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Deanna Ballard
Deanna Ballard (Republican Party) was a member of the North Carolina State Senate, representing District 45. She assumed office on April 26, 2016. She left office on January 1, 2023.
Ballard (Republican Party) ran for election for Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina. She lost in the Republican primary on March 5, 2024.
Biography
Deanna Ballard grew up in Lincoln County, North Carolina. Ballard's career experience includes working with the U.S. Secretary of Education, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, and then President George W. Bush and First Lady Mrs. Laura Bush, where Ballard was recognized as a White House commissioned officer. In 2009, Deanna started working with the Rev. Franklin Graham and family at Billy Graham’s ministry in Charlotte, and Samaritan’s Purse, in Boone.[1]
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.
2021-2022
Ballard was assigned to the following committees:
- Appropriations on Education/Higher Education Committee, Chair
- Senate Appropriations on Health and Human Services Committee
- Education/Higher Education Committee, Chair
- Senate Finance Committee
- Health Care Committee
- Pensions and Retirement and Aging Committee, Chair
- Rules and Operations of the Senate Committee
- Appropriations/Base Budget Committee
2019-2020
Ballard was assigned to the following committees:
- Appropriations/Base Budget Committee
- Health Care Committee
- Appropriations on Education/Higher Education Committee, Chair
- Education/Higher Education Committee, Chair
- Rules and Operations of the Senate Committee
- Senate Transportation Committee
2017 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:
| North Carolina committee assignments, 2017 |
|---|
| • Appropriations on Education/Higher Education |
| • Education/Higher Education |
| • Health Care |
| • State and Local Government |
| • Transportation |
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.
Elections
2024
See also: North Carolina lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2024
General election
General election for Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina
Rachel Hunt defeated Hal Weatherman, Shannon Bray, and Wayne Jones in the general election for Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Rachel Hunt (D)  | 49.5 | 2,768,539 |
 | Hal Weatherman (R) | 47.6 | 2,663,183 | |
 | Shannon Bray (L) | 1.9 | 104,192 | |
 | Wayne Jones (Constitution Party) | 1.0 | 53,938 | |
| Total votes: 5,589,852 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Jason Nicholson (Independent)
- Dee Watson (L)
Republican primary runoff election
Republican primary runoff for Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina
Hal Weatherman defeated Jim O'Neill in the Republican primary runoff for Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina on May 14, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Hal Weatherman | 74.3 | 96,600 |
 | Jim O'Neill | 25.7 | 33,448 | |
| Total votes: 130,048 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina
Rachel Hunt defeated Ben Clark and Mark H. Robinson in the Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina on March 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Rachel Hunt | 70.4 | 477,196 |
 | Ben Clark | 16.5 | 111,836 | |
 | Mark H. Robinson | 13.2 | 89,247 | |
| Total votes: 678,279 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Chris Rey (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina
The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina on March 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Hal Weatherman | 19.6 | 181,818 |
| ✔ | | Jim O'Neill | 15.8 | 147,042 |
 | Deanna Ballard | 15.0 | 138,822 | |
 | Seth Woodall | 11.0 | 102,492 | |
 | Sam Page | 10.2 | 94,810 | |
 | Allen Mashburn | 9.0 | 83,550 | |
 | Jeffrey Elmore | 8.6 | 79,883 | |
 | Peter Boykin | 3.5 | 32,126 | |
 | Rivera Douthit | 2.5 | 23,398 | |
 | Ernest Reeves | 2.5 | 22,760 | |
 | Marlenis Hernandez Novoa | 2.3 | 21,404 | |
| Total votes: 928,105 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
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Libertarian primary election
The Libertarian primary election was canceled. Dee Watson advanced from the Libertarian primary for Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina.
Campaign finance
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Ballard in this election.
2022
See also: North Carolina State Senate elections, 2022
General election
General election for North Carolina State Senate District 47
Incumbent Ralph Hise won election in the general election for North Carolina State Senate District 47 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Ralph Hise (R) | 100.0 | 62,436 |
| Total votes: 62,436 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for North Carolina State Senate District 47
Incumbent Ralph Hise defeated incumbent Deanna Ballard in the Republican primary for North Carolina State Senate District 47 on May 17, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Ralph Hise | 50.7 | 13,163 |
| Deanna Ballard | 49.3 | 12,801 | |
| Total votes: 25,964 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
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Campaign finance
2020
See also: North Carolina State Senate elections, 2020
General election
General election for North Carolina State Senate District 45
Incumbent Deanna Ballard defeated Jeanne Supin in the general election for North Carolina State Senate District 45 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Deanna Ballard (R) | 68.4 | 71,897 |
| Jeanne Supin (D) | 31.6 | 33,139 | ||
| Total votes: 105,036 | |||
| = 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. Jeanne Supin advanced from the Democratic primary for North Carolina State Senate District 45.
Republican primary election
The Republican primary election was canceled. Incumbent Deanna Ballard advanced from the Republican primary for North Carolina State Senate District 45.
