{"biography":"Frank Iler is the incumbent Republican candidate for the North Carolina House of Representatives, District 17, on the November 3, 2026 general ballot.  The North Carolina House requires members to meet the constitutional qualifications for state legislators \u2013 being at least 21 years old, a U.S. citizen, and a resident of the district for a minimum period before the election \u2013 and to file the appropriate paperwork with the State Board of Elections [4].\n\nBorn Francis Robertson Iler\u202fJr. on January\u202f10,\u202f1942, he earned a B.A. in business from Campbell University and spent much of his career as a businessman and accountant before retiring [1][9].  He lives in Oak Island (formerly listed in Calabash) in Brunswick County, North Carolina, and is active in his local Baptist church and community organizations such as the Boy Scouts and the Brunswick County Republican Party [10][11].\n\nIler entered the General Assembly in 2009 when he was appointed to fill the vacancy left by Bonner Stiller\u2019s resignation.  Since then he has been re\u2011elected every two years, most recently advancing from the March\u202f3,\u202f2026 Republican primary and filing for the 2026 general election to again represent District\u202f17, which covers Brunswick County and parts of the coastal region [1][9][15].\n\nDuring his tenure Iler has served on a wide range of committees, often in leadership roles.  He has been Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee, Chair of the Appropriations\u2011Transportation Committee, Chair of the Environment Committee, and Chair of the House Transportation Committee in recent sessions.  He has also sat on the Commerce, Education\u2011K\u201112, Election Law and Campaign Finance Reform, Marine Resources and Aquaculture, and Wildlife Resources committees, among others [1][12].\n\nIler\u2019s legislative record emphasizes low taxes, public safety, and conservative social policies.  According to his campaign website, he helped cut personal and corporate income tax rates, supported the enactment of voter\u2011ID requirements, and voted to override the governor\u2019s veto on bills restricting transgender participation in girls\u2019 sports and on the Parents\u2019 Bill of Rights.  He also backed the Illegal Alien Enforcement Act and championed the PFAS Pollution and Polluter Liability Act in 2025, securing funding for clean\u2011water and coastal\u2011protection projects in his district [11].\n\nOutside the legislature, Iler has held leadership positions within the Republican Party, serving as former chair of the 7th Congressional District Republican Party and the Brunswick County Republican Party, and he has been a member of the Brunswick Community College Board of Trustees.  He is an Eagle Scout and a deacon at Southport Baptist Church, reflecting long\u2011standing community involvement [10].\n\nIf elected to another term, Iler will continue to represent District\u202f17 in the North Carolina House, where he will be expected to legislate on matters ranging from budgeting and transportation to education and environmental protection, all while adhering to the constitutional qualifications and procedural rules governing state legislators.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Frank Iler - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Frank_Iler)\n- [4] [Representative Frank Iler - Biography - North Carolina General Assembly](https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/Biography/H/598)\n- [9] [Frank Iler - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Iler)\n- [10] [Meet Civic Sage - Vote Smart - Facts For All](https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/biography/112440/frank-iler-jr)\n- [11] [Frank Iler for N.C. House \u2013 Brunswick County, N.C.](https://ilerforhouse.com/)\n- [15] [Francis \"Frank\" Iler | BallotReady](https://www.ballotready.org/people/frank-iler)\n- [18] [North Carolina State Rep. Frank Iler - Biography | LegiStorm](https://www.legistorm.com/person/bio/192855/Francis_Robertson_Iler_Jr_.html)","campaigns":[{"contest":"state_house_017","county":"brunswick","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Nc House Of Representatives District 017"},{"contest":"state_house_017","county":null,"county_count":0,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Nc House Of Representatives District 017"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Francis","fullname":"Francis Robertson Iler JR","lastname":"Iler","middlename":"Robertson","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"state_house_017","contest_title":"Nc House Of Representatives District 017","county":"brunswick","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":null,"office_key":"state_house","office_title":"State Representative","party":"REP","pgr":"general","state":"NC"},{"contest":"state_house_017","contest_title":"Nc House Of Representatives District 017","county":null,"county_count":0,"electiondate":"2026-03-03","office_county":null,"office_key":"state_house","office_title":"State Representative","party":"REP","pgr":"general","state":"NC"}],"county":null,"cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"state_house_017","contest_title":"Nc House Of Representatives District 017","county":null,"county_count":0,"electiondate":"2026-03-03","office_county":null,"office_key":"state_house","office_title":"State Representative","party":"REP","pgr":"general","state":"NC"},"party":"REP","primary":null,"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"state_house","office_title":"State Representative","state":"NC","terms":[]}],"suffix":"JR","summary":"Frank Iler, a longtime Republican incumbent, is running for re\u2011election to the North Carolina House District\u202f17 seat in 2026.","terms":[],"token":"c75ee271c59c6a40"}