Your feedback ensures we stay focused on the facts that matter to you most—take our survey
Benton Sawrey
Benton Sawrey (Republican Party) is a member of the North Carolina State Senate, representing District 10. He assumed office on January 1, 2023. His current term ends on January 1, 2027.
Sawrey (Republican Party) ran for re-election to the North Carolina State Senate to represent District 10. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.
Biography
Benton Sawrey was born in and lives in Johnston County, North Carolina. Sawrey graduated from Smithfield-Selma Senior High School in 2005. He earned a B.A. in political science and government from North Carolina State University in 2009 and a J.D. from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 2013. His career experience includes working as an attorney. Sawrey volunteered on the board of trustees at Johnston Community College, as the president of the Downtown Smithfield Development Corporation, and as board treasurer of the Partnership for Children of Johnston County.[1][2]
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Committee assignments
Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes biannual updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at: editor@ballotpedia.org.
2023-2024
Sawrey was assigned to the following committees:
- Senate Appropriations on Health and Human Services Committee
- Appropriations/Base Budget Committee
- Education/Higher Education Committee
- Health Care Committee
- Senate Judiciary Committee
- Senate State and Local Government Committee
Elections
2024
See also: North Carolina State Senate elections, 2024
General election
General election for North Carolina State Senate District 10
Incumbent Benton Sawrey defeated Felicia Baxter and Christopher Sessions in the general election for North Carolina State Senate District 10 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Benton Sawrey (R) | 58.7 | 70,773 |
| Felicia Baxter (D) | 37.6 | 45,346 | ||
 | Christopher Sessions (L)  | 3.6 | 4,351 | |
| Total votes: 120,470 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia 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. Felicia Baxter advanced from the Democratic primary for North Carolina State Senate District 10.
Republican primary election
The Republican primary election was canceled. Incumbent Benton Sawrey advanced from the Republican primary for North Carolina State Senate District 10.
Libertarian primary election
The Libertarian primary election was canceled. Christopher Sessions advanced from the Libertarian primary for North Carolina State Senate District 10.
Campaign finance
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Sawrey in this election.
2022
See also: North Carolina State Senate elections, 2022
General election
General election for North Carolina State Senate District 10
Benton Sawrey defeated Gettys Cohen Jr. in the general election for North Carolina State Senate District 10 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Benton Sawrey (R) | 63.9 | 48,083 |
 | Gettys Cohen Jr. (D) | 36.1 | 27,165 | |
| Total votes: 75,248 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia 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. Gettys Cohen Jr. advanced from the Democratic primary for North Carolina State Senate District 10.
Republican primary election
Republican primary for North Carolina State Senate District 10
Benton Sawrey defeated Jill Homan and Matt Ansley in the Republican primary for North Carolina State Senate District 10 on May 17, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Benton Sawrey | 65.6 | 12,318 |
| Jill Homan | 19.9 | 3,729 | ||
| Matt Ansley | 14.5 | 2,730 | ||
| Total votes: 18,777 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia 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. | ||||
Campaign finance
2016
Elections for the North Carolina State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election was held on March 15, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016.[3] The candidate filing deadline was December 21, 2015.[4] Incumbent E.S. "Buck" Newton (R) did not seek re-election.
Rick Horner defeated Albert Pacer in the North Carolina State Senate District 11 general election.[5][6]
| North Carolina State Senate, District 11 General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Rick Horner |
61.17% | 55,765 | |
| Democratic | Albert Pacer | 38.83% | 35,394 | |
| Total Votes | 91,159 | |||
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections | ||||
Albert Pacer ran unopposed in the North Carolina State Senate District 11 Democratic primary.[7][8]
| North Carolina State Senate, District 11 Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Democratic | Albert Pacer (unopposed) | |
Rick Horner defeated Benton Sawrey in the North Carolina State Senate District 11 Republican primary.[9][10]
| North Carolina State Senate, District 11 Republican Primary, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Rick Horner |
51.62% | 11,509 | |
| Republican | Benton Sawrey | 48.38% | 10,785 | |
| Total Votes | 22,294 | |||
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Benton Sawrey did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.
