North Carolina Legislature 2025-2026: Key Changes and What they Mean for Your Advocacy Strategy
November 6, 2024
UPDATED 11/6/2024 - Source: NC State Board of Elections (unofficial results)
We’ll be updating this post with official election results as they are reported. Sign up for our newsletter to keep up with the latest.
A Complete Summary of Upcoming Member Changes is available here.
As North Carolina heads into a new legislative session, the House and Senate are poised for membership changes that will shape the State's 2025-2026 landscape. For government affairs professionals and policy experts, these shifts present both opportunities and challenges. Staying ahead of these changes isn’t just a best practice—it’s essential to ensure advocacy efforts are aligned with new priorities and perspectives. By preparing now, you’ll have the chance to build relationships with new members early and strengthen connections with returning legislators, giving you an invaluable edge as you enter the new session.
At Roboro, we’re committed to helping you stay ahead of the curve by delivering actionable legislative insights to support proactive advocacy. We’ve synthesized the latest election data here, offering a summary of the upcoming member changes and their potential impact. We’ll continue to update this table as official election results are reported, so you’re equipped with the information you need to strategize and connect with key legislators, new and familiar, as North Carolina’s Legislature heads into the new 2025-2026 session.
In this article:
Key Takeaways
NC House Changes
Summary
New Faces
NC Senate Changes
Summary
New Faces
Stay up to date
NC House of Representatives: Member Changes for 2025-2026
Summary:
As of 11/6/2024, this is a quick look at the member changes in the NC House for 2025-2026.
19 Districts have Member Changes
4 Districts flipped from Republican to Democrat (with a recount possible in District 32 - Granville/Vance)
3 Districts flipped from Democrat to Republican (with a recount possible in District 105 - Mecklenburg)
In total, Democrats appear to have gained 1 seat in the NC House, for a total of 49 Democrats to 71 Republicans.
Assuming these results hold, pending recounts, the Republicans are 1 seat short of a supermajority.
New Faces (18) - Check back for updates
There will be 18 new Members to the NC House. While Tricia Cotham (R) is newly elected to represent District 105 (Mecklenburg), she is currently the Representative for District 112 (Mecklenburg).
We’ve included the profiles below for several of the new Members, and will be publishing additional profiles of new Members in our next blog post.
Rodney D. Pierce (D) - District 27, Halifax/Northampton/Warren
Rodney Pierce ran unopposed in District 27, representing Halifax, Northampton, and Warren Counties. He defeated incumbent and longtime Representative Michael Wray (D), in one of the closest primary races earlier this year. Pierce was born in Landover, Maryland. He has an associate degree from Halifax Community College and a bachelor's degree from North Carolina Wesleyan College. He is an educator with almost 10 years of teaching experience. His platform includes the following issues:
Fully funded public education
Affordable healthcare
Affordable housing
Class mobility
Julia Greenfield (D) - District 100, Mecklenburg
Julia Greenfield ran unopposed in District 100, representing Mecklenburg County. She grew up in Charlotte and went to Appalachian State University, followed by Central Piedmont Community College for nursing school. She has been a nurse, stay-at-home mother, and volunteer with multiple grassroots organizations. Based on her campaign website, Greenfield cares about the following issues:
Women’s rights
Responsible gun control
Affordable healthcare
Education
Aisha Dew (D) - District 107, Mecklenburg
Aisha Dew ran unopposed in District 107, representing Mecklenburg County. Dew is a political strategist, having served as first vice chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party, chair of the Mecklenburg County Democratic Party, and state director for Bernie Sanders 2016. She studied arts administration at Salem College, with a concentration in theater from The Yale School of Drama. Her platform covers the following issues:
Small business growth and support
Environmental protection and conservation
Education
Promote mental health and wellness
Brian Turner (D), District 116 - Buncombe
Brian Turner ran unopposed in District 116, representing Buncombe County. Turner is not new to the NC Legislature, having served as the Representative for District 116 from 2015 to 2022. He did not seek re-election for 2023-2024 but is running again for 2025-2026 following redistricting in the newly drawn District 116. He holds a B.A. in Economics from Northwestern University, an MBA from Wake Forest University, and is pursuing a Masters in Energy and Environmental Management at the University of Connecticut. He served on the following committees in the 2021-2022 session:
Appropriations
Appropriations - Agriculture and Natural and Economic Resources
Wildlife Resources (Vice Chair)
Alcoholic Beverage Control
Education - Community Colleges
Environment
Marine Resources and Aqua Culture
UNC BOG Nominations
NC Senate: Member Changes for 2025-2026
Summary:
As of 11/6/2024, this is a quick look at the member changes in the NC Senate for 2025-2026.
6 Districts have Member Changes
2 Districts have close races and we are awaiting official election results
In total, Republicans hold at least 30 seats, enough for a supermajority
New Faces (6) - Check back for updates
There will be 6 new Members to the NC Senate.
We’ve included the profile below for Caleb Theodros (D) representing District 41 (Mecklenburg), who ran unopposed. We will be publishing additional profiles of new Members in our next blog post.
Caleb Theodros (D) - District 41, Mecklenburg
Caleb Theodros ran unopposed in District 41, Mecklenburg County. Theodros grew up in Charlotte and studied Economics and Political Science at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Based on his experiences, endorsements, and campaign platform, his issues of interest include:
Improve education
Economic growth (He was the Mayor-appointed Chair of the Charlotte Equitable Development Commission)
Prioritize mental health
Diversity and equity (Former Chair of the Black Political Caucus)
Climate and conservation (Endorsed by Conservation PAC)
Stay up to date
We’ll continue to update this blog post as official election results are reported, so you can be fully prepared to engage with the 2025-2026 NC Legislature. Sign up for our newsletter so you don’t miss any updates.