{"biography":"Samuel Lee \"Sam\" Watford is the incumbent Republican member of the North Carolina House of Representatives for District 80 and is seeking re\u2011election in the November\u202f3,\u202f2026 general election.  The North Carolina House is the lower chamber of the state legislature; members are elected from single\u2011member districts to two\u2011year terms and must be at least 21 years old and residents of the district they represent\u301010\u2020L1-L4\u3011.  Watford has served continuously since assuming office on January\u202f1,\u202f2021, with his current term set to end on January\u202f1,\u202f2027\u30101\u2020L1-L4\u3011.\n\nBorn Samuel Lee Watford in 1954 or 1955, he graduated from East Davidson High School in 1971 and later attended Western Carolina University and Guilford Technical Institute\u301010\u2020L13-L15\u3011.  He is married to Karen Hege Watford and has two daughters, Morgan and Jordan\u301010\u2020L16-L18\u3011.  Professionally, Watford works as a waterline and underground\u2011utility contractor, a career he describes as a \"waterline contractor\" on the official NC General Assembly biography\u30104\u2020L9-L12\u3011.\n\nBefore his state\u2011legislative service, Watford spent three terms as a Davidson County Commissioner and served on the county\u2019s Planning and Zoning Board, giving him experience in local government and land\u2011use issues\u301010\u2020L20-L22\u3011.  In the House, he has held several leadership roles: Vice Chair of the Energy and Public Utilities Committee (2021\u20112022), Co\u2011Chair of the Local Government Committee (2021\u20112022), and Chair of the Local Government Committee (2023\u20112024)\u30101\u2020L19-L27\u3011.  His committee assignments have also included the Agriculture, Finance, Health, and Transportation committees, reflecting a broad policy portfolio.\n\nWatford\u2019s legislative record includes sponsoring and voting for a series of abortion\u2011restriction bills, such as HB\u202f465 in 2015 and subsequent measures that tightened the 12\u2011week ban and limited abortions based on race, sex, or prenatal diagnosis\u301010\u2020L31-L34\u3011\u301020\u2020L5-L9\u3011.  He has also been active on issues affecting utilities and local government, drawing on his professional background as a contractor.\n\nIn the 2026 election cycle, Watford won the Republican primary on March\u202f3,\u202f2026 with 74.4% of the vote (5,400 votes) against challenger Joseph Byrne (25.6%, 1,859 votes)\u30101\u2020L45-L48\u3011.  He will face Democrat JacQuez Johnson in the November general election for the District\u202f80 seat\u30101\u2020L38-L41\u3011.  His campaign emphasizes continued focus on local government, infrastructure, and conservative social policies.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Sam Watford - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Sam_Watford)\n- [4] [Representative Sam Watford - Biography - North Carolina General Assembly](https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/Biography/H/687)\n- [9] [2026 North Carolina House of Representatives election - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_North_Carolina_House_of_Representatives_election)\n- [10] [Sam Watford - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Watford)\n- [12] [Vote-USA | Sam Watford | Candidate for State Representative District 80, North Carolina | March 3, 2026 North Carolina Republican Party State Primary](https://vote-usa.org/intro.aspx?state=nc&id=ncwatfordsamuellee)\n- [14] [Candidate Profiles \u2013 NC Voter Guide](https://ncvoterguide.org/profiles/)\n- [19] [State Representative Samuel Watford | BillTrack50](https://www.billtrack50.com/LegislatorDetail/19731)\n- [20] [Samuel Watford is Anti-Choice - North Carolina Choice Tracker](https://choicetracker.org/nc/people/samuel-watford/204996608)","campaigns":[{"contest":"state_house_080","county":"davidson","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Nc House Of Representatives District 080"},{"contest":"state_house_080","county":null,"county_count":0,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Nc House Of Representatives District 080"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Samuel","fullname":"Samuel Lee Watford","lastname":"Watford","middlename":"Lee","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"state_house_080","contest_title":"Nc House Of Representatives District 080","county":"davidson","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_080","contest_title":"Nc House Of Representatives District 080","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_080","contest_title":"Nc House Of Representatives District 080","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":[]}],"summary":"Sam Watford, Republican incumbent for North Carolina House District\u202f80, is running for re\u2011election in 2026.","terms":[],"token":"c8250ce4958be52a"}