2022
Benton Sawrey did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
2016
Sawrey's website highlighted the following campaign themes:
| “ | EDUCATION
Our children are the future of North Carolina and we need to make sure that teachers have the resources to ensure student-success in the classroom. I will strive during the budget process to provide that funding increases for education have the greatest impact on the student and are not tied up in the Raleigh bureaucracy. I believe in the value of Charter Schools and that competition breeds success for all schools. JOBS & REGULATION Our economy is rapidly transforming and we need to provide the tools and training so our district is prepared for the next wave of advanced manufacturing, pharmaceutical, and service based jobs. One of the top concerns of all prospective-employers considering a location is whether a workforce is available to meet its needs in the community. North Carolina must invest in its high schools and community colleges for practical skills-based education programs to prepare a workforce that’s attractive to the next automotive manufacturing project that explores our area as an option. Johnston County has been successful with programs such as the Workforce Development Center. We need to aggressively market these opportunities to the public to make sure that our workforce is trained and prepared for the next job-engine that comes our way. TAXES & BUDGET GROWTH Our tax code should be designed to reward investment and income, and we should not penalize any person or entity for hard work and success. I believe in lowering our overall tax burden such that North Carolina citizens keep more of their hard-earned wages. Runaway budget growth creates an opportunity for unnecessary expenditures and unsustainable growth — the General Assembly is the steward of our state tax dollars and must invest our funds wisely. MODERNIZATION OF STATE GOVERNMENT North Carolina needs to implement and leverage technology for the benefit of its citizens and businesses. We leave countless tax dollars on the table each year by failing to adopt new technologies. States around us that we compete with for new jobs and businesses are providing the ability to obtain permits, licenses, and register businesses in simple portals online Our court systems still keep paper records and files although technology exists to store these documents online. As North Carolina grows, we can prevent the size of government from becoming too bloated by using the same technologies that the private sector embraces to save costs and provide better government service to our citizens. SECOND AMENDMENT I believe that our Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms is paramount. It is essential that we are vigilant as a state against actions and Federal directives that attempt to over-regulate responsible gun owners. PRO-LIFE I am pro-life and believe that abortion should not be used as a form of birth control. I support pro-life protections for the mother and child. ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION Illegal immigration is taxing our schools, roads, and communities. We need to encourage LEGAL immigration in North Carolina, secure our borders, and discourage illegal immigration at every opportunity. AGRICULTURE Johnston, Wilson, and Nash Counties share a strong agricultural tradition that forms the backbone of the area economy. North Carolina needs to identify ineffective and burdensome regulations, and adapt to the new technologies that farmers have adopted to become more efficient and productive. PROTECTING PRIVATE PROPERTY I believe in private property rights and will introduce legislation on my first day in office to amend the North Carolina Constitution to protect property from being taken by eminent domain for purposes of private economic development. In 2005 the United States Supreme Court held in Kelo v. City of New London that government could use its eminent domain power to transfer private property to a new owner for purposes of economic development. This decision opened the door to abuse and weakened one of the foundations of our democracy. Private property rights are critical, and the General Assembly must pass legislation to put forward an amendment to the North Carolina Constitution to provide guarantees for all property owners in the state.[11][12] |
” |
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of North Carolina scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
2024
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2024, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2024, the North Carolina State Legislature was in session from April 24 to December 13.
|
2023
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2023, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2023, the North Carolina State Legislature was in session from January 11 to October 25.
|
See also
2024 Elections
External links
|
Candidate North Carolina State Senate District 10 |
Officeholder North Carolina State Senate District 10 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Benton Sawrey 2022 campaign website, "Meet Benton Sawrey," accessed March 14, 2023
- ↑ LinkedIn, "Benton Sawrey," accessed March 14, 2023
- ↑ The primary for U.S. congressional elections was rescheduled to June 7, 2016, following legal challenges to North Carolina's district maps. State races were unaffected.
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "2016 Candidate Filing," archived January 19, 2016
- ↑ 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, "Candidate Listing," accessed January 4, 2016
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "03/15/2016 Official primary results - Statewide," March 15, 2016
- ↑ Committee to Elect Benton Sawrey, "The Issues," accessed March 5, 2016
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Brent Jackson (R) |
North Carolina State Senate District 10 2023-Present |
Succeeded by - |
