28401

Who is on the ballot in 28401?

Reported by The Ballot Brief Editorial Team. Updated as public election and video sources change.

Fields below reflect the November 3, 2026 general election ballot as races are certified.

We use AI to research and write election information. Errors are possible. Verify important details with official sources.

15 races and 3 ballot questions in your ZIP preview.

About this preview
County and municipal contests depend on your exact address: use the address lookup below for the full slate. Every race links to official sources on the North Carolina voter hub.
U.S. House, North Carolina District 7
3 candidates
Federal ▾
David Rouzer portrait
DR
David Rouzer
REP INCUMBENT
Biography
Rouzer has represented North Carolina's 7th Congressional District since January 2015, after working for U.S. Senators Jesse Helms and Elizabeth Dole, at NC State University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and in USDA Rural Development, per the campaign site and the chamber's membership roster. He also served two terms in the North Carolina State Senate, per the campaign site.
Top Priorities
From the campaign site
  • Focuses on agricultural production and highway and interstate infrastructure needs
  • Supports veterans and works on rural healthcare access as a founding member of the Primary Care Caucus
Key voting record
Voted yes on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the 2025 tax-and-spending package, which passed the House 218-214 in July 2025. Supported
Voted yes on the Laken Riley Act, expanding federal detention of certain immigrants charged with theft or violent crimes, which passed the House 263-156 in January 2025. Supported
Voted yes on the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2026, which passed the House 231-196 in September 2025. Supported
Kimberly Hardy portrait
KH
Kimberly Hardy
DEM
Biography
Kimberly Hardy is a social worker and professor who holds a Ph.D. in social work from Morgan State University, according to her campaign site. She has worked as an assistant professor of social work at Fayetteville State University, per Port City Daily. Hardy is the Democratic nominee for North Carolina's 7th Congressional District. Kimberly Hardy appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for U.S. House, NC-7, per the county elections office's certified candidate list.
Top Priorities
From the campaign site
  • Jobs: hard work should pay off
  • Environment
  • Healthcare
MA
Maad Abu-Ghazalah
Biography
Maad Abu-Ghazalah appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for U.S. House, NC-7, per the county elections office's certified candidate list. getmaad.org is the campaign site on file with the FEC; its content is undated.
About this race
North Carolina fields are from the State Board of Elections' certified general candidate list. NC redrew its congressional map in October 2025 (Session Law 2025-95), and this site's ZIP districts follow that 2025 map; enter your street address with the official lookup to confirm your district.
U.S. Senate
4 candidates
Federal ▾
RC
Roy Cooper
DEM
Biography
Roy Cooper is a former North Carolina governor and attorney general, per the campaign site. He was born and raised in Nash County, earned undergraduate and law degrees at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and practiced law in Rocky Mount, per the campaign site. The campaign site says he served four consecutive terms as attorney general and, as governor, reached a Medicaid expansion deal covering about 650,000 people.
Top Priorities
From the campaign site
  • Lower the cost of food and groceries
  • Make health care affordable
  • Lower energy and utility costs
Campaign Finance
$26,822,373 raised · top industries: Large donors giving $2,000+ (49% of receipts), Small-dollar donors under $200 (21% of receipts)
Record in office
Signed North Carolina's Medicaid expansion (House Bill 76) into law in 2023.
MW
Michael Whatley
REP
Biography
Michael Whatley was raised in Blowing Rock, North Carolina, and holds degrees from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Wake Forest University and the University of Notre Dame, per the campaign site. He began his public service as a federal law clerk in Charlotte and later served as Sen. Elizabeth Dole's chief of staff, per the campaign site. He served as chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party and, at President Trump's request, as chairman of the Republican National Committee, per the campaign site.
