{"biography":"Michael Kennedy Garrett is the incumbent Democratic member of the North Carolina State Senate representing District\u202f27 and is seeking re\u2011election in the November\u202f3,\u202f2026 general election\u202f[1][10]. The Senate seat covers Guilford County, including Greensboro, where Garrett lives with his family. He was first elected in 2018, defeating Republican incumbent Trudy\u202fWade, and has been re\u2011elected in 2020, 2022 and 2024\u202f[10][1].\n\nGarrett was born in Raleigh, North Carolina, and earned a bachelor\u2019s degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2007\u202f[1][10]. He is a small\u2011business owner, serving as the managing partner of a family\u2011owned marketing firm\u202f[1]. His professional background informs his legislative focus on supporting local businesses and economic development\u202f[16].\n\nSince taking office on January\u202f1,\u202f2019, Garrett has served on a range of Senate committees. In the 2025\u20112026 session he sits on the Agriculture, Energy, and Environment Committee; Appropriations on Department of Transportation Committee; Commerce and Insurance Committee; Education/Higher Education Committee; Health Care Committee; and Rules and Operations of the Senate Committee\u202f[8][1]. Earlier sessions saw him on the Senate Transportation Committee, Redistricting and Elections Committee, and others\u202f[1].\n\nGarrett\u2019s legislative record includes sponsoring and co\u2011sponsoring bills aimed at expanding health coverage, improving public education, and protecting the environment. In 2019 he co\u2011sponsored SB\u202f3 to close the Medicaid coverage gap, and he has advocated for a statewide school\u2011infrastructure bond to address aging school facilities in Guilford County\u202f[16]. He introduced a \u201cPolluter Pays\u201d bill to hold polluters financially responsible for cleanup, reflecting his environmental priorities\u202f[16].\n\nHe has also worked on education policy, supporting bonus pay for teachers with master\u2019s degrees and backing Governor Cooper\u2019s budget that raised teacher salaries by an average of 9.1\u202fpercent over two years\u202f[16]. Garrett emphasizes \u201cpeople over politics,\u201d seeking to build a legislative majority that invests in health care, education, and a working\u2011family economy\u202f[13][12].\n\nGarrett\u2019s campaign is run through the website garrettfornc.com, which outlines his issues, endorsements, and volunteer opportunities\u202f[12]. Endorsements have come from education, labor, environmental, and health\u2011care organizations, including the Guilford County Association of Educators, North Carolina League of Conservation Voters, and the NC AFL\u2011CIO\u202f[15].\n\nIn addition to his Senate duties, Garrett maintains a public presence on social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook, where he comments on legislative matters and state politics\u202f[19][17].\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Michael Garrett (North Carolina) - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Michael_Garrett_(North_Carolina))\n- [6] [Paul Schumacher (North Carolina) - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Paul_Schumacher_(North_Carolina))\n- [7] [Senator Michael Garrett - Biography - North Carolina General Assembly](https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/Biography/s/414)\n- [8] [Senator Michael Garrett (Dem)](https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/Committees/s/414)\n- [10] [Michael Garrett (politician) - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Garrett_(politician))\n- [12] [Michael Garrett for NC Senate District 27 \u2013 Garrett for NC](https://garrettfornc.com/)\n- [13] [About \u2013 Michael Garrett for NC Senate District 27](https://garrettfornc.com/about/)\n- [14] [Michael Garrett - Vote Smart - Facts For All](https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/119411/michael-garrett)\n- [15] [Endorsements \u2013 Michael Garrett for NC Senate District 27](https://garrettfornc.com/endorsements/)\n- [16] [Issues \u2013 Michael Garrett for NC Senate District 27](https://garrettfornc.com/issues/)\n- [17] [Michael Garrett - NC Senate (@michaelgarrettnc)](https://www.facebook.com/michaelgarrettnc/)\n- [18] [Michael Garrett - NC Senate](https://www.facebook.com/michaelgarrettnc/posts/they-were-so-afraid-they-erased-the-wordsyesterday-i-stood-on-the-senate-floor-a/1216441893640361/)\n- [19] [Sen. Michael Garrett (@MichaelKGarrett) / Posts / X](https://x.com/MichaelKGarrett)","campaigns":[{"contest":"state_senate_027","county":"guilford","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Nc State Senate District 27"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Michael","fullname":"Michael Kennedy Garrett","lastname":"Garrett","middlename":"Kennedy","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"state_senate_027","contest_title":"Nc State Senate District 27","county":"guilford","county_count":1,"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_027","contest_title":"Nc State Senate District 27","county":"guilford","county_count":1,"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":"Incumbent Democratic NC State Senator Michael Garrett is running for re\u2011election to represent District\u202f27 in 2026.","terms":[],"token":"be7694a2b7ea2850"}