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North Carolina State Senate District 7
North Carolina State Senate District 7 is represented by Michael Lee (R).
As of the 2020 Census, North Carolina state senators represented an average of 209,079 residents. After the 2010 Census, each member represented 191,316 residents.
About the office
Members of the North Carolina State Senate serve two-year terms and are not subject to term limits. North Carolina legislators assume office on January 1 the year after their election.[1][2]
Qualifications
Article 2, Section 6 of the North Carolina Constitution states:[3]
| “ | Each Senator, at the time of his election, shall be not less than 25 years of age, shall be a qualified voter of the State, and shall have resided in the State as a citizen for two years and in the district for which he is chosen for one year immediately preceding his election.[4] | ” |
Salaries
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
| State legislative salaries, 2024[5] | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $13,951/year | $104/day |
Vacancies
If there is a vacancy in the General Assembly of North Carolina, the governor is responsible for appointing a replacement.[6][7]
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.[8] The appointment must be made within seven days of receiving a list of recommended candidates.[7] The person selected to the seat serves for the remainder of the unfilled term.[7]
See sources: North Carolina Const. Art. 2, Sec. 10 and North Carolina Gen. Stat. § 163-11
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 the governor. 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.[9]
State law establishes the following requirements for state legislative districts:[9]
- 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.[9]
2020-2023
On October 25, 2023, the North Carolina General Assembly adopted new legislative district boundaries.[10] The legislation adopting the new Senate districts passed the state Senate by a vote of 28-17 and the State House by a vote of 63-40.[11] The legislation adopting the new House districts passed the state Senate by a vote of 27-17 and the State House by a vote of 62-44.[12] All four votes were strictly along party lines with all votes in favor by Republicans and all votes against by Democrats.[13][14][15][16] 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."[17]
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 of state 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 in Harper 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.
North Carolina State Senate District 7
before 2020 redistricting cycle
Click a district to compare boundaries.
North Carolina State Senate District 7
after 2020 redistricting cycle
Click a district to compare boundaries.
Elections
2024
See also: North Carolina State Senate elections, 2024
General election
General election for North Carolina State Senate District 7
Incumbent Michael Lee defeated David Hill and John Evans in the general election for North Carolina State Senate District 7 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Michael Lee (R) | 52.2 | 63,217 |
 | David Hill (D)  | 43.7 | 52,953 | |
| John Evans (L) | 4.0 | 4,903 | ||
| Total votes: 121,073 | |||
| = 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
The Democratic primary election was canceled. David Hill advanced from the Democratic primary for North Carolina State Senate District 7.
Republican primary election
The Republican primary election was canceled. Incumbent Michael Lee advanced from the Republican primary for North Carolina State Senate District 7.
Libertarian primary election
The Libertarian primary election was canceled. John Evans advanced from the Libertarian primary for North Carolina State Senate District 7.
2022
Note: Jason Minnicozzi dropped out of the race on June 28, 2022. The New Hanover County Democratic Party plans to nominate a candidate to replace Minnicozzi.[18]
General election
General election for North Carolina State Senate District 7
Incumbent Michael Lee defeated Marcia Morgan in the general election for North Carolina State Senate District 7 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Michael Lee (R) | 51.0 | 44,908 |
 | Marcia Morgan (D) | 49.0 | 43,198 | |
| Total votes: 88,106 | |||
| = 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
- Jason Minnicozzi (D)
Democratic primary election
The Democratic primary election was canceled. Jason Minnicozzi advanced from the Democratic primary for North Carolina State Senate District 7.
Republican primary election
The Republican primary election was canceled. Incumbent Michael Lee advanced from the Republican primary for North Carolina State Senate District 7.
2020
See also: North Carolina State Senate elections, 2020
General election
General election for North Carolina State Senate District 7
Incumbent Jim Perry defeated Donna Lake in the general election for North Carolina State Senate District 7 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Jim Perry (R) | 55.3 | 45,364 |
 | Donna Lake (D) | 44.7 | 36,737 | |
| Total votes: 82,101 | |||
| = 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. Donna Lake advanced from the Democratic primary for North Carolina State Senate District 7.