Top Priorities
From the campaign site
  • Enact the Trump agenda
  • Make North Carolina safe again
  • Fight illegal immigration
Campaign Finance
$8,410,252 raised · top industries: Large donors giving $2,000+ (62% of receipts), Small-dollar donors under $200 (23% of receipts)
Shannon W. Bray portrait
SW
Shannon W. Bray
Biography
Shannon W. Bray is a Navy veteran and cybersecurity professional, per the campaign site. He says he is running for the U.S. Senate because North Carolina deserves leadership that understands modern threats without sacrificing fundamental freedoms, per the campaign site.
Top Priorities
From the campaign site
  • Economy and taxes: lower costs, simpler taxes
  • Monetary policy and inflation
  • Jobs, innovation and technology
MD
Michael Dublin
Biography
Michael Dublin is a native North Carolinian, a public school educator who recently retired from teaching, and a lifelong community activist, per the campaign site. The campaign site says he has led a prison ministry for more than two decades. He filed as the North Carolina Green Party's U.S. Senate candidate on June 15, 2026, per the state Green Party.
Top Priorities
From the campaign site
  • Democracy: get big money out of politics
  • Environmental justice: a Green New Deal for North Carolina
  • Social and racial equity
Supreme Court Associate Justice, Seat 01
2 candidates
Statewide ▾
AE
Anita Earls
DEM
Biography
Earls is an attorney who currently serves as an Associate Justice on the North Carolina Supreme Court, per the campaign site. Her campaign focuses on protecting constitutional rights for North Carolinians, per the campaign site.
Top Priorities
From other published sources
  • Upholding the state constitution, per NCSBE Judicial Voter Guide
  • Protecting access to healthcare, per NCSBE Judicial Voter Guide
  • Defending the right to a sound basic public education and voting rights, per NCSBE Judicial Voter Guide
SS
Sarah Stevens
REP
Biography
Sarah Stevens is an attorney with more than 30 years in private practice and president of the Surry County Bar Association, per her campaign site. She has served as Republican Leader and Speaker Pro Tempore of the North Carolina House, chairing the House Elections Law and Judiciary Committees, and holds a law degree from Campbell University School of Law, per her campaign site.
Court of Appeals Judge, Seat 01
2 candidates
Statewide ▾
JS
John S. Arrowood
DEM
Biography
John S. Arrowood is on the State Board of Elections certified candidate list for this seat's November 3, 2026 ballot. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.
MC
Michael C. Byrne
REP
Biography
Michael C. Byrne is on the State Board of Elections certified candidate list for this seat's November 3, 2026 ballot. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.
Court of Appeals Judge, Seat 02
2 candidates
Statewide ▾
T(
Tobias (Toby) Hampson
DEM
Biography
Tobias (Toby) Hampson is on the State Board of Elections certified candidate list for this seat's November 3, 2026 ballot. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.
Top Priorities
From other published sources
  • Keeping judges with Court of Appeals experience on the bench, per NCSBE Judicial Voter Guide
  • Defending the rule of law, per NCSBE Judicial Voter Guide
GC
George Cooper Bell
REP
Biography
George Cooper Bell is on the State Board of Elections certified candidate list for this seat's November 3, 2026 ballot. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.
Court of Appeals Judge, Seat 03
2 candidates
Statewide ▾
CM
Christine Marie Walczyk
DEM
Biography
Christine Marie Walczyk is on the State Board of Elections certified candidate list for this seat's November 3, 2026 ballot. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.
Top Priorities
From other published sources
  • Protecting individual liberties and equal access to justice, per NCSBE Judicial Voter Guide
  • Maintaining an independent judiciary, per NCSBE Judicial Voter Guide
CC
Craig Collins
REP
Biography
Craig Collins is on the State Board of Elections certified candidate list for this seat's November 3, 2026 ballot. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.

