North Carolina › Wake County › North Carolina Senate District 17
3 candidates are tracked for North Carolina Senate District 17 on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Patrick J. Bowersox, Mrs. Sydney Batch and Shirley Johnson. Candidate information follows official Wake County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.
Patrick J. Bowersox (Libertarian), Mrs. Sydney Batch (Democratic), Shirley Johnson (Republican) meet on the November 3 ballot. The seat is open: Sen. Sydney Batch (Democratic), the sitting member per the General Assembly's roster, is not on the November ballot. Party nominees were chosen at the March 3 primary (a second primary is held only when no one reaches 30 percent plus one); unaffiliated candidates qualified by petition. The field is the State Board of Elections' certified general-election candidate list (read September 7, 2026). This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Patrick Bowersox moved to North Carolina from Connecticut in 2003 and graduated from Johnson and Wales University with a degree in culinary arts, working in Raleigh as a chef, per his campaign site. He has run for the NC Senate District 17 seat in prior election cycles. His campaign lists education choice, reduced business regulation and healthcare access among its priorities.
2026 priorities (per the campaign site)
- Greater education opportunities for students and families, with education decisions made by families rather than the government
- Reducing state regulations that hinder local small businesses
- Better healthcare options for patients and providers
Source: candidate campaign site, roster verified 2026-09-01.
Campaign site →
Mrs. Sydney Batch is the Democratic candidate for North Carolina Senate District 17 on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the State Board of Elections' certified general-election candidate list.
Shirley Johnson works as a consultant for Revived Life Coaching and Consulting and previously worked for the Illinois State Senate in appropriations, press and constituent outreach roles, per INDY Week. She helped establish the first Child Advocacy Center satellite office in central Illinois to reduce trauma for children undergoing forensic interviews, per the same source. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 7, 2026.
2026 priorities (per the INDY Week questionnaire)
- Support law enforcement and efficient court systems
- Expand school choice through scholarship-based options
- Reduce the cost of living and support small businesses
