Two Republicans are battling for a chance to flip a state House seat in southeastern North Carolina that a Democrat has held for more than 20 years.
Ralph Carter and Kirk Lowery will face off in the Republican primary on March 3 for N.C. House District 48. The winner will compete in November against Democratic incumbent Garland Pierce, who is seeking a 12th term in office.
The district, which includes Hoke and Scotland counties, has remained blue even as Republicans have gained momentum in the region. It’s the only N.C. House district still ruled by a Democrat in the 200-mile rural stretch between Charlotte and Wilmington along the state’s southern border.
Lowery and Carter both say they can beat Pierce, a Baptist preacher who has enjoyed years of popularity. But there are signs that support for him is eroding. Carter lost to Pierce by fewer than 1,400 votes in the 2024 election. Pierce won 55% of the vote in Hoke, but lost by over 5.5% in Scotland.
The North Carolina Republican Party says now might be the time to flip the seat, which would help the GOP secure a supermajority in the state House.
Democrats and unaffiliated voters outnumber Republicans in Hoke and Scotland counties, but conservative candidates have seen recent successes. Republicans won a majority on the Scotland County Board of Commissioners in 2024 for the first time in modern history.
“We’re very confident that the trends of the district are moving our way,” said Matt Mercer, communications director for the state GOP. “It’s just a matter of getting the candidate in the right environment to get over the finish line to win the seat for the first time in a very long time for Republicans.”
About the Candidates
Carter, an orthopedic surgeon, was born and raised in Wilmington, where he worked at his father’s corner drugstore. He earned an undergraduate degree from UNC-Chapel Hill and attended medical school at Wake Forest University. He is an Air Force veteran who served 13 years on active and reserve duty.
Carter said his priorities include water infrastructure, health care, and affordability. He wants to cap and ultimately eliminate property taxes. Some Republicans in the General Assembly have proposed legislation to regulate property taxes statewide.
“The property tax setup is one that keeps poor counties poor and rich counties rich,” Carter said. “In fact, it makes richer counties richer, makes poor counties poorer.”
Carter said he wants to limit “medical mandates” and increase access to healthy food options, talking points in line with U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his “Make America Healthy Again” movement. The Make America Healthy Again Institute, a private think tank launched last March to support the secretary’s policies, endorsed Carter.
Lowery, a member of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, was born in Robeson County and grew up in Hoke. He graduated from Hoke County High School in 1990 and joined the U.S. Air Force, where he served for four years. He then attended Richmond Community College, earning an associate’s degree in electronics.
Currently, Lowery works for AT&T as a digital technician, overseeing the company’s fiber network in Robeson, Scotland, and Richmond counties. He also serves on several Hoke County boards, including as vice president of the board of directors for the Raeford-Hoke Chamber of Commerce.
Lowery says a Republican has a better shot at securing state funding to improve water and sewer infrastructure and fix roads in Hoke and Scotland counties. He wants to establish workforce-training programs in high schools and improve working conditions for county law enforcement.
“We just need resources,” Lowery said. “The county only has so much money to dish out, so that’s where the state comes in to compensate for that lack of funding.”
Reaching Unaffiliated Voters
Lowery says he is not related to Lumbee Tribal Chairman and state House Rep. John Lowery, but the men are friends. Last month, they posed for a photo together, holding a campaign sign after a candidate meet-and-greet at the Laurel Hill Community Center.
The Lumbee Tribe has its headquarters in Robeson County, but its territory also includes Cumberland, Hoke, and Scotland counties. Congress voted in December to give the tribe full federal recognition, which it had been seeking for 137 years. President Donald Trump, who found support among many Lumbee voters, pushed for the designation.
Kirk Lowery said it will be important to get out the Lumbee vote, as there are more than 3,700 registered Native American and Alaskan Native voters in Hoke and Scotland counties.
If Kirk Lowery is counting on voter outreach, Carter might be counting on cash. Carter’s campaign had over $23,117 on hand during the most recent reporting cycle that ended on January 30, compared to $9,342 for Kirk Lowery’s campaign, according to campaign finance reports filed with the state Board of Elections.
“I’m glad to be in this position,” Carter said. “It’s not over until it’s over. There are a lot of voters who have still yet to come out, so we just have to keep working.”
Lowery said he is focused on grassroots organizing and door-to-door campaigning, the same strategy he said Pierce has employed to keep his seat for so long.
“Flyers and Facebook are fine,” Lowery said, “but you have to get out in the community. A lot of politicians, they have not done that. They just focus strictly on the Republican base to get them over that hump, and it doesn’t work in these rural communities.”
Winning over unaffiliated voters might be key. Carter said he wants to appeal to “apathetic” and “disenchanted” unaffiliated voters who stayed home last election. In 2024, 64% of Scotland County voters and 61% of Hoke County voters cast ballots, according to the state elections board. North Carolina’s statewide voter turnout was over 73%.
Carter and Lowery both predict the Republican primary for Scotland County sheriff will lead to higher voter turnout than in Hoke County. Unaffiliated voters in Hoke are more likely to vote in the Democratic primary for the Board of Commissioners race, Lowery said.
Carter said he could have “a little bit of advantage” in Scotland. The five Republican county commissioners endorsed him, as did current Sheriff Ralph Kersey, who is not seeking re-election.
U.S. Rep. Mark Harris, a Republican who represents Scotland, Robeson, and other counties in the region, also endorsed Carter.
Mercer, the communications director for the NCGOP, said he’s optimistic about Republicans’ chances in District 48. The party is also eyeing District 32 in Granville County and District 115 in Buncombe County to secure a House supermajority, he said.
“As long as we continue building on what we’ve been able to do over the last couple of years, this could very well be the year,” he said. “And we’re excited for that opportunity.”