The North Carolina House of Representatives is made up of 120 members of the General Assembly who are elected for two-year terms. The House has lawmaking powers, along with the N.C. Senate. Additionally, House members have the authority to tax and spend, allocate funds, override a gubernatorial veto, provide state agency oversight and elect UNC Board of Governors members. They also conduct constituent services and have the sole power of impeachment.
Candidates must be 21 years old to run for the House and they must have resided in their district for at least one year before the general election.
The N.C. House of Representatives has 47 Democrats, 71 Republicans and 2 unaffiliated members. To override a veto of any bill by the governor, three-fifths of both chambers (72 House members and 30 senators) must vote to override it.
N.C. House District 88 covers parts of south-central Mecklenburg County. The district's median age is 33 years, younger than the state median of 39. Its median household income is $81,000, making it more affluent than the state of North Carolina, where median household income is $72,000.
Among registered voters in the district, 42% are unaffiliated, 39% are Democrats and 18% are Republicans.
Incumbent Democrat Mary Belk is running for her sixth term and faces Republican Ray Craig.
N.C. House of Representatives 88 Candidates
Ray Craig
Party: Republican
Incumbent: No
Age: Approximately 65
Previous experience in elected office: None; previously ran for U.S. House in South Carolina
Occupation: Former sales engineer; counseling and ministry work
Description: He is running because he says "the Queen City has been governed poorly for many years." He calls District 88 a "hot mess" and on his website displays photos of broken signs and shopping carts used by homeless people. In a campaign video, he says that smelling weed on the streets and the Iryna Zarutska murder inspired him to run to improve the community. He is endorsed by the N.C. Police Benevolent Association.
Other personal: Craig says he was orphaned as a baby and adopted by an Army couple. He grew up in Clover, S.C., and was an intern for the late U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond. He was an Eagle Scout and attended Clemson.
Mary Belk
Party: Democrat
Incumbent: Yes
Age: Approximately 69
Previous experience in elected office: N.C. House of Representatives (2017-present)
Occupation: N.C. House representative
Description: Belk is running for her sixth term. In the most recent legislative session, she was the first primary sponsor of 12 bills, including proposals urging Congress to make DC a state and providing more flexibility to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools calendar. She is the member of the Mecklenburg County House delegation that was most likely to vote against the Republican majority. She voted in 785 of the 789 bills during the most recent legislative session.
Other personal: Belk was raised in Charlotte and is a partner in a vacation rental business. She is married and has four children, one of whom serves as her legislative assistant. She attended Garinger High School. She earned a bachelor's degree in political science from UNC Charlotte in her 40s after her children were grown. She is also a breast cancer survivor.
