The Ballot Brief
28542

Who is on the ballot in 28542?

Onslow County, NC

Reported by The Ballot Brief Editorial Team. Updated as public election and video sources change.

Fields below reflect the November 3, 2026 general election ballot as races are certified.

18 races on your November 3 ballot. Jump to:
U.S. Senate1U.S. House1Statewide4Local9Measures3
About this preview
County and municipal contests depend on your exact address — use the address lookup below for the full slate. Every race links to official sources on the North Carolina voter hub.
Sample Ballot Preview

28542 sample ballot preview: statewide, congressional and Onslow County races

U.S. House, North Carolina District 3
3 candidates
Federal ▾
Greg Murphy portrait
GM
Greg Murphy
REP INCUMBENT
Biography
Murphy is a physician who runs a private medical practice with more than 50 employees and serves on the faculty of the ECU School of Medicine, per the campaign site. He is a Davidson College and UNC-Chapel Hill School of Medicine graduate who has done medical mission work in Haiti, India and Africa, per the campaign site.
Top Priorities
  • Improve the economy and secure the border
  • Make healthcare more affordable
  • Support veterans and farmers
Per the campaign site.
Key voting record
Voted yes on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the 2025 tax-and-spending package, which passed the House 218-214 in July 2025. Supported
Voted yes on the Laken Riley Act, expanding federal detention of certain immigrants charged with theft or violent crimes, which passed the House 263-156 in January 2025. Supported
Voted yes on the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2026, which passed the House 231-196 in September 2025. Supported
Campaign siteFull profile
RS
Raymond Smith
DEM
Biography
Smith is a decorated U.S. Army combat veteran, educator and former transportation planner who served as an at-large school board member and two-term state legislator, per the campaign site. He was born and raised in Goldsboro, North Carolina, per the campaign site.
Top Priorities
  • Quality, Affordable Healthcare
  • Lower Costs for Working Families
  • Strong Public Schools & Teacher Pay
Per the campaign site.
Campaign siteFull profile
DC
Daniel Cavender
Biography
Daniel Cavender is a fire-protection equipment technician and Marine Corps veteran, per press coverage of the race. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.
Full profile
About this race
North Carolina fields are from the State Board of Elections' certified general candidate list. NC redrew its congressional map in October 2025, so district boundaries differ from 2024 in the east; enter your street address with the official lookup to confirm your district. This district was redrawn for 2026.
U.S. Senate
4 candidates
Federal ▾
RC
Roy Cooper
DEM
Biography
Roy Cooper is the Democratic nominee for North Carolina's open U.S. Senate seat, a two-term former governor and four-term former attorney general. His Senate campaign's central theme is making everyday life cost less for North Carolinians, building on a gubernatorial record that included signing Medicaid expansion. The race for retiring Sen. Thom Tillis's seat is rated among the most competitive in the country.
Top Priorities
  • Lower everyday costs for North Carolina families
  • Protect health care access, building on Medicaid expansion
  • Invest in public schools and workforce training
Campaign Finance
$26,822,373 raised · top industries: Large donors giving $2,000+ (49% of receipts), Small-dollar donors under $200 (21% of receipts)
Key voting record
Signed North Carolina's Medicaid expansion into law in 2023, extending health coverage to hundreds of thousands of residents after years of advocacy. Supported
Vetoed the legislature' abortion ban in 2023, calling it an attack on reproductive freedom. Opposed
Campaign siteFull profile
MW
Michael Whatley
REP
Biography
Michael Whatley is the Republican nominee for North Carolina's open U.S. Senate seat, the former chair of the Republican National Committee and previously of the North Carolina GOP. Endorsed by President Trump, his campaign pledges to enact the America First agenda in the Senate, with an emphasis on law and order and rolling back policies like cashless bail.
Top Priorities
  • Enact the Trump administration's America First agenda
  • Restore law and order, including ending cashless bail
