{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nRalph Clements is a Democratic candidate for the North Carolina House of Representatives, District 37, which covers parts of Wake County including Fuquay-Varina. He ran in the March 3, 2026 Democratic primary.\n\nClements' campaign focused on reinvesting in North Carolina's public schools, including increases to teacher pay and more equitable school funding. He called for the legislature to pass a state budget, establish an independent redistricting commission, and address affordability and growth planning for the rapidly expanding communities in Wake County's southern tier.\n\n## Background and education\nClements is 59 years old. He graduated from Sanderson High School in Raleigh and attended North Carolina State University, completing his degree over eight years while working as a computer scientist and serving in the National Guard.\n\n## Career\nClements built a career as a healthcare IT consultant, working primarily in Atlanta. He returned to the Triangle region in 2020 to be closer to aging parents and now lives just outside Fuquay-Varina.\n\n## Sources\n- [1] [N.C. House District 37: Ralph Clements \u2013 Indy Week](https://indyweek.com/news/n-c-house-district-37-ralph-clements-2026/)\n- [2] [Ralph Clements \u2013 General Assembly House District 37 Campaign \u2013 ralphclements.com](https://www.ralphclements.com/)\n","campaigns":[{"contest":"state_house_037","county":null,"county_count":0,"electiondate":"Tue, 03 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"NC","title":"Nc House Of Representatives District 037"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Ralph","fullname":"Ralph Dowell Clements","lastname":"Clements","middlename":"Dowell","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"state_house_037","contest_title":"Nc House Of Representatives District 037","county":null,"county_count":0,"electiondate":"2026-03-03","office_county":null,"office_key":"state_house","office_title":"State Representative","party":"DEM","pgr":"general","state":"NC"}],"county":null,"cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"state_house_037","contest_title":"Nc House Of Representatives District 037","county":null,"county_count":0,"electiondate":"2026-03-03","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":[]}],"terms":[],"token":"ffc6d4f8110d9eb0"}