John Coleman (North Carolina)

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

John Coleman

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

March 5, 2024

Personal

Birthplace

Chapel Hill, N.C.

Religion

Methodist

Profession

Driver

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

John Coleman (Democratic Party) ran for election to the North Carolina State Senate to represent District 25. He lost in the Democratic primary on March 5, 2024.

Coleman completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

John Coleman was born in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. His career experience includes working as a driver.

Elections

2024

See also: North Carolina State Senate elections, 2024

General election

General election for North Carolina State Senate District 25

Incumbent Amy Galey defeated Donna Vanhook in the general election for North Carolina State Senate District 25 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Amy Galey (R)	60.2	67,762
		Donna Vanhook (D)	39.8	44,711

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 112,473
= 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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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for North Carolina State Senate District 25

Donna Vanhook defeated John Coleman in the Democratic primary for North Carolina State Senate District 25 on March 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Donna Vanhook	76.1	7,162
		John Coleman	23.9	2,244

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 9,406
= 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

The Republican primary election was canceled. Incumbent Amy Galey advanced from the Republican primary for North Carolina State Senate District 25.

Endorsements

To view Coleman's endorsements as published by their campaign, click here. Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Coleman in this election.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

John Coleman completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Coleman's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I'm a son of Alamance county. Growing up in a single parent household and working two jobs, I've seen the strain bad policies have put on average North Carolinians. I went to school here, I've cut my teeth here, this is home and I love this town and it's people.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Quality Public education - instead of taking 3.6 billion public dollars and pushing it to private school vouchers we should be investing that money in public schools. Getting these buildings up to par, raising teacher pay, hiring and retaining the best talent, increasing the amount of school support staff. We owe it to our children, it's their future we are playing political games with.
• Quality of life Improvements -> This means raising the minimum wage. Cutting through the red tape that prevents duplexes and triplexes from being built which can lead to more affordable housing, ensuring every part of the state has access to high-speed broadband whether you're suburban or rural and all in between. When we invest in North Carolina, North Carolinians win
• Dr's offices are private spaces -> This is a travesty to even have to address. When patients and families have conversations with their Dr's they should be private and without the input of Raleigh politicians. Those conversations are already tense and stressful enough and do not need the input of Raleigh Bureaucrats.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Public education, Quality of life, legalization of Marijuana to enhance our agriculture system, Private health care decisions. These are some of the areas im most passionate about. We can achieve all that we set out to do if we try.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

My grandfather! To know him is to love him, he has always been a rock to me and someone I could lean on and learn from. I want to lead by his example every day

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Visit my website, it will give you a insight as to what you'll get with me as your State Senator.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Integrity, Compassion, empathy, understanding. An elected official must be in tune with their constituents and be able to connect with them and have those difficult conversations with everyone regardless of their party or beliefs. When you have someone who reflects the district and its values then and only then will district 25 be set up for success

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I'm compassionate, I have empathy, and I'm approachable and don't run away from difficult conversations regardless of their subject.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To ensure the district is getting every advantage possible but also while looking out for the needs of the state as well. The core responsibilities of this office is to always put constituents over donors and North Carolinians First

What legacy would you like to leave?

One that paves the way for generations to come. Someone who showed up every day and put our children first and north carolinians first

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

Historical event that I can remember the most was 9/11. I was in 6th grade English class at Broadview middle in Burlington NC.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

First job, Car detailer. I did it off and on for 14 years.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Songs of fire & Ice. It's a good read and definitely kept my interest throughout.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Percy Jackson, the adventures alone can make anyone envious

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Sound of Silence. If you look at the lyrics it kinda reflects where we are today as a nation.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

The relationship should ebb and flow like the current of a river. We should be in tune with each other and understand differences and be willing to compromise, however that compromise shouldn't come on the backs of North Carolinians.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Ensuring a sound public education, affordable housing and the ability to address growth in our state. Fair and just legislative maps that reflect the people and not those in charge.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

I believe putting the best people in positions to benefit those in need. Seasoned politicians have used their offices to bring in policies and self gain in Raleigh while the average North Carolinian struggles. We need to change that

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Yes, the ability to connect and work together across the aisle benefits everyone. You can't govern effectly when you let party affiliation hold back the work of the general assembly, we owe it to our constituents to put them first always.

Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Senators Floyd Mckissick and congressman Jeff Jackson. They are epitome of what good, fair, equal, transparent, and compassion look and sound like. If we all strive To be like them we will all be better for it.

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

I'm focused on district 25 and it's people.

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

The story of a single mom working full time and raising two boys at the same time. A mom who was denied access to government assistance and had to work hard to provide a good life for her children. This story resonates with me and reflects a lot about what it means to be a North Carolinian when it comes to strength, determination, perseverance, and the desire to give and lead good lives.

Tell us your favorite joke.

Whats 5ft tall, Eats like a water Buffalo and Can play any game.

My nephew

Should the legislature oversee or grant the use of emergency powers?

The should be solely on the governor, that's one reason why he / she was elected.

What is the first bill you would introduce if elected?

Raising the minimum wage to a fair wage

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Pending

What committees interest you?

Education, Energy, Agriculture, Finance

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

We should be transparent in all things that we do. The people have the right to know what's going on in Raleigh and what their tax dollars are being used on. People also have the right to know we are using their tax dollars appropriately and not cuttings deals to benefit ourselves while districts struggle.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign finance summary

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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.

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John Coleman campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	North Carolina State Senate District 25	Lost primary	$2,291	$2,291
Grand total			$2,291	$2,291
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete

See also

2024 Elections

What's on the ballot? U.S. President U.S. Congress U.S. Congress special elections State executives State legislatures State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards Election analysis hub

Government

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Newsletters

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External links

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Candidate

North Carolina State Senate District 25

Website

Facebook

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Footnotes

[show]

Current members of the North Carolina State Senate

Leadership

Minority Leader:Sydney Batch

Senators

District 1

Robert Hanig (R)

District 2

Norman Sanderson (R)

District 3

Bob Brinson (R)

District 4

Eldon Newton (R)

District 5

Kandie Smith (D)

District 6

Michael Lazzara (R)

District 7

Michael Lee (R)

District 8

William Rabon (R)

District 9

Brent Jackson (R)

District 10

Benton Sawrey (R)

District 11

Lisa Barnes (R)

District 12

Jim Burgin (R)

District 13

Lisa Grafstein (D)

District 14

Dan Blue (D)

District 15

Jay Chaudhuri (D)

District 16

Gale Adcock (D)

District 17

Sydney Batch (D)

District 18

Terence Everitt (D)

District 19

Val Applewhite (D)

District 20

Natalie Murdock (D)

District 21

Tom McInnis (R)

District 22

Sophia Chitlik (D)

District 23

Graig Meyer (D)

District 24

Danny Britt (R)

District 25

Amy Galey (R)

District 26

Phil Berger (R)

District 27

Michael Garrett (D)

District 28

Gladys Robinson (D)

District 29

Dave Craven (R)

District 30

Steven Jarvis (R)

District 31

Dana Jones (R)

District 32

Paul Lowe (D)

District 33

Carl Ford (R)

District 34

Chris Measmer (R)

District 35

Todd Johnson (R)

District 36

Eddie Settle (R)

District 37

Vickie Sawyer (R)

District 38

Mujtaba Mohammed (D)

District 39

DeAndrea Salvador (D)

District 40

Joyce Waddell (D)

District 41

Caleb Theodros (D)

District 42

Woodson Bradley (D)

District 43

Brad Overcash (R)

District 44

Ted Alexander (R)

District 45

Mark Hollo (R)

District 46

Warren Daniel (R)

District 47

Ralph Hise (R)

District 48

Timothy Moffitt (R)

District 49

Julie Mayfield (D)

District 50

Kevin Corbin (R)

Republican Party (30)

Democratic Party (20)