Countywide races in New Hanover County

ZIP 28401 sits in New Hanover County, per the Census crosswalk. These seats are voted countywide; district seats, city races and school boards need a street address. All New Hanover County races (16).

New Hanover County Board of Commissioners
5 candidates
County ▾
BD
Bob Drach
Biography
Bob Drach is a business executive and financial professional who served as CEO of HMF Express from 2004 to 2020, per his campaign site. He holds a B.S. from William & Mary and an MBA from Stanford University, and has chaired the North Carolina Libertarian Party and run for state auditor in 2024, per Port City Daily. He previously served on the county's Board of Equalization and Review, per his campaign site.
Top Priorities
From the campaign site
  • Sound financial management for county government
  • Balanced growth
  • Support for schools and public health and safety
RM
Richard M. Collier
REP
Biography
Richard M. Collier serves on the Wilmington Planning Board and ran unsuccessfully for a Wilmington City Council seat in 2025, per Port City Daily. No campaign website was found for his 2026 county commissioner run. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.
RZ
Rob Zapple
DEM
Biography
Rob Zapple is the sitting New Hanover County commissioner seeking re-election, per the county Board of Commissioners' roster and his campaign site. As commissioner, Zapple says he supported teacher pay increases, worked to increase funding for local nonprofits and doubled the number of pre-K classrooms, and helped fast-track development of Hanover Pines Nature Park, per the campaign site.
Top Priorities
From the campaign site
  • Manage growth while focusing on transportation and infrastructure needs.
  • Hold polluters accountable and strengthen enforcement of clean water protections.
  • Support public education from Pre-K through community college.
LeShonda Wallace portrait
LW
LeShonda Wallace
DEM
Biography
LeShonda Wallace is an advanced practice nurse who chaired New Hanover County's Health and Human Services Board and led the county's community response during the COVID-19 pandemic through education, free vaccine drives and supply distribution, per the campaign site. She is the founder and executive director of SEEDS of Healing, which supports people affected by HIV/AIDS and expands access to care in the county, was named WILMA's Woman to Watch in Health in 2018 and was inducted into the American Academy of Nursing, per the campaign site.
Top Priorities
From the campaign site
  • Healthcare access: health promotion, quality and timely care
  • Environmental stewardship: water quality and responsible land use
  • Economic growth: small business support, job training and workforce development
LP
LeAnn Pierce
REP
Biography
LeAnn Pierce is a member of the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners, elected in 2022 and chosen board chair in December 2025, per the campaign site. Pierce previously served as Mayor of Carolina Beach from 2019 to 2022 and on the Carolina Beach Town Council from 2013 to 2021, after owning and operating a 62 room hotel in Carolina Beach for 30 years, per the campaign site. Pierce holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from East Carolina University, per the campaign site.
Top Priorities
From the campaign site
  • preserving and expanding green space
  • strengthening county resilience to storms and flooding
  • improving walking and biking connectivity
About this race
Five candidates for two seats on the November 3, 2026 ballot, certified by the New Hanover County Board of Elections and confirmed on the county's official sample ballot. Rob Zapple (Democratic) and LeAnn Pierce (Republican, chair) are the two incumbents seeking re-election, per the county's Board of Commissioners page.
New Hanover County Board of Education
8 candidates
County ▾
AD
Amy Dunning
REP
Biography
Amy Dunning is an elementary math teacher at a private school and a former Title I teacher, per Port City Daily. No campaign website was found for her school board run. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.
Top Priorities
From other published sources
  • Implementing best teaching practices and equitable teacher distribution across schools, per Port City Daily
  • A bottom-up leadership approach that incorporates teacher feedback, per Port City Daily
WD
Wendy Dale
DEM
Biography
Wendy Dale works as a contracts specialist, per Port City Daily. No campaign website was found for her school board run. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.
Top Priorities
From other published sources
  • Increased school funding and efficient policy implementation, per Port City Daily
  • Advocating for state-level support and trusting educators, per Port City Daily
PB
Pat Bradford
REP
Biography
Pat Bradford is the incumbent board member and chair of its Capital, Bond and Finance Committee, per Port City Daily and the district's official board page.
Top Priorities
From other published sources
  • Addressing the district's funding pressures and passing a bond referendum, per Port City Daily
  • Safety and discipline, and transparent financial allocation, per Port City Daily
JB
Josie Barnhart
REP
Biography
Josie Barnhart is an incumbent board member first elected in 2022, per Port City Daily and the district's official board page.
Top Priorities
From other published sources
  • Staff stability and retention, per Port City Daily
  • Student innovation programs and targeted teacher incentive pay at low-performing schools, per Port City Daily
CS
Chris Sutton
REP
Biography
Chris Sutton is a maintenance technician who previously ran for the school board in 2022, per Port City Daily. No campaign website was found for his 2026 run. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.
Top Priorities
From other published sources
  • Board transparency and accountability, per Port City Daily
  • Retaining experienced educators and policy incentives for teachers, per Port City Daily
BL
Brittnei LaRue
DEM
Biography
Brittnei LaRue is a financial professional who helps individuals and families make informed decisions about their finances, per her campaign site. She holds a bachelor's degree in Foreign Languages with a concentration in Spanish and is a political newcomer running as a parent in the district.
