For first-time voters, Midterm elections can be especially daunting, especially with the use of new district maps in North Carolina. To make the process less intimidating, the Eagle’s Eye has assembled a how-to guide for voting in North Carolina as well as an overview of the candidates for the local districts surrounding Enloe. While federal elections receive more coverage, State politics are equally important to the lives of North Carolinians. With this in mind, the candidate profiles below cover only the North Carolina State Senate, House of Representatives, and Supreme Court elections.

How to Vote

• Early Voting is now open until November 5th and Election Day is November 8th.
• Find your polling location at this website & check if you are registered. If you are not registered, you can register in person at an early voting location in your county by November 5th.
• Find your voting district at this website.
• View your sample ballot at this website.
• What to bring when voting:
  • If you have previously voted in North Carolina (with the same address you live at today), then you do not need to show ID
  • If you provided your Driver’s License number or the last 4 digits of your Social Security Number when registering to vote, then you do not need to show ID
  • If you did not provide your Driver’s License number or the last 4 digits of your Social Security Number when registering to vote, then you will need to show one of the following options for proof of residency
    • Current and valid photo ID
    • Government document that shows your name and address (examples include, but are not limited to a bank statement, utility bill, paycheck, or government check) 

North Carolina State Senate Seats

District 13 – Northeast Raleigh

1. Lisa Grafstein (D): Grafstein was born in New York, and her experience as a lawyer includes working at Disability Rights North Carolina, as well as her own law firm. She is passionate about her advocacy for all civil rights, including disabled people’s rights and workers’ rights. She is also committed to preventing climate change and expanding Medicaid, including reproductive freedom.
2. David Bankert (R): Bankert was born in Pittsburgh and has work experience in engineering, manufacturing, construction, computer programming, and data. His political beliefs include his passion for mental health, adoption over abortion, election integrity, and business rights.
3. Michael Munger (L): Munger was born in Orlando and is a current Professor of Economics and Political Science at Duke. He seeks to abolish the practice of school assignments based on address, abolish the ABC store system, and reduce government regulations on healthcare and business.

District 14 – South Raleigh/Garner

1. Dan Blue (D) – incumbent: Blue assumed Senate office in 2009 and is the current Senate Minority Leader. Before his work in the Senate, Blue was Speaker of the House for North Carolina from 1991-1995, as well as Chairman of the Judiciary and Appropriations Committees. Blue wants to fight for working-class families, public schools, economic growth, environmental protection, access to quality, affordable healthcare, and senior citizens.
2. Chris Baker (R): There is limited information published about this candidate. 
3. Matthew Laszacs (L): Laszacs is from Philadelphia, is a current businessman in North Carolina, and has a degree in science from Wesleyan. His priorities include abolishing the practice of school assignments based on address, reducing licensing and zoning laws, and reducing government regulations on healthcare.

District 15 – North Raleigh

1. Jay Chaudhuri (D) – incumbent: Chaudhuri has been a North Carolina Senator since 2019 and is the current Minority Whip. His political beliefs are shaped by his identity as a first-generation American. His prior experience includes working as special counsel to the then Attorney General Roy Cooper. Legislation he has collaborated on includes funding early education programs and creating new jobs in tech.
2. Emanuela Prister (R): Prister was born in the United States but grew up in Italy and is an immigration lawyer. Politically, Prister held liberal views until 9/11, and now sees herself as more critical of the government, as well as being a self-proclaimed Zionist. Her priorities include condensing North Carolina’s contradicting legislation, expanding parental control in public education, and addressing logrolling in legislation.
3. Sammie Brooks (L): Brooks is a North Carolina native and a 2004 Garner High School graduate. She seeks to abolish the practice of school assignments based on address, reduce building zoning laws, abolish the ABC store system, and reduce government regulations on healthcare.

North Carolina State House Seats

District 11 – Southwest Raleigh

1. Allison Dahle (D) – incumbent: Dahle is a Raleigh native and graduated from Broughton High School and the University of South Carolina. She believes in creating jobs with living wages, promoting social justice and equality, addressing climate change, enacting gun control, and expanding Medicaid.

District 34 – North Raleigh

1. Tim Longest (D): Longest is from North Carolina, is a graduate of UNC Chapel Hill undergrad and law school, and has worked as a public school teacher. He plans to bring high-paying jobs to working-class families, increase funding to public schools, protect abortion access, enact gun control, protect voting rights, and advocate for solutions to climate change.  
2. Ashley Seshul (R): Seshul is a North Carolina native, a graduate of NC State and App State, and has worked as a Speech-Language Pathologist. She seeks to protect parents’ choices in education, ensure taxes are not raised on the wealthy, support medical freedom and privacy, increase mental health support, and increase funding to the police.  
3. Kat McDonald (L): McDonald is a current law student who advocates for increasing affordable housing, abolishing the ABC store system, legalizing medical marijuana, and protecting abortion access. 

District 38 – East Raleigh

1. Abraham P. Jones (D) – incumbent: Jones is a North Carolina native and Harvard College and Law School graduate with over 40 years of legal experience. He plans to address the affordable housing crisis through public-private financial incentives and increasing construction. Jones also advocates for criminal justice reform and vocational education. 
2. Christopher Mizelle (L): Mizelle is from North Carolina, is a graduate of Wake Tech and Campbell University, and has experience as a public school teacher. He seeks to address criminal justice reform and the affordable housing crisis. Mizelle also plans to reduce taxes and halt the expansion of Medicaid.

District 49 – West Raleigh/Cary

1. Cynthia Ball (D) – incumbent: Ball is a North Carolina native, a graduate of UNC Greensboro and Virginia Commonwealth University, and has worked in marketing and as a mediator. She wants to increase funding for public schools, expand affordable healthcare access, increase taxes on the rich and large corporations, and increase affordable housing. 
2. David Robertson (R): There is limited information published about this candidate. 
3. Michael Oakes (L): Oakes is from North Carolina and is a graduate of NC State University. He believes in expanding educational access, seeking equal justice for all, increasing healthcare choices, and providing affordable housing. 

North Carolina State Supreme Court Seats

Seat 3

1. Lucy N. Inman (D): Inman grew up in Raleigh and has been a judge on the North Carolina court of appeals since 2015. Her JD is from UNC Chapel Hill, and as a lawyer, she represented small business owners, large corporations, celebrities, and survivors of sexual abuse and fraud.
2. Richard Dietz (R): Dietz is from North Carolina and has a JD from Wake Forest, followed by further education at Duke. He has been a judge on the North Carolina court of appeals since 2014 and is known for thoughtfully and clearly written opinions. As a lawyer, he argued in the Supreme Court of the United States.

Seat 5

1. Sam Ervin (D) – incumbent: Ervin has been a North Carolina Supreme Court Justice since 2015. His decisions have traditionally leaned left, and he is passionate about civil and women’s rights. He went to Davidson, followed by Harvard.
2. Trey Allen (R): Allen was born in Robeson county and has been a judge advocate (responsible for executing military law) in the Marines. Since his time in the Marines, he has worked as a lawyer in private practice in Raleigh but has no experience in lower courts.