Ralph Edward Hise JR

Ralph Edward Hise Jr. is the incumbent Republican candidate for the North Carolina State Senate, District 47, seeking re‑election in the November 3, 2026 general election. The North Carolina Senate is a 50‑member body whose members serve two‑year terms, must be at least 25 years old, a qualified voter, and have resided in the state for two years and in the district for one year before election ². Senators earn a salary of $13,951 per year plus a $104 per‑day per diem ².

Hise was born August 15, 1976 in Mitchell County, North Carolina, and grew up in Spruce Pine. He earned a B.S. in statistics from Appalachian State University in 2000 and a master’s degree in higher‑education administration from North Carolina State University in 2003 ¹¹²¹⁶. He began his professional career as a faculty member at Mayland Community College, where he later served as Coordinator of Special Projects and Institutional Planning and Assessment Officer ¹¹⁶. He also held the office of mayor of Spruce Pine ¹⁶.

Hise was first elected to the North Carolina Senate in November 2010 and was sworn in on January 1, 2011 ¹¹². He has been re‑elected every two years since, most recently in 2022 where he received 62,436 votes ³. In 2019 he was appointed Deputy President Pro Tempore of the Senate, a leadership position he continues to hold ¹²¹⁶. Over successive sessions he has chaired key committees, including the Appropriations/Base Budget Committee, the Redistricting and Elections Committee, and the Health Care Committee, and has served on Finance, Pensions and Retirement, Rules and Operations, and several others ¹.

Legislatively, Hise has been a prominent conservative voice. He led the Senate’s opposition to a Medicaid expansion study (House Bill 998) and has sponsored anti‑transgender legislation restricting gender‑affirming care for minors ¹². He was involved in a 2017 campaign‑finance controversy that prompted an investigation by the State Board of Elections; he subsequently introduced Senate Bill 68, which restructured the Board, though the law was later struck down by the state Supreme Court ¹². Hise also helped forfeit a large donation from the Pfizer PAC following a state ethics ruling ¹².

Beyond the Senate, Hise is active in his community as a member of the Abundant Life Outreach Church, chair of the Mitchell County Republican Party, and a volunteer for the North Carolina Victory Campaign ¹⁶. He has been recognized with the American Conservative Union’s Defender of Liberty Award ¹⁶.

In the 2026 race, Hise faces Democratic challenger Frank Patton Hughes III. The Republican primary was cancelled, leaving Hise on the ballot for the general election ¹.

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