Top Priorities
From the campaign site
  • Financial responsibility and budget oversight for the district
  • Rebuilding trust between the school system and families through open communication
  • Quality education using resources wisely and building partnerships with educators and families
JJ
Jerry Jones, Jr.
DEM
Biography
Jerry Jones, Jr. is a co-founder of The Roasted Bookery and an environmental chemist who has taught middle-school science, per Port City Daily. He previously ran for the school board in 2024. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.
Top Priorities
From other published sources
  • Representing working-class families and top-tier public education funding, per Port City Daily
  • Democratizing feedback processes and building teacher trust and autonomy, per Port City Daily
MG
Margie Gewirtzman
DEM
Biography
Margie Gewirtzman is a mother of three who says on the campaign site that 18 years have been spent as an advocate in medical, educational and community settings for programs that serve children with disabilities, per the campaign site. Gewirtzman is running for the New Hanover County Board of Education.
Top Priorities
From other published sources
  • Securing funding for student support services and reducing discipline disparities, per Port City Daily
  • Hiring an education technologist and expanding accessibility tools in classrooms, per Port City Daily
About this race
Eight candidates for four seats on the November 3, 2026 ballot. Pat Bradford and Josie Barnhart (both Republican) are incumbents seeking re-election, per the district's official board page. Margie Gewirtzman took the fourth Democratic primary slot after candidate Rick Southerland withdrew, per Port City Daily.
New Hanover County Clerk of Superior Court
2 candidates
County ▾
JT
Jennie Thomason
DEM
Biography
Jennie Thomason is a Wilmington native and a lawyer, per Port City Daily. No campaign website was found for her run for Clerk of Superior Court. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.
JG
Jan Giacalone Kennedy
REP INCUMBENT
Biography
Jan Giacalone Kennedy is the incumbent Clerk of Superior Court, first elected in 2010 after starting as a Deputy Clerk in 1993 and rising to Assistant Clerk in 2007, per her campaign site. She is a Wilmington native and UNCW graduate with 32 years at the office.
Top Priorities
From the campaign site
  • Continuing the county's paperless eCourts system, launched in February 2025
  • Secure filing options for domestic violence survivors
About this race
Jan Giacalone Kennedy (Republican) is the incumbent clerk seeking re-election; Jennie Thomason (Democratic) is a challenger. This contest is on the November 3, 2026 ballot.
New Hanover County Sheriff
1 candidate
County ▾
EM
Ed McMahon
REP
Biography
Ed McMahon is the sitting New Hanover County sheriff, per the county Sheriff's Office. No campaign website was found as of September 27, 2026.
Why only one name?
Only one name is on the ballot for this office: no other candidate qualified. An unopposed candidate is elected unless a write-in outpolls them where write-ins are allowed, so this line still counts as a vote.
About this race
Ed McMahon (Republican) is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the certified candidate filing and the county's official sample ballot.
New Hanover Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor
4 candidates
County ▾
DC
deAndre Corniffe
Biography
No campaign website was found as of September 27, 2026; the official election filing is the only verifiable source for deAndre Corniffe.
CC
Cate Calson
Biography
Cate Calson is a communications professional with more than 25 years of experience in design, marketing and community engagement, per Encore. She holds a B.A. in Communication Design from California State University, Chico, and volunteers with Cape Fear River Watch and the Sierra Club.
Top Priorities
From other published sources
  • Protecting local waterways and drinking sources from contaminants such as PFAS, per Encore (encorepub.org)
  • Development practices that reduce flooding and stormwater pollution, per Encore (encorepub.org)
  • Preserving parks, wetlands, forests and open space, per Encore (encorepub.org)
FC
Frank Christopher Meares
Biography
Frank Christopher Meares is a current elected supervisor serving as Secretary/Treasurer of the district's Board of Supervisors, per the district's official page. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026; the official roster and election filing is the only verifiable source for Frank Christopher Meares.
KM
Kelly McConnell
Biography
Kelly McConnell is a retired pediatrician who returned to Wilmington in 2018, per her campaign site. She chairs the Cape Fear group of the North Carolina Sierra Club and serves on the Cape Fear River Watch advocacy board.
Top Priorities
From the campaign site
  • Environmental advocacy connecting natural resource health to community wellbeing
  • Climate-related action through local committee work
About this race
Nonpartisan race; four candidates for two seats. Frank Christopher Meares is a current elected supervisor (Secretary/Treasurer) seeking re-election, per the district's official Board of Supervisors page. This contest is on the November 3, 2026 ballot.
North Carolina District Court Judge, District 6, Seat 1
1 candidate
County ▾
LL
Lindsey L. McKee
REP INCUMBENT
Biography
Lindsey L. McKee is a sitting District Court judge for Judicial District 5 (New Hanover and Pender counties), first elected in 2014, per the North Carolina Judicial Branch's judicial directory. She began her legal career as an assistant district attorney in the New Hanover County District Attorney's Office after earning a J.D. at North Carolina Central University School of Law, per the same directory. No campaign website was found as of September 27, 2026.
Why only one name?
Only one name is on the ballot for this office: no other candidate qualified. An unopposed candidate is elected unless a write-in outpolls them where write-ins are allowed, so this line still counts as a vote.
About this race
