Here come the politicians: Candidate filing list for 2024 elections in Cumberland County

The following candidates are running for the legislature, the county commission and for District Court judge in Cumberland County 2024 election.

The primary is March 5, 2024. The general election is in November.

Below are the candidates who filed by the close of the filing period at noon on Friday, Dec. 15.

NORTH CAROLINA LEGISLATURE

State Senate

District 19

• Democratic candidates
  • Incumbent Sen. Val Applewhite of Fayetteville
• Republican candidates
  • Semone Pemberton of Fayetteville

• Libertarian candidates
  • Steven Swinton of Fayetteville

District 21 (which serves Moore County in addition to Cumberland)

• Democratic candidates
  • Maurice “Butch” Holland, Jr. of Moore County
• Republican candidates
  • Incumbent Sen. Tom McInnis of Pinehurst

State House of Representatives

District 42

Incumbent Democratic Rep. Marvin Lucas of Spring Lake is not running for reelection.

• Democratic candidates
  • Elmer Floyd, former state representative, of Fayetteville. Floyd, who was first elected in 2008, served Dist. 43 for six terms. 
  • Mike Colvin of Fayetteville, the brother of Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin
  • Fayetteville City Councilmember Courtney Banks-McLaughlin
  • Naveed Aziz, a physician from Spring Lake. Aziz has previously run for the legislature.
• Republican candidates
  • Leonard L. Bryant of Fayetteville

District 43

• Democratic candidates
  • Janene “Dublin” Ackles of Fayetteville. Ackles ran twice against former Councilwoman Shakeyla Ingram for Fayetteville City Council, once in 2022 and once in 2023.
• Republican candidates
  • Incumbent Diane Wheatley of northern Cumberland County. Wheatley has served since 2021. She previously served on the Cumberland County Board of Education and the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners.

District 44

• Democratic candidates
  • Incumbent Charles Smith of Fayetteville. Smith has served since 2023.
• Republican candidates
  • Freddie de la Cruz, a veteran and business owner, of Fayetteville. De la Cruz twice ran for mayor against Mayor Mitch Colvin.
• Libertarian candidates
  • Angel Yaklin, a massage therapist, of Fayetteville
  • Christina Aragues of Fayetteville. Aragues ran for soil and water conservation district supervisor in 2022 and the school board in 2020.

District 45

• Democratic candidates
  • Incumbent Frances Vinell Jackson of Hope Mills. She is in her first term in the legislature.
• Republican candidates
  • None have filed

Cumberland County Board of Commissioners

District 2 (Voters can vote for up to three candidates to fill three seats.)

• Democratic candidates
  • Incumbent commissioner Toni Stewart of Gray’s Creek. Stewart was elected to the board in 2020.
  • Ronald Pittman of Cumberland County just outside southeast Fayetteville. Pittman previously ran in 2022.
  • Former state Sen. Kirk deViere of Fayetteville. DeViere represented Senate Dist. 19 from 2019 to 2023. He previously served on the Fayetteville City Council.
  • Karla Icaza of Fayetteville.
• Republican candidates
  • Ron Ross of Gray’s Creek. He has run for the county commission before.
  • Jeremy Stanley, who lives east of Fayetteville near Cedar Creek Road.
  • Peter Pappas of Fayetteville. He previously ran for Fayetteville City Council.
  • V. Lee Spruill III, who lives northeast of Stedman in eastern Cumberland County.
  • Jonathan C. Strange, an attorney, who lives south of Hope Mills. Strange previously ran for a District Court judge seat against Roslyn Hood in 2022.
  • Pavan D. Patel, the CEO of Willow Group Investments, of Fayetteville.
  • Venus de la Cruz, a business owner and wife of former mayoral candidate Freddie de la Cruz, of Fayetteville. 
  • Henry Tyson, a real estate agent, of Fayetteville. He is he son of N.C. Court of Appeals Judge John M. Tyson. He has previously run for Fayetteville City Council.

North Carolina District Court District 14 (Cumberland County)

Seat 8

• Democratic candidates
  • Incumbent Judge Tiffany Marie Whitfield of Fayetteville. She was first elected in 2016.
• Republican candidates
  • None have filed

Seat 9

• Democratic candidates
  • Incumbent Judge Lou Olivera of Fayetteville. Olivera was elected to the seat in 2012.
• Republican candidates
  • None have filed

Seat 10

• Democratic candidates
  • Incumbent Judge Cull Jordan of Fayetteville. Cull was appointed in 2021 by Gov. Roy Cooper.
• Republican candidates
  • None have filed

Cumberland County Register of Deeds

Incumbent Register of Deeds J. Lee Warren, Jr., did not file for reelection.

• Democratic candidates
  • Andra Brewington, the senior assistant register of deeds, of Fayetteville.
• Republican candidates
  • None have filed

Senior reporter Paul Woolverton can be reached at 910-261-4710 and pwoolverton@cityviewnc.com.

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