  • Secure the border and back law enforcement
Campaign Finance
$8,410,252 raised · top industries: Large donors giving $2,000+ (62% of receipts), Small-dollar donors under $200 (23% of receipts)
Campaign siteFull profile
Shannon W. Bray portrait
SW
Shannon W. Bray
Biography
Shannon W. Bray is a U.S. Navy veteran who served from 1991 to 1997 and now works as a cybersecurity professional and systems architect, according to his campaign site. Bray's background includes work on systems handling sensitive information and critical infrastructure. Bray is the Libertarian nominee for U.S. Senate in North Carolina.
Top Priorities
  • Opposing expansion of government surveillance and protecting digital privacy rights
  • Government transparency and accountability systems auditable by the public
  • Modernizing government technology systems while maintaining constitutional limits on defense and intelligence oversight
Per the campaign site.
Campaign siteFull profile
MD
Michael Dublin
Biography
Michael Dublin is a public school educator and community activist, according to his campaign site. He filed as the North Carolina Green Party's U.S. Senate candidate on June 15, 2026, per the state Green Party. Dublin is running for U.S. Senate in North Carolina in the November 2026 general election.
Top Priorities
  • Overturning Citizens United and ending gerrymandering
  • A Green New Deal for North Carolina with renewable energy development and union jobs
  • Criminal justice reform, voting rights protection, and expanded access to housing and education
Per the campaign site.
Campaign siteFull profile
Supreme Court Associate Justice, Seat 01
2 candidates
Statewide ▾
AE
Anita Earls
DEM
Biography
Earls is an attorney who currently serves as an Associate Justice on the North Carolina Supreme Court, per the campaign site. Her campaign focuses on protecting constitutional rights for North Carolinians, per the campaign site.
Top Priorities
  • Upholding the state constitution
  • Protecting access to healthcare
  • Defending the right to a sound basic public education and voting rights
Per the NCSBE Judicial Voter Guide.
Campaign siteFull profile
SS
Sarah Stevens
REP
Biography
Sarah Stevens is an attorney with more than 30 years in private practice and president of the Surry County Bar Association, per her campaign site. She has served as Republican Leader and Speaker Pro Tempore of the North Carolina House, chairing the House Elections Law and Judiciary Committees, and holds a law degree from Campbell University School of Law, per her campaign site.
Campaign siteFull profile
Court of Appeals Judge, Seat 01
2 candidates
Statewide ▾
JS
John S. Arrowood
DEM
Biography
John S. Arrowood is on the State Board of Elections certified candidate list for this seat's November 3, 2026 ballot. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.
Full profile
MC
Michael C. Byrne
REP
Biography
Michael C. Byrne is on the State Board of Elections certified candidate list for this seat's November 3, 2026 ballot. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.
Full profile
Court of Appeals Judge, Seat 02
2 candidates
Statewide ▾
T(
Tobias (Toby) Hampson
DEM
Biography
Tobias (Toby) Hampson is on the State Board of Elections certified candidate list for this seat's November 3, 2026 ballot. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.
Top Priorities
  • Keeping judges with Court of Appeals experience on the bench
  • Defending the rule of law
Per the NCSBE Judicial Voter Guide.
Full profile
GC
George Cooper Bell
REP
Biography
George Cooper Bell is on the State Board of Elections certified candidate list for this seat's November 3, 2026 ballot. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.
Full profile
Court of Appeals Judge, Seat 03
2 candidates
Statewide ▾
CM
Christine Marie Walczyk
DEM
Biography
Christine Marie Walczyk is on the State Board of Elections certified candidate list for this seat's November 3, 2026 ballot. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.
Top Priorities
  • Protecting individual liberties and equal access to justice
  • Maintaining an independent judiciary
Per the NCSBE Judicial Voter Guide.
Full profile
CC
Craig Collins
REP
Biography
Craig Collins is on the State Board of Elections certified candidate list for this seat's November 3, 2026 ballot. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.
Full profile

