Sophia Chitlik

Sophia Chitlik is the incumbent Democratic State Senator for North Carolina’s 22nd Senate district and is seeking re‑election in the November 3, 2026 general election. North Carolina senators serve two‑year terms, must be at least 25 years old, a qualified voter, and have resided in the state for two years and in the district for one year before election ². Senators assume office on January 1 following the election and earn a salary of $13,951 per year plus a $104 per‑day per diem ².

Chitlik earned a Bachelor of Arts from New York University in 2011, graduating magna cum laude with a self‑designed major in Political Community Building ⁵⁷. She began her political career as a field organizer for Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign, leading general‑election operations in Loudoun County, Virginia ⁵¹³. After the campaign she served as a young presidential appointee in the Obama administration, working in the U.S. Department of Labor and later in the White House ⁵¹⁷.

Leaving federal service, Chitlik moved to Durham, North Carolina in 2017. She became chief operating officer of The Future Project, an education‑focused nonprofit, overseeing an $11 million budget and driving rapid growth ⁵¹⁷. She later worked as a strategic‑planning consultant, investor, and fractional chief operating officer for a range of community‑based organizations, focusing on women‑owned businesses, maternal health, and social‑impact ventures ⁵⁷¹³. She co‑founded Aya Birth & Community Wellness, a Black‑owned birth center, and helped launch Tend, a pregnancy‑support company ⁵¹⁷.

In the 2024 election cycle Chitlik defeated three‑term incumbent Mike Woodard in the Democratic primary with 57.6 % of the vote and won the general election with 86 % against Libertarian Ray Ubinger ⁵¹. She took office on January 1, 2025 ¹⁵. During her first term she served on the Appropriations on Education/Higher Education Committee, the Education/Higher Education Committee, and the Senate Judiciary Committee ¹. She sponsored over 100 bills, including an amendment on childcare that became law in 2025, and was the only freshman Democrat to have legislation signed that year ⁷¹³. Her legislative priorities, described as a “Platform of Care,” focus on expanding public‑school access, affordable community‑college and apprenticeship programs, child‑care, women’s reproductive rights, maternal‑health equity, affordable housing, and clean‑energy initiatives ⁸¹⁴.

Chitlik’s constituency work includes personally responding to more than 1,400 constituent emails in her first eleven months and assisting over 100 residents with issues ranging from immigration to TANF delays ¹³. She has raised tens of thousands of dollars for the Senate Democratic Caucus and local nonprofits, and has secured $6 million in funding for survivors of sexual assault and additional resources for North Carolina Central University and Durham Tech ¹³.

She resides in Durham with her husband, Ben Abram, an energy‑sector executive, and their son ⁵¹⁷. Chitlik is a member of the Jewish For Good network, a recipient of its 2021 Young Leadership Award, and an active participant in her local synagogue ⁵¹⁷. She continues to serve on the boards of several community organizations, including NC Funders for Maternal Health and Narrow Bridge Fund ¹.

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