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Raymond Smith Jr.
Raymond Smith Jr. (Democratic Party) was a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives, representing District 21. He assumed office on January 1, 2019. He left office on January 1, 2023.
Smith (Democratic Party) ran for election to the North Carolina State Senate to represent District 4. He lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.
Smith completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Raymond Smith Jr. was born in Goldsboro, North Carolina. He served in the U.S. Army. Smith earned a high school diploma from Goldsboro High School, a bachelor's degree from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in 1992, a graduate degree from North Carolina Central University in 1998, and a Ph.D. from Fayetteville State University in 2020. His career experience includes working as a consultant, transportation professional, and teacher.[1]
As of 2024, Smith was affiliated with the following organizations:[1]
- St. James AME Zion Church - Trustee
- N.C. A&T State University Alumni Association
- Fayetteville State University Alumni Association
- Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
- Prince Hall Free and Accepted Masons
- Dillard/Goldsboro Alumni & Friends, Inc.
- Wayne County HBCU Alliance
- Jack & Jill of Eastern NC
- Safe Space For Youth of Wayne County
- Wayne Omega Uplift Foundation
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
Smith was assigned to the following committees:
- Education - Community Colleges Committee
- Local Government Committee
- Federal Relations and American Indian Affairs Committee
- House Finance Committee
- Military and Veterans Affairs Committee
2019-2020
Smith was assigned to the following committees:
- House Appropriations on Health and Human Services Committee
- Appropriations Committee
- Military and Veterans Affairs Committee
- House Transportation Committee
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 State Senate elections, 2024
General election
General election for North Carolina State Senate District 4
Incumbent Eldon Sharpe Newton III defeated Raymond Smith Jr. in the general election for North Carolina State Senate District 4 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | ![]() | Eldon Sharpe Newton III (R) | 55.1 | 55,389 |
![]() | Raymond Smith Jr. (D) ![]() | 44.9 | 45,096 |
Total votes: 100,485 | ||||
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Democratic primary election
The Democratic primary election was canceled. Raymond Smith Jr. advanced from the Democratic primary for North Carolina State Senate District 4.
Republican primary election
The Republican primary election was canceled. Incumbent Eldon Sharpe Newton III advanced from the Republican primary for North Carolina State Senate District 4.
Campaign finance
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Smith in this election.
2022
See also: North Carolina State Senate elections, 2022
General election
General election for North Carolina State Senate District 4
Eldon Sharpe Newton III defeated incumbent Milton F. Fitch Jr. in the general election for North Carolina State Senate District 4 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | ![]() | Eldon Sharpe Newton III (R) | 57.5 | 38,638 |
![]() | Milton F. Fitch Jr. (D) | 42.5 | 28,543 |
Total votes: 67,181 | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for North Carolina State Senate District 4
Incumbent Milton F. Fitch Jr. defeated Raymond Smith Jr. in the Democratic primary for North Carolina State Senate District 4 on May 17, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | ![]() | Milton F. Fitch Jr. | 54.5 | 6,994 |
![]() | Raymond Smith Jr. | 45.5 | 5,843 |
Total votes: 12,837 | ||||
![]() | ||||
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 4
Eldon Sharpe Newton III defeated Joe Democko in the Republican primary for North Carolina State Senate District 4 on May 17, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | ![]() | Eldon Sharpe Newton III | 67.6 | 8,728 |
Joe Democko | 32.4 | 4,181 |
Total votes: 12,909 | ||||
![]() | ||||
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 House of Representatives elections, 2020
General election
General election for North Carolina House of Representatives District 21
Incumbent Raymond Smith Jr. defeated Brent Heath in the general election for North Carolina House of Representatives District 21 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | ![]() | Raymond Smith Jr. (D) | 53.0 | 17,632 |
Brent Heath (R) | 47.0 | 15,633 |
Total votes: 33,265 | ||||
![]() | ||||
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 House of Representatives District 21
Incumbent Raymond Smith Jr. defeated Eugene Pearsall in the Democratic primary for North Carolina House of Representatives District 21 on March 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | ![]() | Raymond Smith Jr. | 55.2 | 4,579 |
Eugene Pearsall | 44.8 | 3,710 |
Total votes: 8,289 | ||||
![]() | ||||
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. Brent Heath advanced from the Republican primary for North Carolina House of Representatives District 21.
