The Ballot Brief
28443

Who is on the ballot in 28443?

Pender County, NC

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.

12 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.

28443 sample ballot preview

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
Campaign siteFull profile
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
Campaign siteFull profile
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.
Campaign siteFull profile
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.
Campaign siteFull profile
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)
Campaign siteFull profile
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
Campaign siteFull profile
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
Campaign siteFull profile
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
Campaign siteFull profile
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.
Campaign siteFull profile
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.
Full profile
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.
Full profile
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
Full profile
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.
Full profile
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
Full profile
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.
Full profile

Countywide races in Pender County

ZIP 28443 sits in Pender County, per the Census crosswalk. These seats are voted countywide; district seats, city races and school boards need a street address. All Pender County races (6).

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.
Full profile
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
Campaign siteFull profile
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
Campaign siteFull profile
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
Campaign siteFull profile
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.
Campaign siteFull profile
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
Campaign siteFull profile
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.
Campaign siteFull profile
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).
North Carolina Senate District 9
1 candidate
County ▾
Brent Jackson portrait
BJ
Brent Jackson
REP INCUMBENT
Biography
Brent Jackson is a Republican representing North Carolina Senate District 9, covering Bladen, Duplin, Jones, Pender and Sampson counties, and is serving his eighth term, per the North Carolina General Assembly. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Full profile
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
Brent Jackson (Republican) is the only candidate on the November 3 ballot; Brent Jackson is the sitting member, per the General Assembly's roster. 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. Every address in Pender County is in this district, per the certified district list.
North Carolina House District 16
2 candidates
County ▾
Carson Smith portrait
CS
Carson Smith
REP INCUMBENT
Biography
Carson Smith is a retired Pender County sheriff, per his official legislative biography. He represents Onslow and Pender counties and is serving his 4th term in the North Carolina House. No campaign website was found as of September 7, 2026.
Full profile
JH
Jim Harris
DEM
Biography
Harris holds a finance degree from Michigan State University and an MBA from Wayne State University, and worked at IBM and Intel before relocating to Hampstead in 2017, per the campaign site. He serves as chairman of the Democratic Party of Pender County, per the campaign site.
Top Priorities
From the campaign site
  • Affordability
  • Healthcare access and quality
  • Strengthening public education
Campaign siteFull profile
About this race
Carson Smith (Republican), Jim Harris (Democratic) meet on the November 3 ballot; Carson Smith is the sitting member, per the General Assembly's roster. 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. Every address in Pender County is in this district, per the certified district list.

Statewide, North Carolina voters also decide 3 ballot questions. See the North Carolina ballot measures guide.

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Ballot Info Lookup

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Ballot info questions for 28443
Who is running for mayor in 28443?

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

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

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Data sources

Where does The Ballot Brief verify ballot info for 28443?

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.