{"biography":"Karl Ellis Gillespie is the incumbent Republican member of the North Carolina House of Representatives for District 120, covering Cherokee, Clay, Graham, and Macon counties. He is seeking re\u2011election in the November\u202f3,\u202f2026 general election for the same seat, after serving three consecutive terms that began on January\u202f1,\u202f2021 and are set to end on January\u202f1,\u202f2027\u202f[1][20]. In the 2023\u20112024 legislative session he holds the leadership position of House Majority Whip and chairs the Appropriations\u2011Agriculture, Natural and Economic Resources Committee and the Environment Committee, while serving as vice\u2011chair on Agriculture, Appropriations, Federal Relations and American\u2011Indian Affairs, and Wildlife Resources\u202f[20][17].\n\nBorn on September\u202f6,\u202f1962, in Franklin, North Carolina, Gillespie graduated from Franklin High School\u202f[11]. He built a career in communications and entrepreneurship, serving as vice\u2011president of Globe Communications (1983\u20111999) and later founding National Communications, Inc. in 1999, a regional low\u2011voltage communications installer and maintainer\u202f[11][20]. He also works as a communications contractor and farmer on family land near Franklin\u202f[17][4].\n\nGillespie entered public service as a Macon County commissioner from 2016 to 2020, a role that gave him experience in local government before moving to the state legislature\u202f[5][11]. He has been active in community organizations, including the Macon County Farm Bureau Board of Directors, the North Carolina Cattlemen\u2019s Association (vice\u2011president), the Southwestern Community College Board of Trustees, and the Macon County Planning Board\u202f[11][6].\n\nSince his first election to the House in 2020, Gillespie has been assigned to several key committees. In the 2021\u20112022 session he served as vice\u2011chair of the Federal Relations and American\u2011Indian Affairs Committee and as a member of Agriculture, Wildlife Resources, Appropriations, and Appropriations\u2011Education\u202f[1][5]. For the 2023\u20112024 session his assignments expanded to include vice\u2011chair roles on Agriculture, Appropriations, Federal Relations, and Wildlife Resources, as well as chairmanships of the Environment Committee and the Appropriations\u2011Agriculture, Natural and Economic Resources Committee\u202f[20][17].\n\nLegislatively, Gillespie has sponsored and co\u2011sponsored dozens of bills, focusing on budgetary issues, broadband expansion, agricultural support, and rural health care. He highlighted securing more than $45\u202fmillion for water, sewer, emergency services, and community college projects in his district during the recent state budget cycle\u202f[8]. He also advocated for teacher pay raises, tax cuts, and expanded behavioral health funding\u202f[8][17].\n\nGillespie\u2019s campaign emphasizes improving broadband access, fostering economic development, supporting agriculture, preserving natural resources, and maintaining affordable health care for rural residents\u202f[6][8]. He describes himself as a fifth\u2011generation Maconian committed to representing the interests of western North Carolina\u202f[6][8].\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [Karl Gillespie - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Karl_Gillespie)\n- [4] [Representative Karl E. Gillespie - Biography - North Carolina General Assembly](https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/Biography/H/771)\n- [5] [Karl Gillespie - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Gillespie)\n- [6] [Karl Gillespie for North Carolina House 120th District](https://votekarl.com/)\n- [7] [Statement of Support - Karl Gillespie for NC House Dist 120](https://votekarl.com/statement-of-support)\n- [8] [A Message from Karl Gillespie for NC House Dist 120](https://votekarl.com/message-from-karl-gillespie)\n- [9] [Photo Gallery - Karl Gillespie for NC House Dist 120](https://votekarl.com/gallery)\n- [10] [Karl Gillespie's Political Summary](https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/188979/karl-gillespie)\n- [11] [Vote Smart | Facts For All](https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/biography/188979/karl-gillespie)\n- [15] [State Representative Karl Gillespie | BillTrack50](https://www.billtrack50.com/legislatordetail/25662)\n- [16] [North Carolina State Rep. Karl Gillespie - Biography | LegiStorm](https://www.legistorm.com/person/bio/387453/Karl_Ellis_Gillespie.html)\n- [17] [WNC Rep. Karl Gillespie voted new NC House Majority Whip](https://www.bpr.org/bpr-news/2023-08-17/wnc-rep-karl-gillespie-voted-new-nc-house-majority-whip)\n- [19] [Karl Gillespie - North Carolina House Republican Caucus](https://www.nchouserepublicans.com/members/karl-gillespie/)\n- [20] [Karl Gillespie \u2013 North Carolina State Representative](https://repbio.org/karl-gillespie/)","campaigns":[{"contest":"state_house_120","county":"cherokee","county_count":6,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Nc House Of Representatives District 120"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Karl","fullname":"Karl Ellis Gillespie","lastname":"Gillespie","middlename":"Ellis","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"state_house_120","contest_title":"Nc House Of Representatives District 120","county":"cherokee","county_count":6,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","office_county":null,"office_key":"state_house","office_title":"State Representative","party":"REP","pgr":"general","state":"NC"}],"county":null,"cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"state_house_120","contest_title":"Nc House Of Representatives District 120","county":"cherokee","county_count":6,"electiondate":"2026-11-03","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":"Karl Gillespie is the Republican incumbent House member for North Carolina's District\u202f120, running for re\u2011election in 2026.","terms":[],"token":"fbadab651f60178f"}