North Carolina House of Representatives District 5
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North Carolina House of Representatives District 5 is represented byBill Ward (R).
As of the 2020 Census, North Carolina state representatives represented an average of87,116 residents. After the 2010 Census, each member represented79,715 residents.
About the office
Members of theNorth Carolina House of Representatives servetwo-year terms and are not subject toterm limits. North Carolina legislators assume office on January 1 the year after their election.[1][2]
Qualifications
Article 2, Section 7 of theNorth Carolina Constitution states:[3]
| “ | Each Representative, at the time of his election, shall be a qualified voter of the State, and shall have resided in the district for which he is chosen for one year immediately preceding his election.[4] | ” |
According to the North Carolina State Board of Elections, candidates must be 21 years old.[5]
Salaries
| State legislative salaries, 2025[6] | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $13,951/year | $104/day |
Vacancies
If there is a vacancy in theGeneral Assembly of North Carolina, thegovernor is responsible for appointing a replacement.[7][8]
When making an appointment, the governor must make a decision from a list of recommended candidates submitted by the political party committee that last held the vacant seat.[9] The appointment must be made within seven days of receiving a list of recommended candidates.[8] The person selected to the seat serves for the remainder of the unfilled term.[8]
See sources:North Carolina Const. Art. 2, Sec. 10 andNorth Carolina Gen. Stat. § 163-11
2016 pivot county
This district was one of 710 state legislative districts that, based on boundaries adopted after the 2010 census, intersected with one or morePivot Counties. These 206 Pivot Counties voted forDonald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting forBarack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012.
The 206 Pivot Counties were located in 34 states. Iowa, with 31, had the most such counties. At that time, the partisan makeup ofstate legislative districts intersecting with Pivot Counties was slightly more Republican than theoverall partisan makeup of state legislatures throughout the country.[10]
District map
Redistricting
- See also:Redistricting in North Carolina
In North Carolina, the state legislature is responsible for drawing both congressional and state legislative district lines. District maps cannot be vetoed by thegovernor. State legislative redistricting must take place in the first regular legislative session following the United States Census. There are no explicit deadlines in place for congressional redistricting.[11]
State law establishes the following requirements for state legislative districts:[11]
- Districts must be contiguous and compact.
- Districts "must cross county lines as little as possible." If counties are grouped together, the group should include as few counties as possible.
- Communities of interest should be taken into account.
There are no similar restrictions in place regarding congressional districts.[11]
2020-2023
On October 25, 2023, the North Carolina General Assembly adopted new legislative district boundaries.[12] The legislation adopting the new Senate districts passed thestate Senate by a vote of 28-17 and theState House by a vote of 63-40.[13] The legislation adopting the new House districts passed thestate Senate by a vote of 27-17 and theState House by a vote of 62-44.[14] All four votes were strictly along party lines with all votes in favor by Republicans and all votes against by Democrats.[15][16][17][18]WUNC's Rusty Jacobs wrote that Catawba College Prof. Michael "Bitzer said Republicans have drawn maps that have a strong chance of preserving their veto-proof super majorities in both chambers of the state legislature. Bitzer noted that constitutional provisions, like requiring legislators to keep counties whole when drawing state legislative districts, make it more difficult for lawmakers to gerrymander these maps more aggressively."[19]
The state redrew its district boundaries after the state supreme court overturned its 2022 decision that North Carolina's enacted congressional and legislative maps were unconstitutional due to partisan gerrymandering.
As a result ofstate supreme court elections in 2022, the court flipped from a 4-3 Democratic majority to a 5-2 Republican majority. In its ruling, the court said, "we hold that partisan gerrymandering claims present a political question that is nonjusticiable under the North Carolina Constitution. Accordingly, the decision of this Court inHarper I is overruled. We affirm the three judge panel’s 11 January 2022 Judgment concluding,inter alia, that partisan gerrymandering claims are nonjusticiable, political questions and dismissing all of plaintiffs’ claims with prejudice."Cite error: Invalid<ref> tag; invalid names, e.g. too many
Below are the maps in effect before and after the 2020 redistricting cycle. The map on the right was in effect for North Carolina’s 2024 state legislative elections.
Below are the maps in effect before and after the 2020 redistricting cycle. The map on the right was in effect for North Carolina’s 2024 state legislative elections.
Below are the maps in effect before and after the 2020 redistricting cycle. The map on the right was in effect for North Carolina’s 2024 state legislative elections.
North Carolina House of Representatives District 5
before 2020 redistricting cycle
Click a district to compare boundaries.
North Carolina House of Representatives District 5
after 2020 redistricting cycle
Click a district to compare boundaries.
Elections
2026
See also: North Carolina House of Representatives elections, 2026
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
General election for North Carolina House of Representatives District 5
IncumbentBill Ward (R) andSam Davis III (D) are running in the general election for North Carolina House of Representatives District 5 on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Bill Ward (R) | |
| Sam Davis III (D) | ||
| Incumbents arebolded and underlined. | |||
 = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary
The Democratic primary scheduled for March 3, 2026, was canceled.Sam Davis III (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for North Carolina House of Representatives District 5 without appearing on the ballot.
