.gov/results-data/candidate-lists)\n- [6] [Senator Tom McInnis's Introduced Bills - North Carolina General Assembly](https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/IntroducedBills/S/389)\n- [7] [Tom McInnis (North Carolina politician) - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_McInnis_(North_Carolina_politician))\n- [8] [Vote Smart | Facts For All](https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/biography/149828/tom-mcinnis)\n- [9] [About \u2014 Tom McInnis](https://www.mcinnisfornc.com/about)\n- [10] [Tom McInnis](https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/149828/tom-mcinnis)\n- [11] [Candidate Profiles \u2013 NC Voter Guide](https://ncvoterguide.org/profiles/)\n- [14] [Thomas McInnis - North Carolina Legislative Scorecard](https://thefreedomindex.org/nc/legislator/17437/)\n- [15] [Election legislation roundup: North Carolina State Senate | North Carolina | thecentersquare.com](https://www.thecentersquare.com/north_carolina/article_ac841211-bc50-5320-855b-5c8545f2f55d.html)\n- [17] [Thomas \"Tom\" McInnis | BallotReady](https://www.ballotready.org/people/tom-mcinnis)\n- [18] [Tom McInnis - North Carolina Candidate - Transparency USA](https://www.transparencyusa.org/nc/candidate/tom-mcinnis)\n- [20] [North Carolina State Sen. Tom McInnis - Biography | LegiStorm](https://www.legistorm.com/person/bio/241002/Thomas_Moses_McInnis.html)","campaigns":[{"contest":"state_senate_021","county":"cumberland","county_count":4,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Nc State Senate District 21"},{"contest":"state_senate_021","county":null,"county_count":0,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Nc State Senate District 21"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Thomas","fullname":"Thomas Moses Mcinnis","lastname":"Mcinnis","middlename":"Moses","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"state_senate_021","contest_title":"Nc State Senate District 21","county":"cumberland","county_count":4,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":null,"office_key":"state_senate","office_title":"State Senator","party":"REP","pgr":"general","state":"NC"},{"contest":"state_senate_021","contest_title":"Nc State Senate District 21","county":null,"county_count":0,"electiondate":"2026-03-03","office_county":null,"office_key":"state_senate","office_title":"State Senator","party":"REP","pgr":"general","state":"NC"}],"county":null,"cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"state_senate_021","contest_title":"Nc State Senate District 21","county":null,"county_count":0,"electiondate":"2026-03-03","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":[]}],"summary":"Tom McInnis is a Republican NC State Senator seeking re\u2011election in 2026, with a background in auctioneering, extensive committee leadership, and a platform focused on deregulation and education.","terms":[],"token":"a956d235592775e4"}