Peter A Antinozzi

Peter A. Antinozzi is the Republican candidate for the North Carolina State Senate in District 32 in the 2026 general election, scheduled for November 3, 2026. The State Senate is the upper chamber of the North Carolina General Assembly; senators draft, debate, and vote on state legislation, approve the state budget, and provide oversight of state agencies and programs. They also serve on committees that shape policy on issues ranging from education to health care and taxation. ¹

Antinozzi holds a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences (also described as a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Texas‑Southwestern, Dallas) and a B.Sc. in chemistry and microbiology. He earned his doctorate in biochemistry and has built a research career focused on genomics, personalized medicine, and the biochemistry of diabetes. ¹²⁰

Professionally, Antinozzi is an Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine, Genomics and Personalized Medicine at Wake Forest University in Winston‑Salem, North Carolina. He has received the JDRF Award for research on pancreatic beta‑cell autoantigens and the American Diabetes Association Junior Faculty Award for work on type‑2 diabetes genetics. His scholarly work includes publications on biochemistry and internal medicine. ²⁰

Antinozzi first entered electoral politics in 2018, running in the Republican primary for State Senate District 31. He received 4.5 % of the vote, finishing behind incumbent Joyce Krawiec and Dan Barrett. The primary loss gave him experience in campaigning and highlighted his interest in state‑level policy. ¹

His decision to run stems from personal activism triggered by a groundwater contamination incident at his daughter’s middle school in Winston‑Salem. The episode exposed what he viewed as inadequate governmental transparency and fiscal management, motivating him to seek office to improve public accountability. ¹⁶

Antinozzi’s platform emphasizes education, health‑care affordability, tax reform, and fair redistricting. He advocates for open‑records laws for government functions, limited non‑medical expenditures by insurers, strengthened Certificate‑of‑Need statutes, and a transparent process for drawing legislative districts after the 2020 Census. He argues that voters, not politicians, should determine representation. ¹⁶

For the 2026 race, the Republican primary was canceled, allowing Antinozzi to advance directly to the general election where he will face incumbent Democrat Paul Lowe. ¹

Sources