{"biography":"Allen Buansi is the incumbent Democratic member of the North Carolina House of Representatives for District\u202f56, seeking re\u2011election in the November\u202f3,\u202f2026 general election. The district covers parts of Orange County, including Chapel Hill and Carrboro, and its representative serves a two\u2011year term with no term limits, earning a salary of $13,951 per year plus a $104 per\u2011day per\u2011diem\u202f[2]. To qualify, a candidate must be a qualified voter, have resided in the district for at least one year before the election, and be at least 21 years old\u202f[2].\n\nBuansi was born and raised in Chapel Hill. He earned a bachelor\u2019s degree from Dartmouth College in 2009 and a Juris Doctor from the University of North Carolina School of Law in 2015\u202f[1][6]. After law school he worked as a civil\u2011rights attorney, including a stint as deputy director at the UNC Center for Civil Rights, and later joined the law firm Poyner Spruill\u202f[19].\n\nHis first elected office was a seat on the Chapel Hill Town Council, where he served from 2017 to 2021. On the council he helped launch a criminal\u2011justice debt program, a poet\u2011laureate initiative, affordable\u2011housing projects, and a community\u2011safety re\u2011imagining effort\u202f[14][9]. In 2022 he won the Democratic primary for the open House seat vacated by retiring Rep.\u202fVerla\u202fInsko, and after Insko\u2019s resignation was appointed by the governor to fill the remainder of her term, taking office on June\u202f1,\u202f2022\u202f[1][6][7]. He was subsequently elected in his own right in 2022 and re\u2011elected in 2024 with 86.3\u202f% of the vote\u202f[1][15][20].\n\nIn the General Assembly Buansi has been assigned to several key committees, including Appropriations, Appropriations \u2013 Health and Human Services, Education \u2013 Universities, Election Law and Campaign Finance Reform, and Health\u202f[1]. He co\u2011chairs the House Democratic Freshman Caucus\u202f[18] and has sponsored or helped sponsor more than 15 bills. Notable legislative achievements include the passage of a \u201cHome of the Venus Flytrap\u201d specialty license\u2011plate bill, legislation expanding Medicaid in North Carolina, and the Freedom\u2011to\u2011Vote Act, a voter\u2011protection package backed by every House Democrat\u202f[16][19][18]. He has also been recognized as a \u201cRising Star\u201d by the North Carolina League of Conservation Voters\u202f[16].\n\nBuansi\u2019s platform emphasizes public\u2011education funding, environmental justice, affordable health care, and climate\u2011change mitigation. He advocates for higher teacher pay, school\u2011nurse placements, expanded broadband, and renewable\u2011energy investments\u202f[18][20]. His stated vision is an \u201caffordable, accessible and inclusive North Carolina\u201d\u202f[13][18].\n\nIf elected to another term, Buansi will continue to serve the district\u2019s roughly 87,000 residents, meeting the constitutional residency and voter\u2011qualification requirements while drawing the statutory salary and per\u2011diem for legislative service\u202f[2].\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Allen Buansi - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Allen_Buansi)\n- [2] [North Carolina House of Representatives District 56 - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/North_Carolina_House_of_Representatives_District_56)\n- [3] [Category:Democratic Party - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=Category:Democratic_Party&until=Caitlin+R.+Lister&mobileaction=toggle_view_mobile&pageuntil=Alycia+Gruenhagen)\n- [4] [Representative Allen Buansi - Biography - North Carolina General Assembly](https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/Biography/H/790)\n- [5] [Representative Allen Buansi - Biography](https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/DistrictRepresentation/H/56)\n- [6] [Allen Buansi - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allen_Buansi)\n- [7] [2026 United States House of Representatives elections in North Carolina - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections_in_North_Carolina)\n- [8] [iVoterGuide - Allen Buansi iVoterGuide Profile](https://ivoterguide.com/candidate/71275/race/18224/election/1206)\n- [9] [RFS Endorsed Candidate: Allen Buansi](https://directory.runforsomething.net/candidate/2340/buansi-allen/)\n- [10] [Allen Buansi (@AllenBuansiNC)](https://www.facebook.com/AllenBuansiNC/)\n- [11] [State Representative Allen Buansi | BillTrack50](https://www.billtrack50.com/legislatordetail/26255)\n- [12] [North Carolina State Rep. Allen Buansi - Biography | LegiStorm](https://www.legistorm.com/person/bio/431170/Allen_Buansi.html)\n- [13] [Allen Buansi- House District 56](https://nchousedems.com/our-members/allen-buansi-house-district-56/)\n- [14] [Exclusive: Chapel Hill Council Member Allen Buansi Will Run for Rep. Insko\u2019s State House Seat](https://indyweek.com/news/orange/exclusive-chapel-hill-allen-buansi-to-run-for-insko-state-house-seat/)\n- [15] [Rep. Allen Buansi Wins Second Term in N.C. House to Represent Chapel Hill, Carrboro - Chapelboro.com](https://chapelboro.com/local-election-coverage/rep-allen-buansi-wins-second-term-in-n-c-house-to-represent-chapel-hill-carrboro)\n- [16] [Accomplishments \u2014 Allen Buansi](https://www.allenbuansi.com/accomplishments)\n- [18] [Allen Buansi to seek re-election to N.C House of Representatives - Daily Tar Heel](https://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2023/11/city-allen-buansi-reelection)\n- [19] [Candidate Questionnaire: Allen Buansi, NC House District ...](https://indyweek.com/news/elections-news/candidate-questionnaire-allen-buansi-nc-house-district-56/)\n- [20] [N.C. Reps. Allen Buansi, Ren\u00e9e Price win reelection to N.C. House - Daily Tar Heel](https://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2024/11/city-nc-democrats-secure-nc-house-seats-50-and-56)","campaigns":[{"contest":"state_house_056","county":"orange","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Nc House Of Representatives District 056"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Allen","fullname":"Allen Kwabena Buansi","lastname":"Buansi","middlename":"Kwabena","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"state_house_056","contest_title":"Nc House Of Representatives District 056","county":"orange","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":null,"office_key":"state_house","office_title":"State Representative","party":"DEM","pgr":"general","state":"NC"}],"county":null,"cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"state_house_056","contest_title":"Nc House Of Representatives District 056","county":"orange","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":null,"office_key":"state_house","office_title":"State Representative","party":"DEM","pgr":"general","state":"NC"},"party":"DEM","primary":null,"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"state_house","office_title":"State Representative","state":"NC","terms":[]}],"summary":"Allen Buansi, Democrat and incumbent NC House Rep for District\u202f56, is running for re\u2011election in 2026.","terms":[],"token":"e4fa6a7f4c0e6b0a"}