All across the U.S., voters are gearing up for one of the most contentious races in recent history in a push to take back national, state and local government seats from Conservative office holders. Never before has it been so imperative to elect candidates to office who are LGBTQ-affirming, but also share sensibilities toward protecting the rights of all citizens and ensuring that U.S. residents are afforded due process and equality in day-to-day life.
This year, Carolinas-based and national organizations have provided their approval and endorsement for a number of candidates for public office. Among those organizations are the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), Emily’s List (EL), The Victory Fund (VF), Equality NC PAC (ENCPAC), SC Equality PAC (SCEPAC), Reflections Ltd. Political Action Committee (RLPAC), and the Mecklenburg Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Political Action Committee (MeckPAC).
Additionally, all six constitutional amendments that are on the ballot for consideration result in a “no” from ENCPAC.
Early voting is now open in North Carolina through Nov. 3. Check local boards of election to find locations and times.
Absentee ballots can be requested by no later than 5 p.m. on Oct. 30 from county elections offices.
Also, same-day registration is available for voters who have not as yet registered at early voting locations. Voters should visit the websites for the North Carolina State Board of Elections or one that is located in a voter’s county to receive qualifications and other information to aid in a smooth registration process.
Polls will be open from 6:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. on Election Day. North Carolina’s election board suggests that voters view their sample ballot prior to going to the polls to facilitate ease of voting. Voters should also go their assigned polling place to ensure that they receive the proper ballot style.
In South Carolina, absentee in-person voting is available at county elections office until 5 p.m. on Nov. 5. For those who wish to vote absentee by mail should obtain an application at the state elections board site and return them by 5 p.m. on Nov. 2 via mail or Nov. 3 at local board offices. Ballots need to be returned by no later than Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. For those who are unable to return their ballots via mail by Oct. 30 are encouraged to return them in person.
Polls will be open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. on Election Day.
Candidates are listed by races from national to local contests.
North Carolina
Seat/Name/Endorser(s)
U.S. House of Representatives
District 1: G.K. Butterfield (HRC)
District 2: Linda Coleman (ENCPAC) (EL) (RLPAC)
District 4: David Price (ENCPAC) (HRC)
District 5: DD Adams (ENCPAC)
District 6: Ryan Watts (ENCPAC) (RLPAC)
District 7: Kyle Horton (ENCPAC)
District 8: Frank McNeill (ENCPAC) (RLPAC)
District 9: Dan McCready (ENCPAC) (HRC) (RLPAC)
District 10: David Brown (ENCPAC)
District 11: Phillip Price (ENCPAC)
