{"biography":"Celeste Cairns is the incumbent Republican member of the North Carolina House of Representatives for District\u202f13, encompassing all of Carteret County and parts of Craven County. She is on the ballot for re\u2011election in the November\u202f3,\u202f2026 general election for the same seat[1][14].\n\nBorn Celeste Coppage in Valdosta, Georgia, Cairns now resides in Emerald Isle, North Carolina. She earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Georgia, graduating with honors[14][17]. Before entering politics she worked as a Certified Public Accountant, holding positions in the audit and consulting divisions of Deloitte, Willis Corroon Corporation, and HCA Healthcare Corporation[1][16].\n\nCairns first won election to the state House in 2022, assuming office on January\u202f1,\u202f2023, and was re\u2011elected in 2024 with 71.3\u202f% of the vote over Democrat Katie Tomberlin[1][14]. During the 2023\u20112024 legislative session she served on the Appropriations Committee, the Appropriations\u2011Agriculture and Economic Resources Committee, the Banking Committee, the Energy and Public Utilities Committee, the Marine Resources and Aquaculture Committee (as Vice Chair), and the Military and Veterans Affairs Committee[1][14]. In the 2025\u20112026 session she was appointed House Deputy Majority Whip[11][16].\n\nIn addition to her committee work, Cairns has sponsored legislation on issues ranging from coastal resource management to business regulation, though a complete list is maintained on legislative tracking sites[1]. She also ran unsuccessfully in the 2019 Republican primary for North Carolina\u2019s 3rd congressional district special election[14].\n\nCairns\u2019 campaign platform emphasizes conservative values: protecting the sanctity of life, defending the Second Amendment, supporting military families and veterans, reducing regulatory burdens on small businesses, and securing election integrity through voter\u2011ID measures[17][18]. She highlights her experience as a military spouse of a U.S. Army Special Forces officer and her involvement in local GOP leadership, including roles on the Carteret County GOP Executive Committee and as Chairman of the Emerald Isle Precinct[17].\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Celeste Cairns - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Celeste_Cairns)\n- [11] [Representative Celeste C. Cairns - Biography - North Carolina General Assembly](https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/Biography/H/797)\n- [14] [Celeste Cairns - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celeste_Cairns)\n- [16] [Celeste Cairns' Biography](https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/biography/186252/celeste-cairns)\n- [17] [HOME | Celeste Cairns, NC](https://www.celestefornc.com/)\n- [18] [THE ISSUES | Celeste Cairns, NC](https://www.celestefornc.com/copy-of-home)\n- [19] [Club for Growth PAC Endorses Celeste Cairns in North Carolina\u2019s 3rd Congressional District](https://www.clubforgrowth.org/club-for-growth-pac-endorses-celeste-cairns-in-north-carolinas-3rd-congressional-district/)","campaigns":[{"contest":"state_house_013","county":"carteret","county_count":2,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Nc House Of Representatives District 013"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Celeste","fullname":"Celeste Coppage Cairns","lastname":"Cairns","middlename":"Coppage","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"state_house_013","contest_title":"Nc House Of Representatives District 013","county":"carteret","county_count":2,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":null,"office_key":"state_house","office_title":"State Representative","party":"REP","pgr":"general","state":"NC"}],"county":null,"cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"state_house_013","contest_title":"Nc House Of Representatives District 013","county":"carteret","county_count":2,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":null,"office_key":"state_house","office_title":"State Representative","party":"REP","pgr":"general","state":"NC"},"party":"REP","primary":null,"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"state_house","office_title":"State Representative","state":"NC","terms":[]}],"summary":"Incumbent Republican Rep. Celeste Cairns seeks re\u2011election to North Carolina House District\u202f13, emphasizing conservative policies and a background in accounting and military\u2011family service.","terms":[],"token":"a98e952e6373e43c"}