Countywide races in Onslow County

ZIP 28542 sits in Onslow County, per the Census crosswalk. These seats are voted countywide; district seats, city races and school boards need a street address. All Onslow County races (14).

Onslow County Board of Commissioners
5 candidates
County ▾
TF
Tim Foster
REP INCUMBENT
Biography
Tim Foster serves as chairman of the Onslow County Board of Commissioners, per Onslow County government. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026; the official election filing is the only verifiable source for Tim Foster.
Full profile
WC
Whitney Cantrell
REP
Biography
Whitney Cantrell works as an operations manager for Excel Body Works and previously served as an office manager for D&N Auto Body & Painting, per her Branch.vote candidate profile. This is her first run for public office. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026; the official election filing is the only verifiable source for Whitney Cantrell.
Full profile
RB
Royce Bennett
REP INCUMBENT
Biography
Royce Bennett is a sitting Onslow County commissioner, per the Board of Commissioners' roster. No campaign website was found as of September 27, 2026.
Full profile
RC
Rebecca Cooper
DEM
Biography
Rebecca Cooper describes herself as a homeschooling mom of five and the wife of a Marine veteran who is now a police officer, and says she has lived in Onslow County for 25 years, per her campaign site. She holds a BSBA and is pursuing an MBA from East Carolina University.
Top Priorities
  • Wants ordinances that hold developers accountable for the long-term impacts of growth, per the campaign site
  • Wants to incentivize healthcare professionals to build careers in Onslow County so residents have to travel less for care, drawing on her experience as a parent
  • Wants local wages to better match the actual cost of living for military and civilian families in the county, per the campaign site
Campaign siteFull profile
ML
Michel Leandre, Jr.
DEM
Biography
Michel Leandre, Jr. appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Onslow County Board of Commissioners, 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 Michel Leandre, Jr.
Full profile
About this race
Three at-large seats are up in 2026. Six Republicans ran in the March 3, 2026 primary; Tim Foster, Whitney Cantrell and Royce Bennett won the three Republican nominations, per Candidate_Listing_2026.csv. They face Democrats Rebecca Cooper and Michel Leandre Jr., who were unopposed for their party's nomination, in the November 3, 2026 general election for the three seats.
Onslow County Board of Education
3 candidates
County ▾
DD
Doug Davis
REP
Biography
Doug Davis appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Onslow County Board of Education, 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 Doug Davis.
Full profile
AT
Angie Todd
REP INCUMBENT
Biography
Angie Todd is a current member of the Onslow County Board of Education seeking reelection, per her campaign site, and serves as chair of the North Carolina School Boards Coalition.
Campaign siteFull profile
BL
Bill Lanier
REP INCUMBENT
Biography
Bill Lanier is a current member of the Onslow County Board of Education seeking reelection, per Onslow County Schools. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026; the official election filing is the only verifiable source for Bill Lanier.
Full profile
About this race
Three at-large seats are up in 2026. Six Republicans ran in the March 3, 2026 primary; Doug Davis, Angie Todd and Bill Lanier won the three nominations, per Candidate_Listing_2026.csv. No Democrat or other candidate filed, so all three are unopposed on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot.
Onslow County Clerk of Superior Court
1 candidate
County ▾
CP
Cindy P. Casteen
REP INCUMBENT
Biography
Cindy P. Casteen is the sitting Onslow County Clerk of Superior Court, per Onslow County government. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026; the official election filing is the only verifiable source for Cindy P. Casteen.
Full profile
Why only one name?
Only one name is on the ballot for this office: no other candidate qualified. An unopposed candidate is elected unless a write-in outpolls them where write-ins are allowed, so this line still counts as a vote.
About this race
Cindy P. Casteen (Republican) filed and no other candidate filed, so she is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per Candidate_Listing_2026.csv.
Onslow County Sheriff
1 candidate
County ▾
CT
Chris Thomas
REP INCUMBENT
Biography
Chris Thomas is the sitting Sheriff of Onslow County seeking re-election, per the campaign site. Thomas says the tenure has included expanding patrol coverage, launching community policing programs and securing grant funding for public safety, per the campaign site.
Top Priorities
  • expanding patrol coverage and community policing programs
  • deputy training and resources
  • securing grants for public safety
Per the campaign site.
Campaign siteFull profile
Why only one name?
Only one name is on the ballot for this office: no other candidate qualified. An unopposed candidate is elected unless a write-in outpolls them where write-ins are allowed, so this line still counts as a vote.
About this race
Chris Thomas (Republican) filed and no other candidate filed, so he is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per Candidate_Listing_2026.csv.
Onslow Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor
4 candidates
County ▾
EW
Emily Walton
INCUMBENT
Biography
Emily Walton is a current District Supervisor on the Onslow County Soil and Water Conservation Board of Supervisors, per Onslow County government. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026; the official election filing is the only verifiable source for Emily Walton.