District 12: Alma Adams (ENCPAC) (HRC) (RLPAC)
District 13: Kathy Manning (ENCPAC) (HRC) (EL) (RLPAC)
Soil & Water
District Supervisor
Lewis A. Brandon (Vote for 2) (RLPAC)
Kirk Perkins (Vote for 2) (RLPAC)
State Senate
District 1: Cole Phelps (ENCPAC)
District 2: Ginger Garner (ENCPAC)
District 7: Barbara Dantonio (ENCPAC)
District 8: David Sink (ENCPAC)
District 9: Harper Peterson (ENCPAC)
District 10: Vernon Moore (ENCPAC)
District 15: Jay Chaudhuri (ENCPAC)
District 16: Wiley Nickel (ENCPAC)
District 17: Sam Searcy (ENCPAC) (RLPAC)
District 18: Mack Paul (ENCPAC)
District 19: Kirk DeViere (ENCPAC)
District 20: Floyd B. McKissick, Jr. (ENCPAC)
District 22: Mike Woodard (ENCPAC)
District 23: Valerie Foushee (ENCPAC)
District 24: J.D. Wooten (ENCPAC) (RLPAC)
District 25: Helen Probst Mills (ENCPAC)
District 26: Bill McCaskill (RLPAC)
District 27: Michael Garrett (ENCPAC) (RLPAC)
District 28: Gladys Robinson (RLPAC)
District 30: Jen Mangrum (ENCPAC) (RLPAC)
District 31: John Motsinger, Jr. (ENCPAC)
District 34: Beniah McMiller (ENCPAC)
District 35: Caroline Walker (ENCPAC)
District 37: Jeff Jackson (ENCPAC) (MeckPAC)
District 38: Mujtaba Mohammed (ENCPAC) (HRC) (RLPAC) (MeckPAC)
District 39: Chad Stachowicz (ENCPAC) (RLPAC) (MeckPAC)
District 40: Joyce Waddell (MeckPAC)
District 41: Natasha Marcus (ENCPAC) (RLPAC) (MeckPAC)
District 42: Ric Vandett (ENCPAC)
District 43: Altriese Price (ENCPAC)
District 46: Art Sherwood (ENCPAC)
District 47: David Wheeler (ENCPAC)
District 48: Norm Bossert (ENCPAC)
State House of Representatives
District 2: Darryl Moss (ENCPAC)
District 8: Kandie Smith (ENCPAC)
District 9: Kris Rixon (ENCPAC) (RLPAC)
District 11: Allison Dahle (ENCPAC) (HRC) (VF) (RLPAC)
District 13: Pene DiMaio (ENCPAC)
District 15: Dan Whitten (ENCPAC)
District 16: John Johnson (ENCPAC)
District 18: Deb Butler (ENCPAC) (VF) (RLPAC)
District 19: Marcia Morgan (ENCPAC) (VF) (RLPAC)
District 20: Leslie Cohen (ENCPAC)
District 26: Linda Bennett (ENCPAC)
District 29: Maryann Black (ENCPAC)
District 30: Marcia Morey (ENCPAC) (VF)
District 31: Zack Hawkins (ENCPAC)
District 34: Grier Martin (ENCPAC)
District 35: Terence Everitt (ENCPAC) (RLPAC)
District 36: Julie von Haefen (ENCPAC)
District 37: Sydney Batch (ENCPAC)
District 50: Graig Meyer (ENCPAC)
District 56: Verla Insko (ENCPAC)
District 57: Ashton Clemmons (ENCPAC) (RLPAC)
District 58: Amos Quick (RLPAC)
District 59: Steven Buccini (ENCPAC) (RLPAC)
District 60: Cecil Brockman (ENCPAC) (VF) (RLPAC)
District 61: Mary Price (Pricey) Harrison (ENCPAC) (RLPAC)
District 62: Martha Shafer (ENCPAC) (RLPAC)
District 63: Erica McAdoo (ENCPAC) (RLPAC)
District 64: Elliot Lynch (ENCPAC)
District 68: Rick Foulke (ENCPAC)
District 69: Jennifer Benson (ENCPAC)
District 74: Terri LeGrand (ENCPAC)
District 75: Dan Besse (ENCPAC)
District 77: Bonnie Dawn Clark (ENCPAC) (RLPAC)
District 78: Jim Meredith (RLPAC)
District 82: Aimy Steele (ENCPAC)
District 83: Gail Young (ENCPAC)
District 84: Allen Edwards (ENCPAC)
District 85: Howard Larsen (ENCPAC)
District 86: Tim Barnsback (ENCPAC)
