Sample Ballot
The candidates we support and why!!
U.S. Senate
Roy Cooper
We're Backing Roy Cooper (U.S. Senate)
As Governor of North Carolina, Roy Cooper delivered one of the fastest-growing state economies in the nation, making North Carolina the #1 state for business two years running, expanded Medicaid to cover more than 650,000 residents, and helped relieve over $6 billion in medical debt for two million North Carolinians (the biggest medical debt relief program in the country). Before that, as Attorney General for four terms, he cracked down on scammers and predatory lenders while winning billions back for consumers, and as a state legislator he raised teacher pay and wrote North Carolina's first children's health insurance initiative. Now our double Tar Heel is running for the U.S. Senate to make stuff cost less! Find out more at roycooper.com/costless
N.C. Supreme Court
Anita Earls
We're Backing Anita Earls (N.C. Supreme Court)
Justice Anita Earls built her career as a preeminent civil rights attorney, serving as executive director of the Southern Coalition for Social Justice and as a deputy assistant attorney general in the DOJ's Civil Rights Division. Since being elected to the NC Supreme Court in 2019, she's fought tirelessly to uphold the Constitution and protect voting rights, standing firm as the Leandro ruling threatens access to education and Republican justices attempt to subvert voting rights and the separation of powers. With so much on the line for our courts, we need a voice as powerful as Earls. Find out more at earls4justice.com
N.C. Court of Appeals
John Arrowood
We're Backing John Arrowood (Court of Appeals, Seat 1)
Raised in rural Yancey County and orphaned as a teenager, John Arrowood put himself through school on grit and community support, graduating Magna Cum Laude from Catawba College before earning his law degree at UNC. Appointed to the Court of Appeals in 2017, he became the first openly LGBTQ+ person elected to statewide office in the South in 2018, and has since heard over 2,000 cases and authored more than 650 opinions with fairness, integrity, and courage. As extremists work to politicize our courts, we need steady, principled judges who won't back down. Find out more at keepjudgearrowood.com
Toby Hampson
We're Backing Toby Hampson (Court of Appeals, Seat 2)
Raised in Moore County and a proud product of North Carolina public schools, Toby Hampson built his career into becoming a leading expert in appellate law before being elected to the Court of Appeals in 2018. Since then, he's authored hundreds of opinions with fairness and impartiality, including a scathing dissent in defense of North Carolinians' right to vote in the 2024 election, standing firm as our courts become the last line of defense against attacks on our constitutional rights. That's exactly why we need to keep an experienced fighter for fairness and freedom like Judge Hampson on the court. Find out more at judgetobyhampson.com
Christine Walczyk
We're Backing Christine Walczyk (Court of Appeals, Seat 3)
Christine Walczyk spent years practicing law in Raleigh, representing small businesses alongside indigent defendants and juveniles who needed a lawyer, before becoming a Wake County judge nearly two decades ago. Since then, she's built a reputation as the county's most experienced judge, known for fair, timely rulings that don't play favorites, and she's worked to make the courts more accessible to everyday people navigating them without an attorney. She's running for the Court of Appeals because she believes judges should stay above politics and protect our rights, no matter who's in the courtroom. That's the kind of experienced, independent voice we need on the bench. Find out more at judgechristine.org
N.C. House
Allen Buansi
We're Backing Allen Buansi (N.C. House)
Allen Buansi is a proud product of Chapel Hill-Carrboro public schools and the son and nephew of public school teachers. From this, Allen built a career as a civil rights attorney fighting for clean water, clean air, and fair treatment for vulnerable communities. Since June 2022, he's represented NC House District 56, where he's championed fair teacher pay, fought for investment in renewable energy, and pushed to expand healthcare access and funding for local public health departments. Allen is a "proven, homegrown leader" for Chapel Hill and Carrboro. Find out more at allenbuansi.com/priorities.
N.C. Senate
Jonah Garson
We're Backing Jonah Garson (N.C. Senate)
Raised in Chapel Hill, Jonah Garson has built over a decade of legal experience representing voters in gerrymandering and voter ID litigation, corporate law, and the New York Attorney General's Labor Bureau, all while organizing as First Vice Chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party. Appointed by Governor Josh Stein to the NC Senate in April 2026, he now represents Caswell, Orange, and Person Counties in Senate District 23. He's running this fall for his first full term, ready to fight for reproductive rights, fully funded public schools, affordable housing, and to end gerrymandering in Raleigh. Find out more at jonahgarson.com/on-the-issues
U.S. House
Valerie Foushee
We're Backing Valerie Foushee (U.S. House)
Valerie Foushee grew up watching her teenage parents work multiple jobs to raise six kids in Chapel Hill, and that shaped a career built around fighting for overlooked families and communities. In the North Carolina General Assembly, she championed clean water protections, fought to mitigate PFAS pollution, and pushed to modernize voter registration, building on years as a school board member and Chair of the Orange County Board of Commissioners. Now representing North Carolina's Fourth District in Congress, she serves as Ranking Member of the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee, continuing to fight for opportunity, dignity, and a "fair shot" for everyone. Find out more at valeriefoushee.com/issues
We're Opposing All Three Constitutional Amendments
We're Against the Property Tax Levy Limit
This November, North Carolina voters will decide whether to cap how much local governments can raise in property tax revenue, but the numbers just don't add up. An analysis by the NC Housing Coalition found that a 2% levy limit would cost local governments over $950 million for schools, transportation, and human services, with 73% of counties and 90% of municipalities losing revenue. The hardest hit would be distressed counties and Hurricane Helene-impacted communities in Western NC, while the biggest winners would be corporate landowners like Duke Energy, Meta, and Google. Real relief means expanding the Homestead Exemption and Circuit Breaker programs that target help to homeowners who actually need it. Find out more at ballotpedia.org/North_Carolina_Property_Tax_Levy_Limit_Amendment_(2026)
We're Against Reducing the Income Tax Rate Cap
This November, North Carolina voters will decide whether to amend the constitution to cap the state income tax rate at 3.5%, down from the current 7%. It's branded as tax relief, but it mainly locks in cuts that favor the wealthy and big corporations. Two-thirds of personal income tax cuts go to the richest 20%, while $9 of every $10 in corporate tax breaks leave the state entirely. Capping income tax doesn't lower what North Carolinians actually pay; it just shifts the burden onto sales taxes, property taxes, and fees, which hit low-income households hardest. It would also slash progressive revenue capacity by at least $14 billion, gutting funding for education, health, and other core services North Carolina families depend on. Find out more at ballotpedia.org/North_Carolina_Reduce_Income_Tax_Rate_Cap_from_7%_to_3.5%Amendment(2026)
We're Against the Voter ID Amendment
North Carolina already requires ID for absentee voting, with safeguards for voters who can't reasonably provide one. This amendment would scrap that balance, locking a strict photo ID requirement for all voting, mail included, directly into the state constitution, where it can't be fixed by a simple law later. That creates new barriers for military, student, rural, and older voters who depend on mail voting to have their say. It's not about election security. It's about making voting harder for the people already most likely to struggle at the ballot box. Find out more at ballotpedia.org/North_Carolina_Require_Voter_Identification_Amendment_(2026)
