Charles Smith will again represent the North Carolina House of Representatives 44th District after defending his seat against Republican challenger Freddie de la Cruz.
The 44th District is a Democrat stronghold in Cumberland County. Unofficially election results show Smith earning 20,612 votes, or 62.20% of ballots counted so far.
“I’m grateful to the voters of House District 44, and I’m thankful for the people that gave their time, talents, and energy for my campaign,” said Smith in a statement to CityView. “I look forward to a second term in the General Assembly, building on the experiences and relationships gained during my first term. North Carolina has work to do, and I’m excited to get back to it.”
Smith is a single-term incumbent. He was first elected to represent the 44th District in 2022 when he ran unopposed after beating out Terry Johnson in the Democratic primary.
De la Cruz is a retired Army lieutenant colonel who described himself on his campaign website as a “conservative, capitalist, constitutionalist and bible-believing Christian.” He unsuccessfully ran for Fayetteville mayor in 2023.
During his last term, Smith worked on bills that, amongst other things, sought to increase access to broadband in rural areas and provide more information on rape kit status to sexual assault victims. He voted against S.B. 20, which limited abortion access to the 12th week of pregnancy in North Carolina.
Smith focused on Medicaid expansion, public education and early child care while campaigning for reelection. In his responses to CityView’s candidate questionnaire, Smith outlined changes around price regulation that he’d like to see made to the state’s Opportunity Scholarship expansion, including greater government oversight of private schools. Smith also said he would secure more funding for Fayetteville’s Public Works Commissions to install forever chemical-filtering equipment.
CityView Reporter Morgan Casey is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms. Morgan’s reporting focuses on health care issues in and around Cumberland County and can be supported through the CityView News Fund.
