Michael Gary Schietzelt JR

Mike Schietzelt is the incumbent Republican member of the North Carolina House of Representatives for District 35, a seat he has held since assuming office on January 1, 2025 and will hold through January 1, 2027. The North Carolina Constitution requires state representatives to be qualified voters, to have resided in the district for at least one year before the election, and to be at least 21 years old; they serve two‑year terms with no term limits and receive a salary of $13,951 per year plus a per‑diem allowance ². Schietzelt is running for re‑election in the 2026 general election on November 3, 2026, after winning the Republican primary with 91 % of the vote ¹.

Born Michael Gary Schietzelt Jr. on October 24, 1986 in Escondido, California, he was raised in Burlington, North Carolina. He graduated from Western Alamance High School in 2004, earned a Bachelor of Music in trumpet performance from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2008, and received his Juris Doctor from Duke University School of Law in 2018 ⁴. Between college and law school he served in the United States Marine Corps (2011‑2015), performing with the Marine Drum and Bugle Corps and earning the rank of Sergeant ⁴.

After law school, Schietzelt clerked for Chief Justice Mark D. Martin of the North Carolina Supreme Court, then worked as a Criminal Justice Fellow at the John Locke Foundation (2019‑2020) researching criminal code reforms ⁴. He later served as the founding Constitutional Law Fellow at Regent University’s Robertson Center for Constitutional Law, representing faith‑based groups in appellate courts and teaching First Amendment courses ⁴. In July 2022 he joined the litigation practice of Michael Best & Friedrich, LLP ⁴. He is a member of the Federalist Society and has been affiliated with various legal and policy organizations.

In the legislature, Schietzelt has focused on education, transportation, and public‑safety issues. He sponsored a bill to raise the starting teacher salary to $50,000 with a 22 % increase, a measure that was incorporated into the House budget proposal ¹². He also led an effort to block a toll on the U.S. 1/Capital Boulevard corridor, arguing that tolls would impose an unfair cost on commuters and small‑business owners ¹². His committee work includes service on the House Oversight Committee, where he has questioned school‑district compliance with the Parents’ Bill of Rights ¹². Schietzelt’s 2024 election results show he won 50.3 % of the vote, defeating Democrat Evonne S. Hopkins and Libertarian Michael Oakes ¹.

Schietzelt’s personal life includes his wife Carmon and their four children. He maintains a campaign website that outlines priorities such as lowering the cost of living, strengthening public safety, improving education, and investing in infrastructure ¹⁵. He has received endorsements from groups like Americans for Prosperity‑North Carolina and local officials, including the mayor of Wake Forest ⁶¹⁹. Financial disclosures show he raised $126,027 in the 2024‑25 cycle, with top contributors including Christine L. Weason and Destin Hall ¹³.

Overall, Schietzelt combines military service, legal experience, and a focus on education and transportation policy in his role as a state legislator, seeking a second term in the 2026 election.

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