Lindsey L. McKee (Republican) is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Carolina District Court Judge, District 6, Seat 1. Voters across New Hanover and Pender counties vote on this seat, per North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 7A. North Carolina judicial races have been partisan since the 2018 court reorganization. The field is the State Board of Elections' certified general-election candidate list (read September 7, 2026).
North Carolina District Court Judge, District 6, Seat 2
2 candidates
County ▾
KB
Kurt B. Fryar
REP
Biography
Kurt B. Fryar is a Wilmington native with 24 years of legal practice in New Hanover and Pender counties, spanning civil, criminal, real estate and estate planning matters, per his campaign site. He is a UNCW and UNC Chapel Hill School of Law graduate.
Top Priorities
From the campaign site
  • Apply the law as written and respect the time of citizens and attorneys
  • Address addiction-related cases while protecting public safety
JH
James H. Faison III
DEM INCUMBENT
Biography
James H. Faison III has served as a District Court Judge for New Hanover and Pender counties for more than 25 years, per his campaign site, after working as a staff attorney with Legal Services of the Lower Cape Fear and as an Assistant District Attorney for the two counties. He has also served as a pastor since 1998.
Top Priorities
From the campaign site
  • Uphold the law with honesty and integrity
  • Ensure equal justice and respect for every person
About this race
Kurt B. Fryar (Republican) and James H. Faison III (Democratic) meet on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Carolina District Court Judge, District 6, Seat 2. Voters across New Hanover and Pender counties vote on this seat, per North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 7A. North Carolina judicial races have been partisan since the 2018 court reorganization. The field is the State Board of Elections' certified general-election candidate list (read September 7, 2026).
North Carolina District Court Judge, District 6, Seat 3
2 candidates
County ▾
MH
Melinda H. Crouch
DEM INCUMBENT
Biography
Melinda H. Crouch has served as a District Court Judge for New Hanover and Pender counties since 2007, presiding primarily over Family Court, per her campaign site. Licensed since 1984, she practiced law in Wilmington for more than two decades before joining the bench.
Top Priorities
From the campaign site
  • Apply the law equally and treat every individual with dignity and respect
  • Keep the courtroom a place where everyone can be heard, respected and treated fairly
JL
Janelle L. Cline
REP
Biography
Janelle Cline has worked as a prosecutor for the New Hanover and Pender County District Attorney's Office and later for the North Carolina Conference of District Attorneys, per her campaign site. She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, holds a master's degree from the University of Maryland College Park and a juris doctor from the University of Arkansas Little Rock Bowen School of Law, per the same source. She lives in Wilmington.
About this race
Melinda H. Crouch (Democratic) and Janelle L. Cline (Republican) meet on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Carolina District Court Judge, District 6, Seat 3. Voters across New Hanover and Pender counties vote on this seat, per North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 7A. North Carolina judicial races have been partisan since the 2018 court reorganization. The field is the State Board of Elections' certified general-election candidate list (read September 7, 2026).
North Carolina District Court Judge, District 6, Seat 4
2 candidates
County ▾
KC
Katherine Corpening
DEM
Biography
Katherine Corpening is an Assistant Public Defender in New Hanover County with more than a decade of experience representing indigent clients, per her campaign site. She helped establish Community Empowerment Court, a treatment-focused alternative to incarceration, and is a Wilmington native and Wake Forest and Campbell Law graduate.
Top Priorities
From the campaign site
  • Fairness and accountability, with judges listening carefully and treating all people with dignity
  • Bringing real-world community experience to the bench
CH
Chad Hogston
REP INCUMBENT
Biography
Hogston has served 16 years on the district court bench and has 30 years of legal experience in New Hanover and Pender Counties, per the campaign site. Hogston grew up in Virginia, was the first in the family to attend college, and began legal practice in 1996, developing experience across a wide range of cases before becoming a judge. As a district court judge, Hogston hears criminal, family court, domestic violence, civil and mental health commitment matters.
About this race
Katherine Corpening (Democratic) and Chad Hogston (Republican) meet on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Carolina District Court Judge, District 6, Seat 4. Voters across New Hanover and Pender counties vote on this seat, per North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 7A. North Carolina judicial races have been partisan since the 2018 court reorganization. The field is the State Board of Elections' certified general-election candidate list (read September 7, 2026).

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See your full ballot for 28401

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Ballot info questions for 28401
Who is running for mayor in 28401?

Mayor races depend on the city tied to your address. Use the full-address lookup, then confirm with your city or county election office.

When is the primary election in this state?

Primary dates vary by state. Use this page's official election links to confirm the next primary deadline for your address.

Can I vote early in 28401?

Early voting rules vary by state and county. Check your official election links for dates, locations, and ID rules.

Where can I see a sample ballot for 28401?

Start with the Ballot Brief lookup results for this ZIP. If you need more district precision, use the Local page with a full address.

Data sources

Where does The Ballot Brief verify ballot info for 28401?

Vote.gov Official federal voter registration and voting information gateway.State election offices Official directory for state election deadlines, ballot rules, and voter resources.Federal Election Commission Federal candidate filings and campaign finance data.Congress.gov members Official congressional member records and identifiers.