N.C. Senate District 29 is the eastern part of Union County, as well as all of Anson, Richmond and Montgomery counties and most of Randolph County. According to the N.C. Board of Elections documents, it is 31% Democrat, 39% Republican and 30% unaffiliated. Incumbent Republican Dave Craven is running to be elected for the third time. Craven won his 2022 general election by a margin of 46 percentage points.
Clark is a retired special forces “A team” member and civil affairs officer. He is also the chair of the Richmond County Democratic Party and ran for the county’s board of commissioners in 2022. The issues listed on his website are education and funding for schools and colleges, affordability of housing and healthcare, and fighting drug addiction. (Age 69)
Craven is a vice president of business development at Fidelity. He is an incumbent and the youngest serving member in the N.C. Senate. He describes himself as an advocate for conservative values and says he believes in limited government, fiscal responsibility, free markets, the Second Amendment and the right to life. He also values jobs and economic development and wants to expand the local economy. He says he "will never vote to defund the police." In the current legislative session, he sponsored a bill to prohibit state agencies from considering ESG factors in investments, hiring or other state-related matters. He is a graduate of UNC Charlotte and a native of Randolph County. (Age ~33)