Caldwell County Sample Ballot & Voter Guide 2026
15 candidates are on the November 3, 2026 ballot across 12 Caldwell County races, led by the North Carolina Senate District 45 contest.
Judges
North Carolina Superior Court Judge, District 36, Seat 1Tim Rooks (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Tim Rooks Republican
Tim Rooks is a candidate for Superior Court Judge in Judicial District 36, covering Burke and Caldwell counties, per his campaign site. Rooks is an attorney and mediator, per the same source.
Tim Rooks (Republican) is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Carolina Superior Court Judge, District 36, Seat 1. Voters across Burke and Caldwell 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 36, Seat 1David W. Aycock (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
David W. Aycock Republican Incumbent
David W. Aycock appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Carolina District Court Judge, District 36, Seat 1, per the county elections office's certified candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026; the official election filing is the only verifiable source for David W. Aycock.
David W. Aycock (Republican) is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Carolina District Court Judge, District 36, Seat 1. Voters across Burke, Caldwell and Catawba counties vote on this seat, per North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 7A. State law limits who may run for this seat to a resident of Burke, Caldwell or Catawba County, but every voter in the district still elects it. 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 36, Seat 2Wes W. Barkley (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Wes W. Barkley Republican Incumbent
Wes W. Barkley appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Carolina District Court Judge, District 36, Seat 2, per the county elections office's certified candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026; the official election filing is the only verifiable source for Wes W. Barkley.
Wes W. Barkley (Republican) is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Carolina District Court Judge, District 36, Seat 2. Voters across Burke, Caldwell and Catawba counties vote on this seat, per North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 7A. State law limits who may run for this seat to a resident of Burke, Caldwell or Catawba County, but every voter in the district still elects it. 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 36, Seat 3Matthew D. Cabe (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Matthew D. Cabe Republican Incumbent
Matthew D. Cabe appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Carolina District Court Judge, District 36, Seat 3, per the county elections office's certified candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026; the official election filing is the only verifiable source for Matthew D. Cabe.
Matthew D. Cabe (Republican) is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Carolina District Court Judge, District 36, Seat 3. Voters across Burke, Caldwell and Catawba counties vote on this seat, per North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 7A. State law limits who may run for this seat to a resident of Burke, Caldwell or Catawba County, but every voter in the district still elects it. 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 36, Seat 4Robert A. Mullinax, Jr. (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Robert A. Mullinax, Jr. Republican Incumbent
Robert A. Mullinax, Jr. appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Carolina District Court Judge, District 36, Seat 4, per the county elections office's certified candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026; the official election filing is the only verifiable source for Robert A. Mullinax, Jr.
Robert A. Mullinax, Jr. (Republican) is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Carolina District Court Judge, District 36, Seat 4. Voters across Burke, Caldwell and Catawba counties vote on this seat, per North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 7A. State law limits who may run for this seat to a resident of Burke, Caldwell or Catawba County, but every voter in the district still elects it. 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 36, Seat 5Gregory R. (Greg) Hayes (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Gregory R. (Greg) Hayes Republican
Gregory R. (Greg) Hayes appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Carolina District Court Judge, District 36, Seat 5, per the county elections office's certified candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026; the official election filing is the only verifiable source for Gregory R. (Greg) Hayes.
Gregory R. (Greg) Hayes (Republican) is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Carolina District Court Judge, District 36, Seat 5. Voters across Burke, Caldwell and Catawba counties vote on this seat, per North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 7A. State law limits who may run for this seat to a resident of Burke, Caldwell or Catawba County, but every voter in the district still elects it. 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 36, Seat 6Scott M. Lippert (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Scott M. Lippert Republican Incumbent
Scott M. Lippert appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Carolina District Court Judge, District 36, Seat 6, per the county elections office's certified candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026; the official election filing is the only verifiable source for Scott M. Lippert.
Scott M. Lippert (Republican) is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Carolina District Court Judge, District 36, Seat 6. Voters across Burke, Caldwell and Catawba counties vote on this seat, per North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 7A. State law limits who may run for this seat to a resident of Burke, Caldwell or Catawba County, but every voter in the district still elects it. 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 36, Seat 7Mark L. Killian (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Mark L. Killian Republican Incumbent
Mark L. Killian appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Carolina District Court Judge, District 36, Seat 7, per the county elections office's certified candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026; the official election filing is the only verifiable source for Mark L. Killian.
