{"biography":"Gary Weart is the Democratic candidate for North Carolina State Senate District\u202f33 in the 2026 general election, scheduled for November\u202f3,\u202f2026. The State Senate is the upper chamber of the North Carolina General Assembly, responsible for drafting, debating, and voting on state legislation, approving the state budget, and confirming certain executive appointments. Senators serve two\u2011year terms and must represent the interests of their district\u2019s constituents while adhering to the Constitution of North Carolina and state statutes.\u202f[1]\n\nWeart is a longtime educator and community activist from North Carolina. He spent thirty\u2011three years as a public\u2011school teacher, administrator, and athletic coach before retiring. After retirement he has continued to work with the University of North Carolina, supervising student teachers and lecturing on non\u2011violence and conflict resolution. He lives with his wife Wanda in the state.\u202f[18][20]\n\nIn addition to his education career, Weart served in Army counter\u2011intelligence, carried the Olympic Torch for both the 1996 Atlanta and 2002 Salt Lake City Games, and has been involved in a variety of civic and athletic endeavors, including meeting members of the historic Green Bay Packers and playing fantasy baseball under manager Earl Weaver. He founded Students Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE), a network that grew to chapters in forty\u2011four states and seven foreign countries, and received the Presidential Service Award from President Bill\u202fClinton in 1995 for his anti\u2011violence work.\u202f[18][20]\n\nWeart\u2019s candidacy advanced without a primary contest after the Democratic primary scheduled for March\u202f3,\u202f2026 was canceled, placing him directly against incumbent Republican Senator Carl\u202fFord in the November general election. While his campaign platform details have not been published in the sources consulted, his public record emphasizes school safety, non\u2011violence education, and community engagement\u2014issues reflected in his memoir, *A Teacher Shoots Back: Targeting School Violence*, which chronicles his experiences in education, military service, and activism.\u202f[18][20]\n\nIf elected, Weart would bring his extensive experience in education, public service, and grassroots organizing to the legislative process, aiming to influence policies on public safety, education reform, and community health in North Carolina\u2019s 33rd Senate district.\u202f[1]\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Gary Weart - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Gary_Weart)\n- [15] [Candidate Profiles \u2013 NC Voter Guide](https://ncvoterguide.org/profiles/)\n- [17] [Gary Weart (@GWeart) / X](https://x.com/gweart)\n- [18] [A Teacher Shoots Back: Targeting School Violence by Gary Weart - Books on Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/books/details/A_Teacher_Shoots_Back_Targeting_School_Violence?id=5ZpBDQAAQBAJ&hl=en_US&gl=US)\n- [19] [A Teacher Shoots Back: Targeting School Violence: Weart, Gary R: 9780595465729: Books - Amazon.ca](https://www.amazon.ca/Teacher-Shoots-Back-Targeting-Violence/dp/0595465722)\n- [20] [\u200eA Teacher Shoots Back on Apple Books](https://books.apple.com/us/book/a-teacher-shoots-back/id1164466491)","campaigns":[{"contest":"state_senate_033","county":"anson","county_count":10,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Nc State Senate District 33"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Gary","fullname":"Gary Reynolds Weart","lastname":"Weart","middlename":"Reynolds","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"state_senate_033","contest_title":"Nc State Senate District 33","county":"anson","county_count":10,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":null,"office_key":"state_senate","office_title":"State Senator","party":"DEM","pgr":"general","state":"NC"}],"county":null,"cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"state_senate_033","contest_title":"Nc State Senate District 33","county":"anson","county_count":10,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":null,"office_key":"state_senate","office_title":"State Senator","party":"DEM","pgr":"general","state":"NC"},"party":"DEM","primary":null,"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"state_senate","office_title":"State Senator","state":"NC","terms":[]}],"summary":"Gary Weart is the Democratic candidate for North Carolina State Senate District\u202f33 in the 2026 election, a longtime educator and anti\u2011violence activist.","terms":[],"token":"b1c101ce11927a29"}