Campaign finance
2018
General election
General election for North Carolina State Senate District 45
Incumbent Deanna Ballard defeated Wes Luther in the general election for North Carolina State Senate District 45 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Deanna Ballard (R) | 65.1 | 48,998 |
 | Wes Luther (D) | 34.9 | 26,293 | |
| Total votes: 75,291 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Brandon Anderson (D)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for North Carolina State Senate District 45
Brandon Anderson advanced from the Democratic primary for North Carolina State Senate District 45 on May 8, 2018.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | Brandon Anderson | |
| ||||
| = 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. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for North Carolina State Senate District 45
Incumbent Deanna Ballard defeated Shirley Randleman in the Republican primary for North Carolina State Senate District 45 on May 8, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Deanna Ballard | 53.6 | 8,403 |
 | Shirley Randleman | 46.4 | 7,276 | |
| Total votes: 15,679 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
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.[2] The candidate filing deadline was December 21, 2015.[3] Incumbent Daniel Soucek (R) resigned from the state Senate on April 8, 2016. Deanna Ballard (R) was appointed to the seat on April 26, 2016.
Incumbent Deanna Ballard defeated Art Sherwood in the North Carolina State Senate District 45 general election.[4][5]
| North Carolina State Senate, District 45 General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Deanna Ballard Incumbent |
65.00% | 56,758 | |
| Democratic | Art Sherwood | 35.00% | 30,559 | |
| Total Votes | 87,317 | |||
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections | ||||
Art Sherwood ran unopposed in the North Carolina State Senate District 45 Democratic primary.[6][7]
| North Carolina State Senate, District 45 Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Democratic | Art Sherwood (unopposed) | |
Deanna Ballard defeated Ken Boham in the North Carolina State Senate District 45 Republican primary.[8][9]
| North Carolina State Senate, District 45 Republican Primary, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Deanna Ballard |
53.00% | 13,546 | |
| Republican | Ken Boham | 47.00% | 12,013 | |
| Total Votes | 25,559 | |||
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Deanna Ballard did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign website
Ballard’s campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
Protecting Kids from the Woke Agenda Sen. Ballard worked closely with Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson on his task force uncovering political indoctrination in public schools. Like Lt. Gov. Robinson, Sen. Ballard believes schools should focus on reading, writing, and math, NOT political indoctrination. Sen. Ballard passed multiple bills championing charter schools and the state’s Opportunity Scholarship program, which offers funding to children whose needs are best met at a private school. During COVID, Sen. Ballard led the charge to reopen public schools, recognizing the disaster that awaited the state and country from the awful decision to keep kids away from the classroom. She went toe-to-toe with Gov. Roy Cooper, former Dept. of Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy Cohen, and the teachers’ union, forcing their hand by passing landmark legislation ordering the schools reopened. Focusing on Working Family Needs But they didn’t look to government for a handout. They did what we as Americans and North Carolinians do best: They fought through it and persevered. Sen. Ballard has long championed economic policies that focus on skills training and don’t center on a college education. Too many students take on crushing student loan debt – and for what? Often, a job that pays less than “blue collar” work. In the state legislature, Sen. Ballard LOWERED taxes on families and businesses. She passed bills expanding career and technical training, so students don’t need to take on debt at woke universities for a path to decent, good-paying jobs. Above all, she focused relentlessly on small business job creation to unleash the American Dream for anyone who’s willing to work hard. Preserving Conservative Family Values Deanna believes: • The police need to be DEFENDED, not defunded. • Illegal immigrants need to be deported, not protected in sanctuary cities. • We all have a right to gun ownership and to defend ourselves and our families. • Biological males should NOT be competing against women in sports. • Every unborn life is precious and deserves protection. As Lt. Governor, Deanna Ballard will UPHOLD these values, no matter the opposition. Securing Elections For the next several years, liberal activists used the court system to halt voter ID’s implementation, but that finally came to an end this year. In 2024, in part because of Sen. Ballard, North Carolina will finally have a voter ID requirement at the polls. As Lt. Governor, Deanna will fight for election integrity efforts that eliminate voter fraud and ensure one person, one vote.[10] |
” |
| —Deanna Ballard’s campaign website (2024)[11] | ||
2022
Deanna Ballard did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
2020
Deanna Ballard did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
2016
Ballard's website highlighted the following campaign themes:
| “ | Jobs and Economy
Born and raised in North Carolina surrounded by a family logging company, Deanna understands the energy, long hours, and commitment it takes to build a successful small business. She also knows that a changing marketplace and government regulations and mandates can be significant challenges for any small business – family-owned or not. The North Carolina tax code is over 600 pages long, and many citizens spend thousands of hours and dollars trying to comply with all of the rules. Deanna will fight to remove burdensome regulations so that businesses will be encouraged to expand and hire more employees. It is her goal to put more money and, therefore, power in taxpayers' pockets to take care of current needs and save for future expenses. Education Deanna is proud to be a beneficiary of the North Carolina public education system. She is also the daughter of a public school teacher and has seen first-hand the time and effort educators dedicate to reviewing papers and reports after long workdays and family dinners. Many hard-working individuals strive to afford opportunities for students to achieve their full potential and Deanna is committed to making sure the focus of education continues to be on the best outcome for the children. Class size, competitive teacher pay, or curriculum decisions, it all comes down to listening and effectively addressing the concerns of parents, teachers and school officials at the local level. Empowering local ownership is key to