Two Republicans have announced their intentions to run for the soon-to-be vacant First District Seat in the North Carolina Senate.
The announcements follow current Sen. Bobby Hanig (R-Powells Point) announcing he intends to file next month to run for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Congress seat in the recently-redrawn First District.
Retired Resident Superior Court Judge Jerry Tillett of Dare County was the first to announce he was running at a gathering organized by the Pasquotank Republican Party at a pizza restaurant in Elizabeth City earlier this month.
“I love this country, and I love this community,” Tillett told a standing room only crowd. “I’ve spent my life defending the Constitution, and I’m stepping forward now to defend the values, freedoms, and future of our people.”
Tillett has since made several appearances at GOP-hosted events in northeastern North Carolina, where he has touted experience as an entrepreneur and small-business owner since the early 1980s, along with his extended career in the judicial system.
Last week, farmer and small business owner Jay Lane of Elizabeth City formally announced his candidacy for the state Senate.
“I’m running to be a strong voice for our region — to protect our Constitutional liberties, Second Amendment rights, and way of life,” Lane said in a statement.
In a press release announcing his candidacy, Lane touted several incumbent senators had given their endorsement, including Sen. Bill Rabon (R-Brunswick).
Lane also expressed his “strong support” of the agenda of President Donald Trump (R).
There have been no Democrats to make their intentions known about running for the seat that represents Dare, Currituck, Camden, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Gates, Northampton, Hertford, Bertie, and Tyrrell counties in the N.C. General Assembly’s upper chamber.
Hanig won the district by nearly 15% over Democrat Susan Harman-Scott in the 2024 election.
Filing for next year’s election runs from December 1-19, 2025, with the primary scheduled for March 3, 2026.
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