Republican primary
The Republican primary scheduled for March 3, 2026, was canceled. IncumbentBill Ward (R) advanced from the Republican primary for North Carolina House of Representatives District 5 without appearing on the ballot.
2024
See also: North Carolina House of Representatives elections, 2024
General election
General election for North Carolina House of Representatives District 5
IncumbentBill Ward defeatedHoward Hunter III in the general election for North Carolina House of Representatives District 5 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Bill Ward (R) | 54.2 | 22,357 |
 | Howard Hunter III (D) | 45.8 | 18,924 | |
| Incumbents arebolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 41,281 | ||
| = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
The Democratic primary election was canceled.Howard Hunter III advanced from the Democratic primary for North Carolina House of Representatives District 5.
Republican primary election
The Republican primary election was canceled. IncumbentBill Ward advanced from the Republican primary for North Carolina House of Representatives District 5.
2022
General election
General election for North Carolina House of Representatives District 5
Bill Ward defeated incumbentHoward Hunter III in the general election for North Carolina House of Representatives District 5 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Bill Ward (R) | 53.8 | 15,784 |
| Howard Hunter III (D) | 46.2 | 13,539 | |
| Incumbents arebolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 29,323 | ||
| = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
The Democratic primary election was canceled. IncumbentHoward Hunter III advanced from the Democratic primary for North Carolina House of Representatives District 5.
Republican primary election
Republican primary for North Carolina House of Representatives District 5
Bill Ward defeatedDonald Kirkland in the Republican primary for North Carolina House of Representatives District 5 on May 17, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Bill Ward | 68.3 | 3,359 |
| Donald Kirkland | 31.7 | 1,561 | ||
| There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 4,920 | ||
| = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team. | ||||
2020
General election
General election for North Carolina House of Representatives District 5
IncumbentHoward Hunter III defeatedDonald Kirkland in the general election for North Carolina House of Representatives District 5 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Howard Hunter III (D) | 56.7 | 20,061 |
| Donald Kirkland (R) | 43.3 | 15,314 | ||
| Incumbents arebolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 35,375 | ||
| = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for North Carolina House of Representatives District 5
IncumbentHoward Hunter III defeatedKeith Rivers in the Democratic primary for North Carolina House of Representatives District 5 on March 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Howard Hunter III | 67.5 | 6,359 |
| Keith Rivers | 32.5 | 3,064 | ||
| Incumbents arebolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 9,423 | ||
| = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
The Republican primary election was canceled.Donald Kirkland advanced from the Republican primary for North Carolina House of Representatives District 5.
2018
General election
General election for North Carolina House of Representatives District 5
IncumbentHoward Hunter III defeatedPhillip Smith in the general election for North Carolina House of Representatives District 5 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Howard Hunter III (D) | 59.9 | 15,206 |
 | Phillip Smith (R) | 40.1 | 10,172 | |
| Incumbents arebolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 25,378 | ||
| = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for North Carolina House of Representatives District 5
IncumbentHoward Hunter III advanced from the Democratic primary for North Carolina House of Representatives District 5 on May 8, 2018.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Howard Hunter III |
| Incumbents arebolded and underlined. The results have been certified. | |||
| = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for North Carolina House of Representatives District 5
Phillip Smith advanced from the Republican primary for North Carolina House of Representatives District 5 on May 8, 2018.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Phillip Smith |
| There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. | |||
| = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team. | ||||
2016
Elections for theNorth Carolina House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election was held on March 15, 2016, and the general election was held onNovember 8, 2016.[20] The candidate filing deadline was December 21, 2015.[21]
IncumbentHoward Hunter III ran unopposed in the North Carolina House of Representatives District 5 general election.[22][23]
| North Carolina House of Representatives, District 5 General Election, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Democratic |  Howard Hunter IIIIncumbent (unopposed) | |
| Source:North Carolina State Board of Elections | ||
IncumbentHoward Hunter III ran unopposed in the North Carolina House of Representatives District 5 Democratic primary.[24][25]
| North Carolina House of Representatives, District 5 Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Democratic | Howard Hunter IIIIncumbent (unopposed) | |
2014
Elections for theNorth Carolina House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election took place on May 6, 2014. The general election took place onNovember 4, 2014. Thesignature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was February 28, 2014.Howard Hunter III defeated incumbentAnnie Mobley in the Democratic primary, whileSidney Pierce III was unopposed in the Republican primary. Hunter defeated Pierce in the general election.[26][27]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Howard Hunter | 68.6% | 14,430 | |