Campaign finance
2018
General election
General election for North Carolina House of Representatives District 21
Raymond Smith Jr. defeated Robert Freeman Sr. in the general election for North Carolina House of Representatives District 21 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | ![]() | Raymond Smith Jr. (D) | 52.6 | 12,041 |
Robert Freeman Sr. (R) | 47.4 | 10,829 |
Total votes: 22,870 | ||||
![]() | ||||
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 North Carolina House of Representatives District 21
Raymond Smith Jr. defeated Eugene Pearsall in the Democratic primary for North Carolina House of Representatives District 21 on May 8, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | ![]() | Raymond Smith Jr. | 53.2 | 1,511 |
Eugene Pearsall | 46.8 | 1,331 |
Total votes: 2,842 | ||||
![]() | ||||
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 House of Representatives District 21
Robert Freeman Sr. advanced from the Republican primary for North Carolina House of Representatives District 21 on May 8, 2018.
Candidate | ||
✔ | Robert Freeman Sr. |
![]() | ||||
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2016
Three of the seven seats on the Wayne County Public Schools school board were up for general election on November 8, 2016. There was a primary election to eliminate two of the four candidates who filed for the District 3 seat on March 15, 2016.[2] The winners of the District 2 seat and one at-large seat were determined during the general election.[3]
The seats of District 2 incumbent Dwight Cannon, District 3 incumbent Patricia Burden and at-large incumbent Edward Radford were up for election. Burden was the only incumbent who filed for re-election and was joined by three other candidates in the primary election for the seat: Trebor Jackson, Taj Polack and Charles Wright, Sr. Burden and Jackson were the two winners of the primary and competed for the District 3 seat in the general election, with Burden winning the seat. Len Henderson ran unopposed and won the open District 2 seat. Finally, two candidates vied for the at-large seat, with Raymond Smith Jr. defeating Ven Faulk.[2][3][4]
Results
Wayne County Public Schools, At-Large General Election, 4-year term, 2016 |
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Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
![]() |
52.21% | 22,544 |
Ven Faulk | 46.99% | 20,293 |
Write-in votes | 0.8% | 346 |
Total Votes (100) | 43,183 | |
Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Official General Election Results-Wayne," accessed December 5, 2016 |
Funding
The Wayne County Board of Elections did not publish school board candidate campaign finance reports on its website as of November 4, 2016.[5]
School board candidates in North Carolina were required to file campaign finance reports to their county's board of elections unless the candidate:
(1) Did not receive more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) in contributions, and
(2) Did not receive more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) in loans, and
(3) Did not spend more than one thousand dollars ($1,000).[6]
The third quarter campaign finance deadline was October 31, 2016, and the fourth quarter deadline was January 11, 2017.[7]
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Raymond Smith Jr. completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Smith's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
Collapse all
|I have an extensive background in public service, including work in education, transportation, and the military. I hold three degrees from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs): a Bachelor’s degree from North Carolina A&T State University, a Master’s in Public Administration from North Carolina Central University, and a Doctorate in Education from Fayetteville State University. I am also a decorated U.S. Army Gulf War veteran.
Currently, I reside in Goldsboro with my wife, Dr. Cortrina D. Smith, and together we are proud parents to five children. I am an active community leader, serving as a Trustee at St. James AME Zion Church and participating in organizations like the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity and the Prince Hall Affiliated Free and Accepted Masons.- Education: We must continue to invest in public schools, reduce class sizes, and support teachers with the resources they need. Providing equitable education for all students remains a top priority.
- Economic Development and Job Creation: are key priorities for District 4, first, we need to ensure that our infrastructure—especially in water, sewer, and broadband—is modernized. Next, we must focus on workforce development. Finally, advocating for incentives that promote small business growth and attract new companies to our district is a must. Whether through tax breaks, grants, or loans, we can make District 4 more competitive and desirable for sustaining long-term economic prosperity.
- Public Safety: Addressing crime through prevention and community engagement is essential. We must also support law enforcement with the training and resources they need.
Vote Vets
NC AFL- CIO
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.
2022
Raymond Smith Jr. did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
2020
Raymond Smith Jr. did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
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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See also
2024 Elections
External links
Candidate North Carolina State Senate District 4 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on October 7, 2024
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Wayne County, "Primary Election Candidate List," accessed January 22, 2016
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Wayne County, "November General Election Candidate List," accessed January 22, 2016
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Unofficial General Election Results-Wayne," accessed November 8, 2016
- ↑ Wake County, "Campaign Finance Reports," accessed November 4, 2016
- ↑ General Assembly of North Carolina, "Chapter 163: Elections And Election Laws, Article 22A - Regulating Contributions and Expenditures in Political Campaigns," accessed February 11, 2016
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Reporting Schedules," accessed October 11, 2016
Political offices | ||
---|---|---|
Preceded by Larry Bell (D) |
North Carolina House of Representatives District 21 2019-2023 |
Succeeded by Ya Liu (D) |
Preceded by - |
Wayne County Public Schools, At-large 2016-2019 |
Succeeded by - |