James Aubrey Roberson

James Roberson is the incumbent Democratic member of the North Carolina House of Representatives for District 39 and is seeking re‑election in the November 3, 2026 general election ¹¹⁹. The North Carolina House has 120 members who serve two‑year terms; District 39 covers parts of Wake County, including Knightdale, Wendell, Zebulon and southeast Raleigh ¹⁶.

Roberson was born on May 3, 1971, in Wilson, North Carolina, and grew up in the state ¹⁰. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Shaw University and a Master of Legal Studies from North Carolina Central University ¹⁰⁸. He is a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated ⁸.

Before entering state politics, Roberson spent more than three decades at Wake Technical Community College, retiring in 2021 as Senior Dean and Chief Campus Officer of the Western Wake Campus ⁵⁷¹⁰¹⁸. His work there focused on expanding access to higher education and workforce development, and he received the Order of the Long Leaf Pine for his service in 2021 ⁸.

Roberson’s elected public‑service career began on the Knightdale Town Council, where he served from 2007 to 2015 ⁷¹⁰. He was then elected mayor of Knightdale in 2015 and re‑elected in 2019, serving until his appointment to the state House in January 2021 ¹⁷⁸. Governor Roy Cooper appointed him to fill the vacancy left by Rep. Darren Jackson; the appointment became effective on January 13, 2021 ¹⁵.

In the General Assembly, Rep. Roberson has served on several key committees. In the 2021‑2022 session he sat on Appropriations, Appropriations‑Agriculture and Natural and Economic Resources, Insurance, Pensions and Retirement, and State Personnel ¹⁷. For the 2023‑2024 session his assignments expanded to include Education‑Community Colleges, Local Government, Transportation, and the House Select Committee on Helene Recovery, among others ¹⁸¹¹. He has also been a member of the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee and the Environmental Review Commission ¹⁰¹¹.

Roberson has sponsored legislation on a range of issues, from education funding to public‑safety initiatives, and has been recognized with several awards, including the Disabled American Veterans “Legislator of the Year” (2025) and the North Carolina League of Conservation Voters “Green Tie” Rising Star award (2022) ¹¹.

His campaign emphasizes support for public‑school funding, affordable housing, workforce development, and economic growth for his Wake County constituents ¹⁹¹⁶. As the 2026 election approaches, the Democratic primary was cancelled, leaving Roberson on the ballot alongside Republican Jorge Cordova and Libertarian Wayne Cockrell ¹.

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