| Republican | Sidney Pierce | 31.4% | 6,620 | |
| Total Votes | 21,050 | |||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Howard Hunter III | 58.9% | 5,248 |
| Annie MobleyIncumbent | 41.1% | 3,664 |
| Total Votes | 8,912 | |
2012
Elections for the office ofNorth Carolina House of Representatives consisted of a primary election on May 8, 2012, and a general election onNovember 6, 2012. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was February 29, 2012. IncumbentAnnie Mobley (D) was unopposed in the general election and defeatedLinda L. Blackburn in the May 8 Democratic primary.[28][29][30]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Annie MobleyIncumbent | 100% | 27,458 | |
| Total Votes | 27,458 | |||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Annie Ward MobleyIncumbent | 60.8% | 7,351 |
| Linda L. Blackburn | 39.2% | 4,746 |
| Total Votes | 12,097 | |
Campaign contributions
From 2000 to 2024, candidates for North Carolina House of Representatives District 5 raised a total of $2,251,995. Candidates who raised money in contributions earned $86,615 on average. All figures come fromFollow the Money
| Campaign contributions, North Carolina House of Representatives District 5 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Amount | Candidates | Average |
| 2024 | $1,197,285 | 2 | $598,642 |
| 2022 | $788,670 | 3 | $262,890 |
| 2020 | $54,629 | 3 | $18,210 |
| 2016 | $12,950 | 1 | $12,950 |
| 2014 | $49,591 | 3 | $16,530 |
| 2012 | $30,507 | 2 | $15,254 |
| 2010 | $34,235 | 2 | $17,118 |
| 2008 | $57,683 | 2 | $28,842 |
| 2006 | $3,700 | 2 | $1,850 |
| 2004 | $22,745 | 3 | $7,582 |
| 2002 | $0 | 2 | $0 |
| 2000 | $0 | 1 | $0 |
| Total | $2,251,995 | 26 | $86,615 |
Other election results in district
The map below highlight's this state legislative district and provides election results from the most recent election. Using the dropdown on the left, you can choose to view results for the most recent presidential election or U.S. House district election instead. This will show you the votes cast in this district for that election. The dropdown on the right will let you see either the map colored by the percentage of votes the winning candidate received or let you know the number and type of votes cast by size and shade of the circle in each county.
See also
- General Assembly of North Carolina
- North Carolina State Senate
- North Carolina House of Representatives
- North Carolina state legislative districts
External links
Footnotes
- ↑North Carolina Constitution, "Article II, Section 9," accessed February 12, 2021
- ↑Confirmed via email with the North Carolina Legislature on July 7, 2011
- ↑North Carolina General Assembly, "North Carolina State Constitution," accessed May 23, 2025
- ↑Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑North Carolina State Board of Elections, "General Candidate Requirements," accessed May 27, 2025
- ↑National Conference of State Legislatures, "2025 Legislator Compensation," December 2, 2025
- ↑General Assembly of North Carolina, "North Carolina Constitution," accessed February 12, 2021(Article II, Section 10)
- ↑8.08.18.2General Assembly of North Carolina, "North Carolina General Statutes," accessed February 12, 2021(Statute 163-11(a), NC General Statutes)
- ↑General Assembly of North Carolina, "North Carolina General Statutes," accessed February 12, 2021(Statute 163-11(b-d), NC General Statutes)
- ↑The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip ofAtlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
- ↑11.011.111.2All About Redistricting, "North Carolina," accessed April 20, 2015
- ↑The Carolina Journal, "New state House, Senate, and congressional maps finalized," October 25, 2023
- ↑North Caroliina General Assembly, "Senate Bill 758 / SL 2023-146," accessed October 26, 2023
- ↑North Caroliina General Assembly, "House Bill 898 / SL 2023-149," accessed October 26, 2023
- ↑North Carolina General Assembly, "House Roll Call Vote Transcript for Roll Call #614," accessed October 26, 2023
- ↑North Caroliina General Assembly, "Senate Roll Call Vote Transcript for Roll Call #499," accessed October 26, 2023
- ↑North Caroliina General Assembly, "Senate Roll Call Vote Transcript for Roll Call #504," accessed October 26, 2023
- ↑North Caroliina General Assembly, "House Roll Call Vote Transcript for Roll Call #604," accessed October 26, 2023
- ↑WUNC, "New district maps show signs of GOP partisan gerrymandering," October 24, 2023
- ↑The primary for U.S. congressional elections was rescheduled to June 7, 2016, following legal challenges toNorth Carolina's district maps. State races were unaffected.
- ↑North Carolina State Board of Elections, "2016 Candidate Filing," accessed December 22, 2015
- ↑North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Candidate Listing," accessed August 23, 2016
- ↑North Carolina State Board of Elections, "2016 General Election results lookup," accessd December 21, 2016
- ↑North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Candidate Listing," accessed January 4, 2016
- ↑North Carolina State Board of Elections, "03/15/2016 Official primary results - Statewide," March 15, 2016
- ↑North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Primary Candidate List Grouped by Contest," accessed March 7, 2014
- ↑North Carolina State Board of Elections, "General Election Candidate List Grouped by Contest," accessed August 12, 2014
- ↑North Carolina State Board of Elections, "2012 Official General Election Results," accessed December 5, 2013
- ↑North Carolina Board of Elections, "Candidate lists," accessed March 5, 2012
- ↑North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Official Primary Election Results," accessed June 22, 2012
