2 candidates are tracked for North Carolina Senate District 40 on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Joyce Waddell and Bobbie Shields. Candidate information follows official Mecklenburg County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.
Joyce Waddell (Democratic), Bobbie Shields (Republican) meet on the November 3 ballot; Joyce Waddell 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.
State legislator. State legislators write and vote on state laws and the state budget, which fund schools, roads, prisons, universities and health programs, and set the rules for local governments and elections. Each member represents one district and serves on committees that shape bills before a floor vote. Terms are two years in most state houses and four in most state senates.
This race. Elected by district: only voters who live in the district see this race on their ballot. The sitting officeholder, Joyce Waddell, is on the ballot.
North Carolina › Mecklenburg County › North Carolina Senate District 40
Democratic Incumbent
Joyce Waddell represents Mecklenburg County in the North Carolina Senate, per her official legislative biography. No occupation or campaign site was found through official or verified sources. No campaign website was found as of September 7, 2026.
Republican
Per the campaign site.
Bobbie Shields is a licensed civil engineer with an MBA from UNC-Charlotte who previously served as Interim Mecklenburg County Manager and developed the county's first tax incentive assessment tool, per the campaign site. Shields has run for the North Carolina Senate seat in 2018, 2020 and 2022 and is running again in 2026, per the campaign site.
Who is running for North Carolina Senate District 40 in 2026?
2 candidates are tracked for North Carolina Senate District 40 on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Joyce Waddell and Bobbie Shields. Candidate information follows official Mecklenburg County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.
When is the North Carolina Senate District 40 election in North Carolina?
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Registration deadlines, early voting dates and mail ballot rules for North Carolina are on the North Carolina election hub at theballotbrief.com.
How do I see my exact Mecklenburg County ballot?
Enter your ZIP code in the lookup at theballotbrief.com for the statewide and congressional races, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location.
Candidate roster from official Mecklenburg County and state election office filings, last verified September 27, 2026. Bios and priorities carry their attribution inline.
Cross-check with the official North Carolina election office, or see the full Mecklenburg County sample ballot and your exact ballot by address.
42 tracked races in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. Landed here from another county's search? Look up your own ballot below.