Suzanne Gavenus
Suzanne Gavenus (Democratic Party) is running for election to the North Carolina House of Representatives to represent District 85. She is on the ballot in the general election on November 3, 2026. The Democratic primary for this office on March 3, 2026, was canceled.
Gavenus completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. Click here to read the survey answers.
Elections
2026
See also: North Carolina House of Representatives 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 House of Representatives District 85
Incumbent Dudley Greene (R) and Suzanne Gavenus (D) are running in the general election for North Carolina House of Representatives District 85 on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Dudley Greene (R) | |
 | Suzanne Gavenus (D)  | |
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| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary
The Democratic primary scheduled for March 3, 2026, was canceled. Suzanne Gavenus (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for North Carolina House of Representatives District 85 without appearing on the ballot.
Republican primary
The Republican primary scheduled for March 3, 2026, was canceled. Incumbent Dudley Greene (R) advanced from the Republican primary for North Carolina House of Representatives District 85 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
Suzanne Gavenus completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Gavenus' responses.
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I’ve spent my career listening to families, students, and educators when systems aren’t working—and helping them find real solutions. I’m running for the North Carolina House because District 85 deserves a representative who shows up, listens, and fights for our mountain communities.
I believe everyone should have access to affordable healthcare and mental health services, our educators deserve respect and fair pay, working families need affordable housing, childcare and living wages, and disaster recovery should focus on long-term resilience so our communities can rebuild stronger.
I bring leadership that is grounded in service, focused on working families, and committed to long-term solutions and economic stability for Avery, McDowell, Mitchell, and Yancey Counties—and to make sure our voices are heard in Raleigh.- In Western North Carolina, too many families struggle to access affordable healthcare and mental health services close to home. Long drives, long waitlists, and limited providers leave people without the care they need—especially in rural communities. Supporting working mountain families means making sure people can afford to live where they work. That includes access to affordable housing, affordable childcare, and wages that allow families to meet basic needs without leaving the community they call home. When families are stable, schools are stronger, local businesses thrive, and communities are more resilient.
- Hurricane Helene didn’t just flood roads and homes—it disrupted lives, livelihoods, and entire communities. Long after the waters receded, many families are still dealing with repairs, insurance gaps, and uncertainty about the future. Long-term flood recovery requires sustained investment beyond emergency response. Priorities include funding for housing repair and replacement, resilient infrastructure, floodplain and watershed management, and support for local governments navigating complex recovery programs. The state must partner with local communities to pursue mitigation strategies that reduce repeat flooding, including infrastructure upgrades, land-use planning, and environmentally sound building practices.
- Strong public schools are the backbone of strong communities. If we want our children to succeed and our towns to thrive, we have to support the educators who make that possible. That means paying teachers and school staff a professional wage, reducing turnover, and making sure rural schools have the resources they need to serve students well. In rural communities, schools are often the heart of the community. When we lose educators because pay isn’t sustainable, students suffer and families are pushed to look elsewhere. Supporting educators means keeping schools strong and communities intact.
- Healthcare & mental health access, especially in rural areas where services are limited & costs are high
- Strong public schools & support for educators, including fair pay, student support services, & respect for local schools
- Affordable housing, childcare, & living wages so working families can afford to stay in their communities
- Disaster recovery & long-term resilience, ensuring that recovery efforts after events like Hurricane Helene actually reach local families & build back stronger
- Economic stability for working families & small businesses
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
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Candidate North Carolina House of Representatives District 85 |
Personal |
Footnotes
