McDowell County Sample Ballot & Voter Guide 2026
9 candidates are on the November 3, 2026 ballot across 6 McDowell County races, led by the North Carolina Senate District 46 contest.
Judges
North Carolina District Court Judge, District 41, Seat 1Robert K. Martelle (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Robert K. Martelle Republican Incumbent
Robert K. Martelle is the Chief District Court Judge for the district covering McDowell and Rutherford counties, originally appointed to the bench by Governor Pat McCrory in February 2013 and re-elected in 2014, per the North Carolina Judicial Branch. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and his J.D. from the Campbell University School of Law, and was a partner at the firm of Williams & Martelle from 1995 to 2013. No campaign website was found as of September 27, 2026.
Robert K. Martelle (Republican) is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Carolina District Court Judge, District 41, Seat 1. Voters across McDowell and Rutherford 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 41, Seat 2Michelle McEntire (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Michelle McEntire Republican
Michelle McEntire was appointed District Court Judge for the judicial district serving McDowell and Rutherford counties by Governor Roy Cooper in July 2020, filling the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Randy Pool, per a North Carolina Judicial Branch news release. McEntire was a sole practitioner at McEntire Law, PLLC and previously worked in the District Attorney's Office and as a clinical social worker, per the same release. No campaign website was found as of September 27, 2026.
Michelle McEntire (Republican) is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Carolina District Court Judge, District 41, Seat 2. Voters across McDowell and Rutherford 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 41, Seat 3Ellen M. Shelley (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Ellen M. Shelley Republican Incumbent
Ellen M. Shelley currently serves as a District Court Judge for District 41, covering Rutherford and McDowell counties, appointed by Governor Roy Cooper on April 1, 2019, per the North Carolina Judicial Branch directory. Shelley earned a bachelor's degree from the University of South Carolina and a J.D. from Samford University's Cumberland School of Law before becoming a partner at Evans & Shelley, and she was re-elected to the bench in 2022. Her judgeellenshelley.com site still shows a 2022 primary countdown and copyright date, so it is not linked. No campaign website was found as of September 27, 2026.
Ellen M. Shelley (Republican) is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Carolina District Court Judge, District 41, Seat 3. Voters across McDowell and Rutherford 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.
McDowell County is split across 2 North Carolina House districts.
Find your districts by addressNorth Carolina House: 2 districtsDistricts 85, 113
North Carolina House District 85Dudley Greene (R) · Suzanne Gavenus (D)
Dudley Greene Republican Incumbent
Dudley Greene is a Republican representing North Carolina House District 85, covering Avery, McDowell, Mitchell and Yancey counties, and is serving his third term, per the North Carolina General Assembly. He is a retired sheriff of McDowell County, per the North Carolina General Assembly. No campaign website was found as of September 20, 2026.
Suzanne Gavenus Democratic
- Expanding access to healthcare and mental health services
- Addressing housing costs, childcare expenses and the rising cost of daily living
- Fully funding public schools and providing competitive compensation for educators and state employees
Per the campaign site.
About Suzanne Gavenus
Suzanne Gavenus is a Democrat running for North Carolina House District 85, covering Avery, McDowell, Mitchell and Yancey counties. She has more than three decades of experience in mental health, education and community support and currently serves as director of counseling and wellness at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics' Morganton campus, per her campaign site. Gavenus has lived in Burnsville for more than 23 years with her husband, Gary, and previously lived and worked in Avery County, per her campaign site.
Dudley Greene (Republican), Suzanne Gavenus (Democratic) meet on the November 3 ballot; Dudley Greene 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 113John Morgan (D) · Jake Johnson (R)
John Morgan Democratic
- Improving access to affordable health care
- Bringing schools up to current standards
- Incentives for landlords to increase affordable housing supply
Per the Henderson County Democratic Party.
About John Morgan
John Morgan is the Democratic candidate for North Carolina House District 113, per his campaign site. He served 21 years in the United States Air Force, including flying aircraft that carried Presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton, per his campaign site. After retiring from the Air Force he worked as a captain and flight instructor at Atlas Air, and he served as a City Commissioner in Saluda, where he has lived since 1997, per his campaign site.
Jake Johnson Republican Incumbent
- Support a free-market economy with lower taxes and less regulation
- Support gun rights
- Support local control of public schools and recent teacher pay raises
Per the campaign site.
About Jake Johnson
Jake Johnson was born and raised in Polk County and served as chairman of the Polk County Board of Commissioners, per the campaign site. Johnson is running for North Carolina House District 113 and is described as a fiscal and social conservative, per the campaign site.
John Morgan (Democratic), Jake Johnson (Republican) meet on the November 3 ballot; Jake Johnson 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 46Warren Daniel (R) · Kyle Whisnant (D)
Warren Daniel Republican Incumbent
Warren Daniel graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1991 and served six years in the U.S. Army Field Artillery, per the campaign site. Daniel earned a law degree with honors from UNC Law School in 2000 and practices law in Morganton, and was admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court in 2007, per the campaign site.
Kyle Whisnant Democratic
- Address economic, health, and infrastructure issues affecting working families
Per The Paper.
About Kyle Whisnant
Kyle Whisnant is a local business owner in Morganton who filed on December 18, 2025, to run for NC Senate District 46, per The Paper and the North Carolina State Board of Elections. No campaign website was found as of September 7, 2026.
Warren Daniel (Republican), Kyle Whisnant (Democratic) meet on the November 3 ballot; Warren Daniel 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
Voting info and more
Voting info and more
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 McDowell County, North Carolina on November 3, 2026?
McDowell County sample ballot 2026: see where the north carolina district court judge and north carolina senate candidates stand on health care and schools. 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 McDowell 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