Joseph Osborne

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

Joseph Osborne

Republican Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

March 3, 2026

Personal

Birthplace

Lenoir, NC

Religion

Christian: Baptist

Profession

Entrepreneur

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Personal X

Personal Instagram

Personal YouTube

Personal LinkedIn

Joseph Osborne (Republican Party) (also known as Joey) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent North Carolina's 5th Congressional District. He lost in the Republican primary on March 3, 2026.

Osborne completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Joseph Osborne was born in Lenoir, North Carolina. He studied at North Carolina State University. Osborne’s career experience includes working as a business owner. He has also served as the president of the Hickory Landmarks Society, which describes itself as “a non-profit organization committed to serving the Hickory, North Carolina region by leading in the protection of historically or architecturally significant neighborhoods, individual landmarks and traditions.”

Elections

2026

See also: North Carolina's 5th Congressional District election, 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 U.S. House North Carolina District 5

Incumbent Virginia Foxx (R), Chuck Hubbard (D), Robert Luffman (L), and David Clayton (Independent) are running in the general election for U.S. House North Carolina District 5 on November 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		Virginia Foxx (R)
		Chuck Hubbard (D)
		Robert Luffman (L)
		David Clayton (Independent)

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
= 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

The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

Democratic primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 5

Chuck Hubbard (D) defeated Kyah Creekmore (D) in the Democratic primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 5 on March 3, 2026.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Chuck Hubbard	56.7	25,546
		Kyah Creekmore	43.3	19,483

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. Source	Total votes: 45,029
= 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

The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

Republican primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 5

Incumbent Virginia Foxx (R) defeated Joseph Osborne (R), Steve Girard (R), and Roman Williams II (R) in the Republican primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 5 on March 3, 2026.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Virginia Foxx	74.6	53,457
		Joseph Osborne	11.0	7,914
		Steve Girard	8.9	6,374
		Roman Williams II	5.5	3,961

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. Source	Total votes: 71,706
= 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.

Libertarian Party primary

The Libertarian Party primary scheduled for March 3, 2026, was canceled. Robert Luffman (L) advanced from the Libertarian Party primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 5 without appearing on the ballot.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.

2020

See also: North Carolina's 11th Congressional District election, 2020

North Carolina's 11th Congressional District election, 2020 (March 3 Republican primary)

North Carolina's 11th Congressional District election, 2020 (March 3 Democratic primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House North Carolina District 11

Madison Cawthorn defeated Morris Davis, Tracey DeBruhl, and Tamara Zwinak in the general election for U.S. House North Carolina District 11 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Madison Cawthorn (R)	54.5	245,351
		Morris Davis (D)	42.3	190,609
		Tracey DeBruhl (L)	1.9	8,682
		Tamara Zwinak (G)	1.2	5,503

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 450,145
= 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 runoff election

Republican primary runoff for U.S. House North Carolina District 11

Madison Cawthorn defeated Lynda Bennett in the Republican primary runoff for U.S. House North Carolina District 11 on June 23, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Madison Cawthorn	65.8	30,636
		Lynda Bennett	34.2	15,905

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 46,541
= 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

Democratic primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 11

Morris Davis defeated Gina Collias, Phillip Price, Michael O'Shea, and Steve Woodsmall in the Democratic primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 11 on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Morris Davis	47.3	52,983
		Gina Collias	22.7	25,387
		Phillip Price	11.3	12,620
		Michael O'Shea	11.2	12,523
		Steve Woodsmall	7.5	8,439

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 111,952
= 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

• James Howell Trowbridge (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 11

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 11 on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Lynda Bennett	22.7	20,606
✔		Madison Cawthorn	20.4	18,481
		Jim Davis	19.3	17,465
		Chuck Archerd	9.1	8,272
		Wayne King	8.7	7,876
		Daniel Driscoll	8.6	7,803
		Joseph Osborne	7.1	6,470
		Vance Patterson	2.5	2,242
		Matthew Burril (Unofficially withdrew)	0.6	523
		Albert Wiley Jr.	0.4	393
	Submit photo	Dillon Gentry	0.4	390
		Steven Fekete	0.2	175

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 90,696
= 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

• Mark Meadows (R)

Green primary election

The Green primary election was canceled. Tamara Zwinak advanced from the Green primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 11.