Full profile
J(
Jacob (JD) Shepard
Biography
No campaign website was found as of September 27, 2026.
Full profile
RJ
Robert Johnson
INCUMBENT
Biography
Robert Johnson is a current District Supervisor on the Onslow County Soil and Water Conservation Board of Supervisors, per Onslow County government. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026; the official election filing is the only verifiable source for Robert Johnson.
Full profile
CH
Carroll Harrod
Biography
No campaign website was found as of September 27, 2026.
Full profile
About this race
Two of the district's elected seats are up in 2026 (nonpartisan). Four candidates filed: current supervisors Emily Walton and Robert Johnson, and challengers Jacob (JD) Shepard and Carroll Harrod, per Candidate_Listing_2026.csv and the county's official Soil & Water Conservation Board of Supervisors page. This contest is on the November 3, 2026 ballot.
North Carolina Superior Court Judge, District 5, Seat 1
1 candidate
County ▾
RH
Robert H. Gilmore
REP
Biography
Robert H. Gilmore currently serves as a District Court judge for Judicial District 5, which covers Duplin, Jones, Onslow and Sampson counties, per the Sampson Independent. He is running for the open Superior Court seat after Judge Henry Stevens IV chose not to seek reelection. No campaign website was found as of September 27, 2026; the official election filing is the only verifiable source for Robert H. Gilmore.
Full profile
Why only one name?
Only one name is on the ballot for this office: no other candidate qualified. An unopposed candidate is elected unless a write-in outpolls them where write-ins are allowed, so this line still counts as a vote.
About this race
Robert H. Gilmore (Republican) is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Carolina Superior Court Judge, District 5, Seat 1. Voters across Duplin, Jones, Onslow and Sampson 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 Duplin, Jones or Sampson 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).
North Carolina District Court Judge, District 5, Seat 1
1 candidate
County ▾
MW
Mario White
DEM INCUMBENT
Biography
Mario White serves as Chief District Court Judge for North Carolina's Judicial District 5, covering Duplin, Jones, Onslow and Sampson counties, and was appointed to the District Court in 2020, per North Carolina Judicial Branch. No campaign website was found as of September 27, 2026; the official election filing is the only verifiable source for Mario White.
Full profile
Why only one name?
Only one name is on the ballot for this office: no other candidate qualified. An unopposed candidate is elected unless a write-in outpolls them where write-ins are allowed, so this line still counts as a vote.
About this race
Mario White (Democratic) is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Carolina District Court Judge, District 5, Seat 1. Voters across Duplin, Jones, Onslow and Sampson 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).
North Carolina District Court Judge, District 5, Seat 2
1 candidate
County ▾
MH
Morgan H. Swinson
REP INCUMBENT
Biography
Morgan H. Swinson serves as a District Court judge for the judicial district covering Duplin, Jones, Onslow and Sampson counties, per WCTI News 12. No campaign website was found as of September 27, 2026; the official election filing is the only verifiable source for Morgan H. Swinson.
Full profile
Why only one name?
Only one name is on the ballot for this office: no other candidate qualified. An unopposed candidate is elected unless a write-in outpolls them where write-ins are allowed, so this line still counts as a vote.
About this race
Morgan H. Swinson (Republican) is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Carolina District Court Judge, District 5, Seat 2. Voters across Duplin, Jones, Onslow and Sampson 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).
North Carolina District Court Judge, District 5, Seat 8
1 candidate
County ▾
JS
Johnathon S. Naylor
REP INCUMBENT
Biography
Johnathon S. Naylor was appointed by Gov. Josh Stein in February 2026 to the District Court for Judicial District 5, filling the vacancy left by the retirement of Judge William B. 'Billy' Sutton Jr, per NC Governor's Office. Naylor worked as an attorney at Castle, Peterson & Naylor, P.C. since 2017 and serves as treasurer of the Onslow County Bar Association. He earned his Bachelor of Science from Campbell University and his Juris Doctor from Campbell University School of Law, per NC Governor's Office. No campaign website was found as of September 27, 2026; the official election filing is the only verifiable source for Johnathon S. Naylor.
Full profile
Why only one name?
Only one name is on the ballot for this office: no other candidate qualified. An unopposed candidate is elected unless a write-in outpolls them where write-ins are allowed, so this line still counts as a vote.
About this race
Johnathon S. Naylor (Republican) is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot for North Carolina District Court Judge, District 5, Seat 8. Voters across Duplin, Jones, Onslow and Sampson 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).

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Ballot info questions for 28542

Who is running for mayor in 28542?

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Data sources

Where does The Ballot Brief verify ballot info for 28542?

Vote.gov Official federal voter registration and voting information gateway.State election offices Official directory for state election deadlines, ballot rules, and voter resources.Federal Election Commission Federal candidate filings and campaign finance data.Congress.gov members Official congressional member records and identifiers.