Laura Natividad Pichardo

Laura Pichardo is the Republican nominee for North Carolina State Senate District 23 in the November 3, 2026 general election. The district covers Caswell, Person and Orange counties. She also appeared on the ballot for the same seat in 2024, losing to Democrat Graig R. Meyer, and previously sought the U.S. House in North Carolina’s 6th Congressional District in 2020.

Born in Greensboro, North Carolina, Pichardo earned a B.S. in Economics from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2014 and an MBA from Winston‑Salem State University in 2018 ¹¹⁰. She worked as a global transaction services accounts‑payable analyst for a large corporation and later held a position at the Hanes Brandon plant in Winston‑Salem ¹²⁰. She has also served as Treasurer of the Caswell County Republican Party (2022‑2023) and is active in her local Catholic community as a teacher at Holy Infant Catholic Church ¹⁷¹⁰.

Pichardo’s campaign emphasizes economic development, balanced budgets, and educational support. She advocates for policies that attract new industries, provide grant programs for small businesses, and keep taxes low ¹⁷¹⁸. Her platform calls for expanding high‑speed internet in rural areas, investing in infrastructure such as roads and public transportation, and securing funding for public schools and vocational‑technical programs ¹⁷¹⁸. On fiscal issues, she supports a balanced state budget and prudent spending of taxpayer dollars ¹⁸.

On social issues, Pichardo identifies as a moderate Republican. She supports allowing abortions up to nine weeks, opposes taxpayer funding for abortion providers, and disagrees with assisted‑suicide legislation ¹⁰. She favors background checks for gun purchases and believes law‑enforcement agencies should be adequately resourced while opposing broad redirection of police funds to community programs ¹⁰.

Pichardo’s prior congressional run highlighted concerns about the national debt, proposing solar panels on federal buildings and an immigration fee to help reduce fiscal pressure ²⁰. She continues to promote policies aimed at job growth, community prosperity, and preserving individual liberties for her district.

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