building an educated workforce. Thoughtfully spending our tax dollars on education must be a priority to chart a path to attracting more businesses, creating more jobs, and growing the state's economy. As a NC State Senator, Deanna will spend more time in the classroom, communicate with families in the district regarding their preferences and concerns, and focus on providing accessible and affordable learning opportunities for young people after high school. While larger universities and four-year colleges may not be for everyone, community colleges and vocational and technical schools can help many achieve their goals. Constitutional Liberties Upholding the Constitution and its We the People charge will be at the heart of Deanna's service in the NC Senate. She will fiercely protect the rights and freedom of law-abiding citizens, challenging those who ignore the First Amendment by targeting churches and organizations because of their faith and opposing gun laws that restrict our Second Amendment rights. Taking the oath of office is a great privilege and serious responsibility for any elected official. When left unchecked, federal government can and has already overstepped its constitutional authority. Deanna will be dedicated to protecting our states’ rights, limiting the scope and size of federal government's impact on our state. Sanctity of Life Recognizing that God is the giver of all life, it is crucial that we protect the precious lives of the unborn from the moment of conception. Mothers with unplanned pregnancies need to know that there is hope, and there are a variety of valuable, pro-life services available to them. Fiscal Responsibility Though the General Assembly of North Carolina has eliminated $2.75 billion of debt in recent years, our state budget still struggles with billions of unfunded liabilities. More must be done to prevent future generations from being overwhelmed with more crushing debt. There must be meaningful action to ensure timely balanced budgets and higher accountability of government agencies and administrators who spend your tax dollars. Underlying problems with Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid should also be addressed. Deanna will work to build a brighter future by paying down the debt and focusing on opportunities to grow the economy. These positive steps will take time, but she is dedicated to putting in the hours and effort needed to make it a reality. Veterans and Military Families As sister to a 15-year Navy Aviation Ordnance Chief, Deanna takes great pride in the men and women serving in our military. Those soldiers, sailors, airmen, Coast Guardsmen, and Marines--and their families--continue to sacrifice so much for our freedom, both overseas and here at home. We can never say thank you enough. That’s why keeping our promises to veterans is important. Healthcare, employment opportunities, housing, and education options should be available and readily accessible. Veteran’s benefits should be distributed in a timely and efficient fashion. Deanna will be a strong advocate for veterans and military families in the 45th District. Agriculture and Environment One of the 45th District's greatest treasures is the land--from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the rolling green countryside and farmlands, our area provides an incredibly special, unique way of life. This provides tremendous opportunities for tourism and small business development that keep our community attractive and growing. Deanna believes good stewardship of our natural resources carefully balanced with strong economic growth will help ensure future generations can enjoy the beauty and vitality of our area.[12][10] |
” |
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.
2022
In 2022, the North Carolina State Legislature was in session from May 18 to July 1.
- Legislators are scored based on their stance related to healthcare costs.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills relating to family issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes related to business.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on environment and conservation issues.
2021
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2021, click [show]. |
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In 2021, the North Carolina State Legislature was in session from January 13 to December 30.
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2020
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2020, click [show]. |
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In 2020, the North Carolina State Legislature was in session from April 28 to September 3. The legislature was in recess from July 8 to September 1 and then reconvened September 2 to September 3.
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2019
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2019, click [show]. |
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In 2019, the General Assembly of North Carolina was in session from January 9 through August 27.
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2018
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2018, click [show]. |
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In 2018, the General Assembly of North Carolina was in session from January 10 through July 4.
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2017
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2017, click [show]. |
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In 2017, the General Assembly of North Carolina was in session from January 11 through June 30. Before the legislature adjourned its regular scheduled session, the legislature scheduled the following additional session dates: August 3, August 18 to August 25, August 28 to August 31, and October 4 to October 17.
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2016
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2016, click [show]. |
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In 2016, the General Assembly of North Carolina was in session from April 25 through July 1.
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See also
2024 Elections
External links
|
Candidate Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Deanna Ballard, Lt. Governor, "Meet Deanna," accessed February 20, 2024
- ↑ 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
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Deanna Ballard, Lt. Governor, “On the Issues,” accessed February 20, 2024
- ↑ Committee to Elect Ballard for NC Senate, "Issues," accessed March 6, 2016
 |
State of North Carolina Raleigh (capital) |
|---|---|
| Elections |
What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2025 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures |
| Government |
Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy |
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Daniel Soucek (R) |
North Carolina State Senate District 45 2016-2023 |
Succeeded by H. Dean Proctor (R) |