Libertarian primary election

The Libertarian primary election was canceled. Tracey DeBruhl advanced from the Libertarian primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 11.

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Joseph Osborne completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Osborne's responses.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

My name is Joey Osborne. I’m a lifelong entrepreneur, small business builder, and problem-solver who has spent most of my adult life outside of politics, creating companies, managing people, and working through real-world challenges.

I started and grew businesses in the home services and technology spaces, creating jobs and helping other business owners succeed. Over the years, I’ve seen firsthand how federal policies, taxes, regulations, healthcare costs, and government inefficiency...directly affect families, workers, and small businesses.

I’m running for Congress because I believe government should work for the people it serves, not for political parties, special interests, or career politicians. I bring an outsider’s perspective, a practical mindset, and a focus on accountability, results, and common sense solutions.

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?

• Government should work for the people, not political parties or career politicians. Washington has become a system that rewards longevity, loyalty to party leadership, and big donors rather than results. I am running to restore accountability, transparency, and true representation so everyday people, not insiders, have a real voice in the decisions that affect their lives
• Real-world experience matters more than political experience. I have spent my career building businesses, solving problems, managing budgets, and creating jobs. That background brings a practical, results-focused mindset to Congress, centered on what actually works rather than ideology, talking points, or partisan gridlock.
• It is time to change how elections and representation work. Too many elections are controlled by party machinery and money instead of voters. I am committed to proving that an independent, citizen-centered campaign can succeed and to opening the door for reforms that reduce polarization, limit special-interest influence, and make government more responsive to the people it serves.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am most passionate about government accountability, healthcare affordability, and economic policy grounded in real-world outcomes. I believe government should serve the people rather than political parties or special interests, with greater transparency and fewer conflicts of interest. In healthcare, my focus is on lowering costs, increasing competition, and restoring patient choice. Economically, I support policies that strengthen small businesses, protect household purchasing power, and promote long-term stability rather than short-term political wins.

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.

Media interview

Osborne stated the following in an interview with WSOC-TV:

Over the last year, we have heard terms like “affordability crisis” and concerns from the state about health care affordability. Do you think there is an “affordability crisis,” and if so, what should be done to solve it? Yes, we are absolutely facing an affordability crisis, not just in health care but across nearly every part of daily life. The core problem is that government policies often increase costs while reducing real competition and accountability. In health care, we need transparency in pricing, fewer middlemen, more competition across state lines, and policies that empower patients rather than insurance companies or large hospital systems. Affordability improves when markets work and when government stops distorting them.

What should the role of the United States be in Venezuela, the Ukraine-Russia war and the Israel-Palestine conflict? America should lead with strength, clarity, and restraint. Our role should be to defend our national interests, support stability, and avoid endless foreign entanglements that lack clear objectives. In Ukraine, we should pursue a realistic path to peace while protecting U.S. security interests. In Israel, we should support our ally’s right to defend itself while encouraging regional stability. In Venezuela, the focus should be on supporting democratic outcomes without committing U.S. taxpayers to open-ended interventions.

Are you in favor of President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration? What immigration reform measures do you support? Yes, I support enforcing the law and securing the border. A nation without borders is not a nation. At the same time, we need a functional immigration system that is fair, efficient, and humane. That includes securing the border, fixing asylum abuse, expanding legal immigration where it benefits the economy, and holding employers accountable. Enforcement and reform must go hand in hand.

What sets you apart from your opponents? I am not a career politician, and I am not backed by party leadership or special interests. I have spent my life solving real problems in the real world, balancing budgets, making payroll, and being accountable for results. I am running to represent people, not a party, and to change a political system that rewards insiders while ignoring everyday Americans. My focus is practical solutions, honesty, and accountability.

