Before election day, The Chronicle hopes to help explain who's who on the ballot to supplement continuing coverage of the presidential contest. Part three of this series includes the North Carolina superintendent of public instruction, treasurer, state senator and several other uncontested races. Also, check out our guide to voting on Duke's campus. A North Carolina sample ballot listing all the races to be voted on by campus residents is available below.
North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction
The North Carolina superintendent of public instruction oversees daily administration of North Carolina’s public school system and acts as secretary and chief administrative officer of the State Board of Education.
Incumbent: June Atkinson (D)
- Currently serving her third term as superintendent of public instruction.
- Previously worked for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and as a high school teacher.
- Has a Ph.D. in educational leadership and policy from North Carolina State University.
- Has advocated increasing teacher salaries.
- Says her focuses are providing greater technology to classrooms, ensuring that students can read and preparing them for life.
Republican challenger: Mark Johnson
- Currently serves on the Forsyth County Board of Education.
- Has a J.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
- Previously a high school teacher.
- Wants to “reform the system of over-testing."
- Advocates career growth and classroom technology training for teachers.
North Carolina Treasurer
The North Carolina treasurer acts as the state's chief financial officer and official banker. Some responsibilities of the treasurer include managing retirement plans and supporting local governments financially.
Republican: Dale R. Folwell
- Served two years as speaker pro tempore of the North Carolina House of Representatives during his four terms as a representative.
- Worked as an assistant secretary of commerce.
- Helped pass MOTOTAX in 2005, which combined the process of vehicle registration renewal and property tax payment.
- Sponsored the State Pension Plan Solvency Reform Act in 2011, which modified pension collection and adjusted the retirement age of state employees.
Democrat: Dan Blue III
- Currently works with his family law firm to advise businesses and public agencies.
- Currently serves on the boards of Salvation Army of Wake County, affordable housing developer DHIC, Inc., the Duke University School of Nursing and WakeMed.
- Has degrees from the Pratt School of Engineering, Fuqua School of Business and Duke School of Law.
- Wants to stabilize the State Health Plan's costs.
- Says he opposes major changes to state pension system.
North Carolina State Senate District 22
The North Carolina State Senate is comprised of 50 senators elected every two years. Senate District 22 encompasses parts of Durham County, including most of Duke's campus.
Incumbent: Mike Woodard (D)
- Former Durham City Council member from 2005 to 2012.
- Currently serves on eight legislative committees, including the Education/Higher Education committee and the Health Care committee.
- Financial administrator, Duke University and Duke University Health System.
- Has said he is against the state's voter ID laws, which were struck down by a federal appeals court earlier this year.
- Supported Medicaid expansion.
- Believes state environmental regulatory bodies need more funding.
- Is pro-choice.
Republican challenger: T. Greg Doucette
- Attorney with experience in government relations and information technology.
- Executive Director of North Carolina Small Practice Incubator & Collaboration Environment, which is dedicated to “improving access to our court system with the help of attorneys in solo and small practice.”
- Three-point priority plan: higher education reform, job growth and court reform.
- Noted on Twitter: “Do I hate police? No. I hate raging incompetent cowboys w/ badges financed by my tax money who clearly haven’t had an eye exam recently.”
North Carolina House of Representatives District 30
North Carolina's House of Representatives has 120 members. Duke's is divided into two districts, numbered 29 and 30. District 30 includes West and Central Campuses.
Incumbent: Paul Luebke (D)
- Has served in the North Carolina House of Representatives since 1991.
- Works as an associate professor of sociology at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro.
- Has authored academic works about North Carolina's political history.
- Supports progressive tax policies and greater education spending.
Republican challenger: Elissa Fuchs
- "Began her career as a registered nurse."
- Has referred to Hillary Clinton as "Grandma" on her Facebook page.
- Wants to eliminate the state's income tax.
- Supports North Carolina's controversial House Bill 2.
The following races are uncontested:
North Carolina House of Representatives District 29
District 29 includes Duke's East Campus.
Incumbent Larry D. Hall (D)
- Has served in position since 2006.
- Serves on State Economic Development Board and the Duke Medical Center Advisory Board.
Board of Commissioners
The Durham County Board of Commissioners is responsible for various county services, including formulating annual budgets, establishing the property tax rate and enacting local ordinances. Voters are permitted to vote for five candidates, and there are five names on the ballot.
Ellen Reckhow (D)
Brenda Howerton (D)
Wendy Jacobs (D)
Heidi Carter (D)
James Hill (D)
Register of Deeds
The Register of Deeds of Durham County acts as a legal custodian of land titles and land transaction documents in the county.
Sharon Davis (D)
- Has worked in the office of the Register of Deeds since 1988.
- Currently the chief assistant Register of Deeds.
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