Mark L. Killian (Republican) is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Carolina District Court Judge, District 36, Seat 7. Voters across Burke, Caldwell and Catawba counties vote on this seat, per North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 7A. State law limits who may run for this seat to a resident of Burke, Caldwell or Catawba County, but every voter in the district still elects it. 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 36, Seat 9Michelle Markham Lippert (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Michelle Markham Lippert Republican
Michelle Markham Lippert appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Carolina District Court Judge, District 36, Seat 9, per the county elections office's certified candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026; the official election filing is the only verifiable source for Michelle Markham Lippert.
Michelle Markham Lippert (Republican) is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Carolina District Court Judge, District 36, Seat 9. Voters across Burke, Caldwell and Catawba counties vote on this seat, per North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 7A. This seat covers the remainder of an unexpired term. 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.
Caldwell County is split across 2 North Carolina Senate districts.
Find your districts by addressNorth Carolina Senate: 2 districtsDistricts 45, 47
North Carolina Senate District 45Greg Cranford (D) · Mark Hollo (R)
Greg Cranford Democratic
Greg Cranford is the Democratic candidate for North Carolina Senate District 45 on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the State Board of Elections' certified general-election candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 7, 2026.
Mark Hollo Republican Incumbent
Mark Hollo represents North Carolina Senate District 45, covering Caldwell and Catawba counties, per the NC General Assembly. He is serving his first term in the Senate after three prior terms in the state House. No campaign website was found as of September 7, 2026.
Greg Cranford (Democratic), Mark Hollo (Republican) meet on the November 3 ballot; Mark Hollo 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 Senate District 47Frank Patton Hughes III (D) · Ralph Hise (R)
Frank Patton Hughes III Democratic
- Addressing underfunding and overcrowding in public schools
- Ensuring access to quality medical care in the mountain region
- Environmental stewardship of forests, pastures and streams that support local food production and tourism
Per the campaign site.
About Frank Patton Hughes III
Frank Patton Hughes III is a Democrat running for North Carolina Senate District 47, covering Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Caldwell, Haywood, Madison, Mitchell, Watauga and Yancey counties. He was born in Iredell County and has lived throughout the state, with his family's deepest roots in Avery County, per his campaign site. Hughes is a social studies teacher at McDowell High School and previously taught at Philo Hill Middle School and helped write curriculum for the Winston-Salem/Forsyth school district, per his campaign site. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Appalachian State University, per his campaign site.
Ralph Hise Republican Incumbent
Ralph Hise is a Republican representing North Carolina Senate District 47, covering Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Caldwell, Haywood, Madison, Mitchell, Watauga and Yancey counties, and is serving his eighth term as Senate Deputy President Pro Tempore, per the North Carolina General Assembly.
Frank Patton Hughes III (Democratic), Ralph Hise (Republican) meet on the November 3 ballot; Ralph Hise 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 87Iris Bender (D) · Destin Hall (R)
Iris Bender Democratic
- Delivering practical solutions that support working families
- Strengthening public schools
Per the campaign site.
About Iris Bender
Iris Bender is a Democrat running for North Carolina House District 87, covering Caldwell County and part of Watauga County. She is a longtime resident of Lenoir and a small business owner, per her campaign site.
Destin Hall Republican Incumbent
- Lower taxes
- Limited government
- Describes his approach as steadfastly conservative
Per the campaign site.
About Destin Hall
Destin Hall is a Republican representing North Carolina House District 87, covering Caldwell and Watauga counties, and serves as Speaker of the House. He was first elected in 2016 at age 29 and is now serving his fifth term, per his campaign site. Hall is an attorney in general practice at Wilson, Lackey, Rohr and Hall in Lenoir and serves as school board attorney for Caldwell County Schools, per EdNC. He earned a Bachelor of Science in business administration from Appalachian State University in 2009 and a Juris Doctor from Wake Forest University School of Law in 2014, becoming the first college graduate in his family, per EdNC.
Iris Bender (Democratic), Destin Hall (Republican) meet on the November 3 ballot; Destin Hall 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 pageSee your full 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 Caldwell County, North Carolina on November 3, 2026?
Caldwell 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 Caldwell 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 →
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