Steve Rutherford
Steve Rutherford (Democratic Party) is running for election to the North Carolina State Senate to represent District 43. He is on the ballot in the general election on November 3, 2026. The Democratic primary for this office on March 3, 2026, was canceled.
Rutherford completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.
Elections
2026
See also: North Carolina State Senate elections, 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 North Carolina State Senate District 43
Incumbent Brad Overcash (R) and Steve Rutherford (D) are running in the general election for North Carolina State Senate District 43 on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Brad Overcash (R) | |
 | Steve Rutherford (D)  | |
| ||||
| = 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 Democratic primary scheduled for March 3, 2026, was canceled. Steve Rutherford (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for North Carolina State Senate District 43 without appearing on the ballot.
Republican primary
The Republican primary scheduled for March 3, 2026, was canceled. Incumbent Brad Overcash (R) advanced from the Republican primary for North Carolina State Senate District 43 without appearing on the ballot.
Campaign finance
Endorsements
Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.
Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Steve Rutherford completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Rutherford's responses.
| Collapse all
- I am a U.S. Navy veteran and lifelong Gaston County resident who believes public service means showing up, telling the truth, and putting people before politics. I’m running to restore integrity, accountability, and basic decency to state government—because leadership is not about power, it’s about responsibility.
- Too many people in Gaston County are working hard and still falling behind. I will fight for policies that expand access to good-paying jobs, workforce training, and small-business growth so families can afford healthcare, housing, and retirement without fear. An economy should work for the people who keep it moving.
- North Carolina needs balance—not one-party rule that shuts people out and ignores real needs. I am running to be a voice for everyday people in Raleigh, to protect healthcare access, defend Social Security and Medicare, and make sure government works for all communities, not just the powerful few.
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
Campaign finance information for this candidate is not yet available from OpenSecrets. That information will be published here once it is available.
See also
2026 Elections
External links
|
Candidate North Carolina State Senate District 43 |
Personal |
Footnotes
