Beaufort County Sample Ballot & Voter Guide 2026
8 candidates are on the November 3, 2026 ballot across 5 Beaufort County races, led by the North Carolina Senate District 3 contest.
Judges
North Carolina Superior Court Judge, District 2, Seat 1Regina Rodgers Parker (D) · Jerauld Brian Pafford (R)
Regina Rodgers Parker Democratic Incumbent
Regina Rodgers Parker was appointed by Governor Josh Stein to the Superior Court for Judicial District 2, covering Beaufort, Hyde, Martin, Tyrrell and Washington counties, on May 8, 2026, filling the vacancy left by the retirement of Judge Wayland Sermons, per the Governor's office. Parker had served Judicial District 2 since 2001 and as Chief District Court Judge there since 2018. She received her Bachelor of Science from East Carolina University and her Juris Doctor from North Carolina Central University. No campaign website was found as of September 27, 2026.
Jerauld Brian Pafford Republican
Jerauld Brian Pafford is a candidate for Superior Court Judge, District 2, covering Beaufort, Hyde, Martin, Tyrrell and Washington counties, per his campaign site. He currently works as a public defender at the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts, previously ran a private law firm, and worked as in-house counsel for East Carolina University, per WCTI. He is from Eastern North Carolina and lives in Washington, North Carolina; this is his first run for public office.
Regina Rodgers Parker (Democratic) and Jerauld Brian Pafford (Republican) meet on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Carolina Superior Court Judge, District 2, Seat 1. Voters across Beaufort, Hyde, Martin, Tyrrell and Washington 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).
Full race pageNorth Carolina District Court Judge, District 2, Seat 1Darrell B. Cayton, Jr. (D)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Darrell B. Cayton, Jr. Democratic Incumbent
Darrell B. Cayton, Jr. is a district court judge for the judicial district that presides over Beaufort, Hyde, Martin, Tyrrell and Washington counties, first elected to the court in 2010, per WCTI 12 News. No campaign website was found as of September 27, 2026.
Darrell B. Cayton, Jr. (Democratic) is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Carolina District Court Judge, District 2, Seat 1. Voters across Beaufort, Hyde, Martin, Tyrrell and Washington 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).
Full race pageNorth Carolina District Court Judge, District 2, Seat 2Lloyd Williams (R) · D. Cole Phelps (D)
Lloyd Williams Republican
Lloyd Williams grew up in Hyde County and worked as a commercial fisherman before and during law school, per his campaign site. He studied at UNC-Chapel Hill, Beaufort County Community College and East Carolina University before earning his law degree from Campbell University, and has spent 19 years as an Assistant District Attorney in the Second Prosecutorial District, where he serves as Lead Prosecutor for the Recovery Treatment Court.
D. Cole Phelps Democratic Incumbent
D. Cole Phelps grew up in Creswell, Washington County, North Carolina, and earned his law degree from North Carolina Central University School of Law, per his campaign website. He was elected to the Washington County Board of Commissioners at age 23 and later served as Chairman, and opened a law practice in Plymouth in 2013, per the same source. In 2025 he was certified by the North Carolina State Bar as a specialist in juvenile delinquency law, per his website.
Lloyd Williams (Republican) and D. Cole Phelps (Democratic) meet on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Carolina District Court Judge, District 2, Seat 2. Voters across Beaufort, Hyde, Martin, Tyrrell and Washington 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).
Full race pageBy address
These seats are elected by district; only the district covering your address is on your ballot.
Find your districts by addressNorth Carolina Senate District 3Charles Dudley (D) · Bob Brinson (R)
Charles Dudley Democratic
- Increase funding for public education and health care, including mental health
- Supports good health care for veterans, including mental health support
Per the campaign site.
About Charles Dudley
Charles Dudley is a Democrat running for North Carolina Senate District 3, covering Beaufort, Craven and Lenoir counties. He served more than 20 years in the U.S. Marine Corps and has spent two decades as senior pastor at New Beginnings Ministry of Faith in Havelock, per Neuse News. Dudley serves on boards including Habitat for Humanity and the Craven Community College Foundation, per Neuse News. He was raised in Kentucky by a single mother, per Neuse News.
Bob Brinson Republican Incumbent
Bob Brinson is a Republican representing North Carolina Senate District 3, covering Beaufort, Craven and Lenoir counties, per the North Carolina General Assembly.
Charles Dudley (Democratic), Bob Brinson (Republican) meet on the November 3 ballot; Bob Brinson 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.
Full race pageNorth Carolina House District 79Darren Armstrong (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Darren Armstrong Republican
- Agricultural and small business interests in the district's rural economy
Per the campaign site.
About Darren Armstrong
Darren Armstrong is a Republican running for North Carolina House District 79, covering Beaufort, Dare, Hyde and Pamlico counties. He was born in Hyde County and now lives in Beaufort County, per his campaign site. Armstrong has co-owned Armstrong Farms for nearly 30 years and is a former chairman of the U.S. Grains Council and past chair of the Corn Board Association of North Carolina, per his campaign site. He holds an associate's degree in agricultural business from North Carolina State University's Agricultural Institute and serves on the Beaufort County Community College Board of Trustees, per his campaign site.
Darren Armstrong (Republican) is the only candidate on the November 3 ballot. The seat is open: Rep. Keith Kidwell (Republican), 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.
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Verify your ballot with the official election office.
Cross-check every race and candidate with the official election office. Official sources are the final word.
North Carolina nominees were set by the March 3 primary; a candidate clearing 30 percent plus one avoids a second primary, and unopposed nominees still print on the November 3 ballot, per the State Board of Elections.
Who is on the ballot in Beaufort County, North Carolina on November 3, 2026?
Beaufort County sample ballot 2026: who is running for north carolina superior court judge, with bios, priorities and campaign sites. Every candidate profile on this page names the official filing or campaign source it came from.
When is the 2026 general election in North Carolina?
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Registration deadlines, early voting dates and mail ballot rules for North Carolina are listed on the North Carolina election hub. North Carolina election hub →
How do I see my exact Beaufort County ballot?
Enter your ZIP code in the lookup for the statewide and congressional races on every ballot in the county, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location. Look up your ballot →
North Carolina statewide racesEvery North Carolina race on this county's ballot.All North Carolina ballot measures3 statewide ballot measures