Republican primary election
Republican primary for North Carolina State Senate District 7
Incumbent Jim Perry defeated Billy Strickland in the Republican primary for North Carolina State Senate District 7 on March 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jim Perry | 65.9 | 10,214 |
 | Billy Strickland | 34.1 | 5,275 | |
| Total votes: 15,489 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
2018
General election
General election for North Carolina State Senate District 7
Incumbent Louis Pate defeated David B. Brantley in the general election for North Carolina State Senate District 7 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Louis Pate (R) | 53.9 | 30,329 |
| David B. Brantley (D) | 46.1 | 25,940 | ||
| Total votes: 56,269 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = 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
- Barbara Dantonio (D)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for North Carolina State Senate District 7
Barbara Dantonio advanced from the Democratic primary for North Carolina State Senate District 7 on May 8, 2018.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ |  | Barbara Dantonio |
| ||||
| = 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 7
Incumbent Louis Pate advanced from the Republican primary for North Carolina State Senate District 7 on May 8, 2018.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Louis Pate |
| ||||
| = 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.[19] The candidate filing deadline was December 21, 2015.[20]
Incumbent Louis Pate ran unopposed in the North Carolina State Senate District 7 general election.[21][22]
| North Carolina State Senate, District 7 General Election, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Republican |  Louis Pate Incumbent (unopposed) | |
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections | ||
Incumbent Louis Pate ran unopposed in the North Carolina State Senate District 7 Republican primary.[23][24]
| North Carolina State Senate, District 7 Republican Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Republican | Louis Pate Incumbent (unopposed) | |
2014
Elections for the North Carolina State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on May 6, 2014. The general election took place on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was February 28, 2014. Incumbent Louis Pate was unopposed in the Republican primary, while Erik Anderson was unopposed in the Democratic primary. Pate defeated Anderson in the general election.[25][26][27][28]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Louis Pate Incumbent |
68.8% | 37,323 | |
| Democratic | Erik Anderson | 31.2% | 16,924 | |
| Total Votes | 54,247 | |||
2012
Elections for the office of North Carolina State Senate consisted of a primary election on May 8, 2012, and a general election on November 6, 2012. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was February 29, 2012. Incumbent Louis Pate (R) was unopposed in both the general election and Republican primary.[29][30]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Louis Pate Incumbent |
100% | 60,120 | |
| Total Votes | 60,120 | |||
Campaign contributions
From 2000 to 2024, candidates for North Carolina State Senate District 7 raised a total of $13,959,684. Candidates who raised money in contributions earned $387,769 on average. All figures come from Follow the Money
| Campaign contributions, North Carolina State Senate District 7 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Amount | Candidates | Average |
| 2024 | $5,183,119 | 3 | $1,727,706 |
| 2022 | $3,761,515 | 3 | $1,253,838 |
| 2020 | $3,387,377 | 3 | $1,129,126 |
| 2018 | $85,001 | 2 | $42,501 |
| 2016 | $83,934 | 1 | $83,934 |
| 2014 | $192,231 | 2 | $96,116 |
| 2012 | $54,250 | 1 | $54,250 |
| 2010 | $315,718 | 3 | $105,239 |
| 2008 | $107,408 | 3 | $35,803 |
| 2006 | $122,849 | 2 | $61,425 |
| 2004 | $286,205 | 7 | $40,886 |
| 2002 | $355,611 | 2 | $177,806 |
| 2000 | $24,465 | 4 | $6,116 |
| Total | $13,959,684 | 36 | $387,769 |
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.
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2024 Legislator Compensation," August 21, 2024
- ↑ General Assembly of North Carolina, "North Carolina Constitution," accessed February 12, 2021 (Article II, Section 10)
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 General 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)
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 All 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
- ↑ Wilmington StarNews, "Wilmington state senate candidate drops out of race after misconduct allegations surface," June 28, 2022
- ↑ 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, "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, "05/06/2014 Official Primary Election Results - Statewide," accessed December 5, 2014
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "11/04/2014 Official General Election Results - Statewide," accessed December 5, 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
