Democrat Mike Colvin was unofficially declared the winner in the race for North Carolina’s House of Representatives 42nd District at 1:15 a.m. Wednesday. Colvin secured over 17,000 votes, or 74.36% of ballots counted so far.
The 46-year-old, pro-choice funeral director will represent Spring Lake upon arriving in Raleigh in 2025. A Cumberland County native, Colvin has worked with local elected officials and community leaders all his life. The work earned him the endorsement of outgoing 42nd District N.C. House Representative and Democrat Marvin Lucas.
On the campaign trail, Colvin promised to bring money into Cumberland County for water treatment system programs once elected. He also advocated for adequate funding of the state’s public schools to control private school costs. Colvin wants to ensure all Cumberland County residents can access clean, safe drinking water and data on water contamination levels.
Colvin’s challenger was Republican Leonard L. Bryant. Bryant was an Army reservist and also worked with the North Carolina Division of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. He lost to Colvin by over 11,000 votes in what one local Democrat called a gerrymandered district. In January, CityView reported on evidence that the district was gerrymandered in favor of Democrats.
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.