District 87: Amanda Bregel (ENCPAC)
District 88: Mary Belk (MeckPAC)
District 89: Greg Cranford (ENCPAC)
District 92: Chaz Beasley (ENCPAC) (MeckPAC)
District 93: Ray Russell (ENCPAC) (RLPAC)
District 95: Carla Fassbender (ENCPAC)
District 96: Kim Bost (ENCPAC)
District 97: Natalie Robertson (ENCPAC)
District 98: Christy Clark (ENCPAC) (MeckPAC)
District 100: John Autry (ENCPAC) (MeckPAC)
District 101: Carolyn Logan (ENCPAC) (MeckPAC)
District 102: Becky Carney (MeckPAC)
District 103: Rachel Hunt (ENCPAC) (MeckPAC)
District 104: Brandon Lofton (ENCPAC) (MeckPAC)
District 105 Wesley Harris (ENCPAC) (MeckPAC)
District 107: Kelly Alexander (MeckPAC)
District 109: Susan Maxon (ENCPAC)
District 111: David Brinkley (RLPAC)
District 114: Susan Fisher (ENCPAC)
District 115: Don Ager (RLPAC)
District 116: Brian Turner (ENCPAC) (RLPAC)
District 117: Gayle Kemp (ENCPAC)
District 118: Rhonda Cole Schandevel (ENCPAC)
Alamance County Board of Education
Yvette Gaboury (RLPAC)
Wayne Beam (RLPAC)
Guilford County Board of Education
At Large: Winston McGregor (RLPAC)
District 2: Greg Drumwright (RLPAC)
District 6: Khem Denise Irby (RLPAC)
District 8: Deena Hayes (RLPAC)
New Hanover Board of Education
Judy Justice (ENCPAC)
Alamance County Commissioners
Kristen Powers (Vote for 2) (RLPAC)
Robert (Bob) Byrd (Vote for 2) (RLPAC)
Guilford County Commissioners
At Large: Kay Cashion (RLPAC)
District 1: J. Carlvena Foster (RLPAC)
District 2: Scott Jones (RLPAC)
District 3: Tracy Lamothe (RLPAC)
District 7: Carolyn Coleman (RLPAC)
District 8: Skip Alston (RLPAC)
Mecklenburg County Commissioners
At Large: Pat Cotham (ENCPAC) (RLPAC) (MeckPAC)
At Large: Trevor Fuller (ENCPAC) (MeckPAC)
At Large: Ella Scarborough (MeckPAC)
District 3: George Dunlap (ENCPAC) (MeckPAC)
District 4: Mark Jerrell (ENCPAC) (MeckPAC)
District 5: Susan Hardin (MeckPAC)
District 6: Susan Rodriguez-McDowell (ENCPAC)
New Hanover County Commissioners
District 2: Julia Olson-Boseman (ENCPAC)
Pender County Commissioners
District 2: Carol Johnson (ENCPAC)
Rockingham County Commissioners
Ann Brady (RLPAC)
Elretha Perkins (RLPAC)
Wake County Commissioners
District 1: Sig Hutchinson (ENCPAC)
District 2: Matt Calabria (ENCPAC)
District 3: Jessica Holmes (ENCPAC)
District 4: Susan Evans (ENCPAC)
District 6: Greg Ford (ENCPAC) (VF)
District 7: Vickie Adamson (ENCPAC)
Wilkes County Commissioners
L.B. Prevette (ENCPAC)
North Carolina Supreme Court
Anita Earls (ENCPAC) (RLPAC)
North Carolina Court of Appeals
Seat 1: John Arrowood (ENCPAC) (VF) (RLPAC) (MeckPAC)
Seat 2: Toby Hampson (ENCPAC) (RLPAC)
Seat 3: Allegra Collins (ENCPAC) (RLPAC)
North Carolina Superior Court
District 10D: Seat 1, Keith Gregory (ENCPAC)
District 18A: Seat 1, Lora Christine Cubbage (ENCPAC) (RLPAC)
District 18B: Joe Craig (RLPAC)
District 18D: Seat 1, Gavin Reardon (ENCPAC)
District 18D: Seat 1, Bill Wood (RLPAC)
District 26E: Seat 1, Donnie Hoover (ENCPAC)
North Carolina District Court
District 14: Seat 6, Amanda Maris (ENCPAC) (VF)
District 18: Seat 1, Tom Jarrell (RLPAC)
District 18: Seat 2, Jonathan Kreider (RLPAC)
