Summary:
- Carolina Forward is proud to endorse three candidates in the 2026 legislative primary cycle
- Dr. Rodney Sadler (House District 106), Veleria Levy (House District 99) and Rep. Rodney Pierce (House District 27) are the right candidates for their districts
- Primary election day is Tuesday, March 3rd
Primary elections are a critical mechanism in our democracy. Primaries ensure that political leaders are held accountable to the voters who support them. Particularly in a state whose politics are so deeply riven with partisan gerrymandering as North Carolina, primaries are one of the few levers of accountability that voters have left to check the power of their state lawmakers in Raleigh.
In the 2024 primary election cycle, Carolina Forward endorsed two prominent challenges to corrupt lawmakers in Raleigh. One of these, Rodney Pierce of House District 27, went on to win the biggest upset victory of the year; the other, James Adams, lost an extremely close race to the now-disgraced former-state representative Cecil Brockman of House District 60.
Today, Carolina Forward is proud to officially announce our 2026 primary election endorsements. This year, we proud to support two powerful challengers to sitting incumbents in the North Carolina General Assembly – as well as an incumbent who deserves to keep his seat.
Note: in all 3 races, the Democratic primary will effectively decide the outcome of the general election, and thus the presumptive State Representative for the 2027-2028 term. In HD-106 and HD-99, no Republican candidates filed at all. In HD-27, the district is rated safely Democratic.
Dr. Rodney Sadler for House District 106
Dr. Rodney Sadler is a Baptist minister, father, Bible scholar, progressive community leader and a recognized advocate for the community in northeastern Mecklenburg county. He has been an outspoken champion for public schools and disadvantaged communities across northeast Mecklenburg county for many years.
The incumbent, Rep. Carla Cunningham, has failed the people of her district too many times:
- Cunningham was the deciding vote to enable Republican leaders to pass House Bill 318, a measure that partially federalized Mecklenburg law enforcement to carry out immigration orders from Washington D.C.
- Cunningham then voted a second time to override Governor Stein’s veto of the bill
- Cunningham delivered a disgraceful anti-immigration screed on the State House floor in which she smeared people from other cultures.
- Cunningham was a key vote to pass Senate Bill 266, Duke Energy’s biggest legislative priority for the year. SB 266 not only released Duke Energy from its 2030 carbon reduction goals, but also allowed the corporation to significantly increase North Carolinians’ energy rates.
- Cunningham was a critical vote for Republican majority to pass SB 266 over Governor Stein’s veto.
Cunningham has long had a warm relationship with Duke Energy, which has funded her political campaigns for many years. In this case, she obeyed orders from Duke Energy’s lobbyists rather than do what was right for her constituents and district. For that, Carla Cunningham deserves to lose her seat. Dr. Rodney Sadler is much more in touch with the people of House District 106 and will be an outstanding state representative.
Veleria Levy for House District 99
Veleria Levy is a nonprofit executive and community health worker renowned across Mecklenburg for her work on HIV/AIDS outreach and diversity initiatives. She is passionate about expanding healthcare access, addressing housing affordability and building a fairer, more prosperous community for the families of Mecklenburg county.
The incumbent, Rep. Nasif Majeed, has drifted out of alignment with his district’s values:
- Majeed was the lone Democratic vote that allowed Republican leaders to override Governor Stein’s veto of House Bill 805, which censors school library books and openly discriminates against gay, lesbian and transgender people
- Majeed also joined Cunningham and the Republican majority to pass Senate Bill 266 over Governor Stein’s veto, allowing Duke Energy to raise North Carolinians’ energy rates
Like Cunningham, Majeed has long had an uncomfortably close relationship with Duke Energy and the corporation’s lobbyists in Raleigh. Moreover, Majeed will also turn 81 years old this year, and there are reasonable doubts about his continued fitness for the demanding job of a state representative. Veleria Levy is an experienced and energetic alternative who will be a much stronger champion for House District 99.
Rep. Rodney Pierce – House District 27
In 2024, Rodney Pierce, a public school social studies teacher and local historian, took on a juggernaut in the Democratic primary for House District 27. The incumbent, Michael Wray, was a 20-year incumbent who reliably voted with the Republican majority despite his constituency’s wishes. Wray voted to water down firearm restrictions, defund schools in his own district, and opposed Medicaid expansion, and was somewhat famous for his casually racist asides to colleagues. Carolina Forward was proud to endorse Rodney Pierce in his upset victory over Wray in 2024.
This year, Michael Wray is seeking to win back his old seat. Just like they did in 2024, Republican leadership is helping to fund Wray’s campaign by directing dark money and corporate PAC support his way. But Rep. Pierce has been such an improvement for the district that they are unlikely to succeed. Rep. Rodney Pierce continues to be the right choice for House District 27.
Voting starts soon
Starting TODAY – Monday, January 12th – county boards of elections will begin mailing out absentee ballots for the primary election to those voters who request them. Those who don’t wish to vote in-person can request an absentee ballot until February 17th.
In-person early voting begins Thursday, February 12th. Primary election day will be Tuesday, March 3rd.
To learn more about voter deadlines and information about voting in the primary, visit the State Board of Elections website.
