{"biography":"Jerry R. Tillett is a retired senior resident Superior Court judge who is the Republican nominee for North Carolina State Senate District\u202f1 in the November\u202f3,\u202f2026 general election.  The state Senate is the upper chamber of the General Assembly; senators draft, debate, and vote on state laws, approve the budget, and represent the interests of their districts.  Tillett\u2019s campaign emphasizes restoring accountability, supporting coastal communities, and putting working people ahead of political insiders.\n\nTillett earned both his bachelor\u2019s degree in history and English and his J.D. from Wake\u202fForest University, graduating from law school in 1983\u202f[1][9].  After a brief stint at a large Winston\u2011Salem firm, he returned to Dare County and became a partner at Merrell, Tillett &\u202fBarnes, handling a broad civil and criminal practice that included extensive real\u2011estate work\u202f[15][9].  He served in the North Carolina House of Representatives, where he was appointed chief of staff and chief legal counsel to the Senate President\u202fPro\u202fTempore, drafting legislation and managing committee work\u202f[9][15].\n\nIn 1993 Governor Jim\u202fMartin appointed Tillett as one of two special Superior Court judges for the state; he was later selected as the resident Superior Court judge for Judicial District\u202f1 and was repeatedly elected, most recently unopposed in 2010 and with 100\u202f% of the vote in 2018\u202f[1][9][11].  Over more than three decades he presided in 86 of North Carolina\u2019s 100 counties, handling capital murder, medical\u2011negligence, and other complex cases\u202f[9][15].  He also established and managed the Dare County Recovery Court for opioid addiction\u202f[9][11].  In 2016 the Judicial Standards Commission issued a public reprimand for conduct related to a dispute with Kill\u202fDevil\u202fHills officials\u202f[20].  Tillett retired from the bench on May\u202f1,\u202f2025 after more than 32\u202fyears of service\u202f[11][13].\n\nFollowing retirement, Tillett announced his candidacy for the open Senate District\u202f1 seat\u2014vacated by Rep.\u202fBobby\u202fHanig, who is running for Congress\u2014by filing paperwork in September\u202f2025 and holding a series of fundraisers and community events in early\u202f2026\u202f[7][13][16].  He won the Republican primary on March\u202f3,\u202f2026 with 37.9\u202f% of the vote, defeating Jay\u202fLane, Dave\u202fForsythe, and Cole\u202fJohnson\u202f[1][14].  The primary was marked by allegations that an audio recording captured Tillett using a racial slur; he denied the claim and filed a defamation lawsuit\u202f[14].\n\nTillett\u2019s platform stresses pro\u2011business policies, support for fishermen and farmers, a balanced\u2011budget approach, and a strong defense of the Second Amendment\u202f[16][13].  He cites his judicial experience, knowledge of the district\u2019s 11\u2011county geography, and his long\u2011standing community involvement\u2014including leadership roles with the College of the Albemarle Board of Trustees, the Dare County Tourism Board, and the Farm\u202fBureau\u2014as qualifications for legislative service\u202f[9][15].  He also emphasizes his Christian faith and \u201cGod, family, and country\u201d values\u202f[13][16].\n\nIf elected, Tillett would bring a three\u2011decade judicial perspective to the Senate, leveraging his experience in law, public policy, and regional economic development to shape legislation affecting North Carolina\u2019s coastal and rural communities.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Jerry R. Tillett - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Jerry_R._Tillett)\n- [2] [United States Senate election in North Carolina, 2026 - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/United_States_Senate_election_in_North_Carolina,_2026)\n- [6] [Upcoming Election | NCSBE](https://www.ncsbe.gov/voting/upcoming-election)\n- [7] [Home - Tillett for Senate](https://tillettforsenate.com/)\n- [8] [Retired Superior Court Judge Jerry Tillett to run for NC ...](https://www.facebook.com/OuterBanksVoice/posts/retired-superior-court-judge-jerry-tillett-to-run-for-nc-senate-district-1-seatr/1400444742080640/)\n- [9] [Judge Jerry R. Tillett - Professional Background & Legal Expertise | Trellis.Law](https://trellis.law/judge/jerry.r.tillett)\n- [10] [The Outer Banks Voice - Retired Superior Court Judge Jerry Tillett to run for NC Senate District 1 seat](https://www.outerbanksvoice.com/2025/11/05/retired-superior-court-judge-jerry-tillett-to-run-for-nc-senate-district-1-seat/)\n- [11] [The Outer Banks Voice - Superior Court Judge Jerry Tillett to retire on May 1](https://www.outerbanksvoice.com/2025/04/15/superior-court-judge-jerry-tillett-to-retire-on-may-1/)\n- [13] [Retired Judge Jerry Tillett Explores Run for NC Senate District 1 \u2013 Albemarle Observer](https://albemarleobserver.news/2025/09/26/retired-judge-jerry-tillett-explores-run-for-nc-senate-district-1/)\n- [14] [Jerry Tillett Wins Republican State Senate Primary in Northeast N.C.](https://www.theassemblync.com/news/politics/elections/jerry-tillett-republican-primary-results/)\n- [15] [Jerry Tillett \u2013 Candidate for North Carolina State Senate, District 1](https://www.thecoastlandtimes.com/news/jerry-tillett-candidate-for-north-carolina-state-senate-district-1-74795fb1)\n- [16] [Tillett wants to be voice for all residents of District 1 | Local News | dailyadvance.com](https://www.dailyadvance.com/news/local/tillett-wants-to-be-voice-for-all-residents-of-district-1/article_1b91754a-6dd6-4a0d-80c5-16bad895e8b3.html)\n- [17] [Jerry Tillett (Profile): Age, Phone, Locations, Background](https://www.instantcheckmate.com/people/jerry-tillett/)\n- [19] [THE NORTH CAROLINA STATE BAR v. JERRY TILLETT (2016) | FindLaw](https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/nc-supreme-court/1762833.html)\n- [20] [Our View: Tillett\u0092s conduct deserved more than public reprimand | Local | dailyadvance.com](https://www.dailyadvance.com/opinion/local/our-view-tillett-s-conduct-deserved-more-than-public-reprimand/article_68f4199b-0cc5-5c83-bb72-aba528dc4994.html)","campaigns":[{"contest":"state_senate_001","county":"bertie","county_count":10,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Nc State Senate District 01"},{"contest":"state_senate_001","county":null,"county_count":0,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Nc State Senate District 01"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Jerry","fullname":"Jerry Reginald Tillett","lastname":"Tillett","middlename":"Reginald","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"state_senate_001","contest_title":"Nc State Senate District 01","county":"bertie","county_count":10,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":null,"office_key":"state_senate","office_title":"State Senator","party":"REP","pgr":"general","state":"NC"},{"contest":"state_senate_001","contest_title":"Nc State Senate District 01","county":null,"county_count":0,"electiondate":"2026-03-03","office_county":null,"office_key":"state_senate","office_title":"State Senator","party":"REP","pgr":"general","state":"NC"}],"county":null,"cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"state_senate_001","contest_title":"Nc State Senate District 01","county":null,"county_count":0,"electiondate":"2026-03-03","office_county":null,"office_key":"state_senate","office_title":"State Senator","party":"REP","pgr":"general","state":"NC"},"party":"REP","primary":null,"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"state_senate","office_title":"State Senator","state":"NC","terms":[]}],"summary":"Jerry R. Tillett, a retired Superior Court judge, is the Republican candidate for North Carolina State Senate District\u202f1 in 2026.","terms":[],"token":"e6d03db180cb6e58"}