Watauga County Sample Ballot & Voter Guide 2026
9 candidates are on the November 3, 2026 ballot across 5 Watauga County races, led by the North Carolina Senate District 47 contest.
Judges
North Carolina Superior Court Judge, District 35, Seat 1Matthew Rupp (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Matthew Rupp Republican
Matthew Rupp currently serves as a District Court Judge for District 24, covering Avery, Madison, Mitchell, Watauga and Yancey counties, appointed by Governor Roy Cooper in June 2022, per WataugaOnline. He was previously a law partner and an assistant district attorney in the 35th and 26th Prosecutorial Districts, and he received his Juris Doctor from Duke University School of Law and his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Notre Dame. He is now a candidate for the Superior Court seat serving Avery County.
Matthew Rupp (Republican) is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Carolina Superior Court Judge, District 35, Seat 1. Voters across Avery, Madison, Mitchell, Watauga and Yancey 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 35, Seat 1Eric F. Eller (R) · Andrew Brooks (D)
Eric F. Eller Republican
Eric F. Eller is an attorney based in Boone, North Carolina who has practiced criminal and traffic defense in Ashe, Avery, Caldwell, Watauga, Wilkes and Yadkin counties since 1995, per his law office's website. He is a graduate of Appalachian State University and Wake Forest University School of Law and served in the U.S. Army before an honorable discharge in 1987, per the same source. No campaign website was found as of September 27, 2026.
Andrew Brooks Democratic
Andrew Brooks is a candidate for District Court Judge serving Watauga, Avery, Mitchell, Yancey and Madison counties, per his campaign site. Brooks moved to Boone, North Carolina from Michigan in 2005, returned after law school in Charleston, South Carolina to begin practicing law in 2013, and opened his own firm, High Country Family Law, in 2023, per the same source.
Eric F. Eller (Republican) and Andrew Brooks (Democratic) meet on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Carolina District Court Judge, District 35, Seat 1. Voters across Avery, Madison, Mitchell, Watauga and Yancey 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.
Watauga County is split across 2 North Carolina House districts.
Find your districts by addressNorth Carolina House: 2 districtsDistricts 87, 93
North 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 pageNorth Carolina House District 93Charlie Wallin (D) · Ray Pickett (R)
Charlie Wallin Democratic
- Funding for Hurricane Helene rebuilding efforts
- Fully funding public education
- Expanding affordable healthcare access
Per the campaign site.
About Charlie Wallin
Charlie Wallin is a Democrat running for North Carolina House District 93, covering Alleghany, Ashe and Watauga counties. He was born in Madison County and moved to Boone in 1990 to attend Appalachian State University, where he studied political science, and has lived in Boone for more than 30 years, per his campaign site. Wallin worked more than 30 years at Appalachian State University in food services and served as Staff Senate President and on the university's Board of Trustees, per his campaign site. He served eight years on the Watauga County Planning Board and attends Grace Lutheran Church as an assisting minister, per his campaign site.
Ray Pickett Republican Incumbent
Ray Pickett is a Republican representing North Carolina House District 93, covering Alleghany, Ashe and Watauga counties, and has served since 2020, per the North Carolina General Assembly. He is self-employed and is a native North Carolinian residing in Blowing Rock, per the North Carolina General Assembly and his campaign site.
Charlie Wallin (Democratic), Ray Pickett (Republican) meet on the November 3 ballot; Ray Pickett 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 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 Watauga County, North Carolina on November 3, 2026?
Watauga County sample ballot 2026: see where the north carolina district court judge candidates stand on schools and health care. 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 Watauga 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