— Joseph Osborne in WSOC-TV interview (February 12, 2026)

Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

2020

Joseph Osborne completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Osborne's responses.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Joey Osborne is a life-long conservative, active in Republican politics for more than 45 years. He is a businessman whose companies employee more than 600 Americans and have served more than two million customers. Joey believes in smaller government, lower taxes and less regulation. He's dedicated to bringing more, better paying jobs to western NC. Like President Trump, Joey's more than 40 years of business experience bring to Washington exceptional budget skills. Just like he does everyday for his own companies, Joey is dedicated to cutting and balancing the U.S. budget. Joey feels that for far too long the Washington elite have been squandering away Americas' hard-earned prosperity and he is committed to bringing control of government spending back to the people. Joey is pro-life, pro-gun and pro-constitution.

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?

• Joey Osborne is committed to a balanced budget for America.

  
  

• Joey Osborne believes there are far too many growth-stifling regulations in government and will support Donald Trump in his effort to reduce them.

  
  

• As a member of Congress Joey Osborne will support Donald Trump in advocating for lower taxes and replacing Obama care.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Joey Osborne is passionate about reducing the size of government. He feels that private sector solutions to America's needs are nearly always better than government managed solutions. Joey is for lower taxes and the repeal of Obama care.

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

Joey especially looks up to his grandparents who were hard working, church going community supporting Americans. Joey follows the example set by his step-father who was a career Army, Vietnam war veteran who never complained and cared more for others than for himself.

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

Wisdom, honesty, dedication, work ethic, creativity.

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

The core responsibilities of Representatives is to support and abide by the constitution of the United States while representing the wishes of his/her constituency.

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

The first major historical event to impact Joey Osborne was the resignation of Richard Nixon. Joey was 14 years old at the time.

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

Joey Osborne's first job started in 1972 when he was 12 years old. He worked during the summer months at a gas station when he was out of school. He was paid $8 per day and bought a new bike after his second week on the job.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Power of Intention. The book teaches that with positively directed intention anything can be achieved.

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

By design the US House of Rep. is to be the direct voice of the people.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

The present state of dysfunction in Congress is indicative of the fact that we do not need more experienced politicians in government.

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

Continued growth of movement toward socialism.

If you are not a current representative, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

One of my major emphasis is to remove needless regulation and reduce the size of government. I will seek to serve on committees that serve that purpose.

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

Yes

What are your thoughts on term limits?

I believe the framers of the constitution built a perfectly adequate and well-thought system for term limits by having elections every two years.

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

President Calvin Coolidge and Senator Pat Toomey

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

---

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.

---

Joseph Osborne campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2020	U.S. House North Carolina District 11	Lost primary	$252,100	$252,100
Grand total			$252,100	$252,100
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Election Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

See also

2026 Elections

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

Government

Who represents me? U.S. Congress State executives State legislators State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards

Newsletters

The Daily Brew The Weekly Brew The Ballot Bulletin Checks and Balances Economy and Society Hall Pass Number of the Day Robe & Gavel Union Station

External links

Search Google News for this topic

Candidate

U.S. House North Carolina District 5

Website

Facebook

Personal

X

Instagram

YouTube

LinkedIn

Footnotes

[show]

North Carolina's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Ted Budd (R)

Thom Tillis (R)

Representatives

District 1

Donald Davis (D)

District 2

Deborah Ross (D)

District 3

Gregory Murphy (R)

District 4

Valerie Foushee (D)

District 5

Virginia Foxx (R)

District 6

Addison McDowell (R)

District 7

David Rouzer (R)

District 8

Mark Harris (R)

District 9

Richard Hudson (R)

District 10

Pat Harrigan (R)

District 11

Chuck Edwards (R)

District 12

Alma Adams (D)

District 13

Brad Knott (R)

District 14

Timothy Moore (R)

Republican Party (12)

Democratic Party (4)