District 26A: Seat 2, Donald Cureton (ENCPAC)
District 26F: Seat 2, Khalif Rhodes (ENCPAC)
District Attorney
Durham County
Satana Deberry (ENCPAC)
Guilford County
Avery Michelle Crump (RLPAC)
Mecklenburg County
Spencer Merriweather (ENCPAC) (MeckPAC)
Clerk of Superior Court
Guilford County
Lisa Johnson-Tonkins (RLPAC)
Orange County
Mark Kleinschmidt (ENCPAC) (VF)
Wake County
Jennifer Knox (ENCPAC)
Guilford County Sheriff
B.J. Barnes (RLPAC)
South Carolina
Governor
James Smith (SCEPAC)
Lt. Governor
Mandy Powers Norrell (SCEPAC)
Secretary of State
Melvin Whittenburg (SCEPAC)
U.S. House of Representatives
District 6: Jim Clyburn (SCEPAC)
House of Representatives
District 3: Rep. Gary Clary (SCEPAC)
District 10: Lucy Hoffman (SCEPAC)
District 12: Rep. Anne Parks (SCEPAC)
District 13: Michael Gaskin (SCEPAC)
District 15: J.A. Moore (SCEPAC)
District 22: Rep. Jason Elliott (SCEPAC)
District 23: Rep. Chandra E. Dillard (SCEPAC)
District 25: Rep. Leola Robinson:Simpson (SCEPAC)
District 35: Helen M. Pendarvis (SCEPAC)
District 44: Rep. Many Powers Norrell (SCEPAC)
District 48: Vickie Hold (SCEPAC)
District 49: Rep. John King (SCEPAC)
District 50: Rep. Will Wheeler (SCEPAC)
District 51: Rep. J. David Weeks (SCEPAC)
District 52: Rep. Laurie Slade Funderburk (SCEPAC)
District 54: Rep. Pat Henegan (SCEPAC)
District 59: Rep. Terry Alexander (SCEPAC)
District 61: Rep. Roger K. Kirby (SCEPAC)
District 64: Rep. Robert L. Ridgeway, III (SCEPAC)
District 66: Rep. Gilda Cobb:Hunter (SCEPAC)
District 67: Rep. G. Murrell Smith, Jr. (SCEPAC)
District 69: Beth Ann Rocheleau (SCEPAC)
District 70: Rep. Wendy C. Brawley (SCEPAC)
District 72: Seth Rose (SCEPAC)
District 73: Rep. Christopher R. “Chris” Hart (SCEPAC)
District 74: Rep. J. Todd Rutherford (SCEPAC)
District 78: Rep. Beth E. Bernstein (SCEPAC)
District 79: Rep. Ivory Torrey Thigpen (SCEPAC)
District 80: Rep. Jimmy C. Bales (SCEPAC)
District 81: Elise Fox (SCEPAC)
District 82: Rep. Bill Clyburn (SCEPAC)
District 90: Rep. Justin T. Bamberg (SCEPAC)
District 91: Rep. Lonnie Hosey (SCEPAC)
District 93: Rep. Russell L. Ott (SCEPAC)
District 99: Jen Gibson (SCEPAC)
District 101: Rep. Cezar E. McKnight (SCEPAC)
District 102: Rep. Joseph H. Jefferson, Jr. (SCEPAC)
District 103: Rep. Carl L. Anderson (SCEPAC)
District 109: Rep. David J. Mack, III (SCEPAC)
District 110: Ben Pogue (SCEPAC)
District 111: Rep. Wendell G. Gilliard (SCEPAC)
District 112: Joe Preston (SCEPAC)
District 113: Rep. Marvin R. Pendarvis (SCEPAC)
District 116: Rep. Robert L. Brown (SCEPAC)
District 119: Rep. Leon Stavrinakis (SCEPAC)
District 121: Rep. Michael F. Rivers, Sr. (SCEPAC)
City Council
Richland County
District 4: Paul Livingston (SCEPAC)
District 5: Allison Terracio (SCEPAC)
Beaufort County
District 6: Joe Passiment (SCEPAC)
For more information on endorsements, visit hrc.org, emilyslist.org, victoryfund.org, equalitync.org, equalmeanseveryone.org, replacementsltdpac.org and meckpac.org. To learn more about voting, visit ncsbe.gov in North Carolina and scvotes.org in South Carolina.