2026 General Election: November 3, 2026. New info launches early October.
Raymond Smith
Party:
Democrat
Incumbent:
No
Age:
~65
Previous experience in elected office:
N.C. House of Representatives (2019-23); Wayne County Board of Education At-Large Seat (2016-2019)
Occupation:
CEO, Smith & Smith Consulting LLC (an educational consulting firm)
Description:
Smith's top issues include fighting government corruption, lowering costs for working families, supporting accessible rural healthcare and protecting military veterans. He focuses heavily on accountability for elected officials, stating that it is time to "push major campaign finance reform, bring an end to Citizens United, and ban stock trading from members of Congress." During his time in the N.C. House, he was the minority whip for the Democratic Caucus and supported legislation to "revitalize communities in eastern North Carolina" and expand Medicaid. He is backed by civil rights and advocacy organizations like Advance Carolina, the Congressional Black Caucus PAC and several state legislators. Smith gained attention at the end of 2025 for claiming a former colleague in the N.C. General Assembly made racist remarks.
Other personal:
Smith is from Goldsboro. He attended Goldsboro High School and served in the U.S. Army during the Gulf War. He is married with five children and holds a bachelor's from NC A&T State University, a master's from N.C. Central University and a doctorate from Fayetteville State University.