Erica D. Smith

A Democrat who was first elected to the North Carolina Senate in 2014,[4] Smith has represented Senate District Three since 2015.[6] Senate District Three includes Beaufort, Bertie, Martin, Northampton, Vance, and Warren Counties.[7] Smith was re-elected without opposition in 2016[8] and defeated Republican Chuck Early in 2018.[9] Smith has co-chaired the Joint Legislative Women's Caucus, served as Chair and Second Vice-Chair of the N.C. Legislative Black Caucus, and currently serves as the Co-Chair of the Joint Legislative Tech Caucus, Democratic Women's Caucus, Chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus Rural Working Group and the NCLBC Agriculture Working Group. Smith served for six years on the Northampton County Board of Education 2008-2014 and in grassroots organizing and community leadership as Democratic Party Chair and First Vice-Chair for Northampton County from 2001 to 2015.[10]

In 2020, Smith published a complaint alleging harassment from other North Carolina state senators.[11] She did not press charges, but argued for a change to the culture of the NC Senate to stop harassment.[12]

Smith began mapping out her path to the United States Senate at a Congressional Black Caucus “boot camp” Political Training Institute in 2005. She briefly put her plans on hold in 2012 following the death of her 5-year-old son.[13]

In January 2019, Smith announced her candidacy for the United States Senate seat currently held by Thom Tillis. Smith, who currently works as a math instructional specialist, has likened her platform to a six-point lesson plan.[10]

In the Democratic primary, Smith finished second to the winner Cal Cunningham.

Smith is a candidate in the Democratic primary for the 2022 United States Senate election in North Carolina.[14] She says her campaign will not accept donations from the fossil fuel industry or large corporate PACs.[12]