Candidate · November 3, 2026
Raymond Smith
On the ballot for U.S. House · North Carolina's 3rd District
- raised through Oct 14, 2026
- $367K
- cash on hand
- $44K
- issues with public statements
- 6
- outside spending for or against
- $19K
§1On the ballot
Why this matters: This is exactly how the candidate appears on your ballot, from the state's official candidate list.
| Office | U.S. House · North Carolina's 3rd District1, |
|---|---|
| Party on the ballot | Democratic Party1, |
| Status | Challenger |
| Also on the ballot |
|
§2Who they are
Why this matters: Background and experience help you judge how someone might do the job. These come from public records and the candidate's own materials.
Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.
His campaign website says he is a former educator and football coach and a Gulf War combat veteran who served as a military policeman in the U.S. Army and U.S. Army Reserve.4 It says he was elected to the at-large seat on the Wayne County Board of Education in 2016, served as its vice chairman, and later served two terms in the North Carolina General Assembly representing Wayne and Sampson counties.4 It says he oversaw the transition of Wayne County's paratransit service from private to local management and then worked as a statewide transportation planner for the North Carolina Department of Transportation.4 It lists a bachelor's degree in supply chain management from N.C. A&T State University, a master's degree in public administration from N.C. Central University, and a doctorate in education leadership from Fayetteville State University.4
Why they say they're running
His campaign website's home page says he is running to serve people over politics and to put Eastern North Carolina first in Congress.5
Websites and accounts
- Campaign websiteraymondsmithfornc.com5,
6 - Facebookfacebook.com/electraymondsmithjr5
- X (Twitter)x.com/RayESmithJr5
- Instagraminstagram.com/raymondsmith4congress5
§3What they've said on the issues
Why this matters: These are positions the candidate has stated publicly — on their campaign website or in public statements — summarized in plain words with a link to where they said it. Issues they haven't spoken about publicly are left out.
Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.
Each issue has its own range of views. A position is marked on that range only when the candidate's own statement clearly matches one option; there is no overall left–right score.
Elections and Government Reform
His campaign platform page says it is time to push major campaign finance reform and bring an end to Citizens United.7
- Limit spending by outside groups, including by amending the Constitution to overturn Citizens United
- Keep spending unlimited but require groups to name their major donors
- Keep current rules
- Raise or remove limits on donations to candidates and parties
His campaign platform page says members of Congress should be banned from trading stocks.7
- Ban members and their spouses and dependent children from owning or trading individual stocks
- Ban members themselves from trading individual stocks
- No ban; keep the reporting rules, with stronger penalties for late reports
Technology, Privacy and AI
His campaign platform page lists broadband internet access, along with investments in floodwater resilience and prevention, among the infrastructure investments Eastern North Carolina needs.7
Family and Social Policy
His campaign platform page says that in Congress he will work to expand child care access for the families of service members.7
Education
His campaign platform page says his time as an educator and county school board member showed him the value of local control of schools, but that the federal government still has a key part to play in overall school funding, special education and civil rights protections.7
Health Care
His campaign About page says that as a state legislator he introduced legislation to expand Medicaid to more than 600,000 North Carolinians.4
§4Money
Why this matters: Campaigns report where their money comes from and how much they have left. Outside groups that spend on their own, without coordinating with the campaign, report that too.
Reported to the Federal Election Commission for the 2025–2026 election cycle, through October 14, 2026.8
| Raised | $366,581 |
|---|---|
| Spent | $321,979 |
| Cash on hand | $44,282 |
Where the money came from
Outside spending
Groups spending independently reported $18,581 supporting and $0 opposing Raymond Smith this cycle, primary and general combined, in the 24- and 48-hour reports the law requires for larger expenditures, filed through October 7, 2026.9
| Group | Supporting | Opposing |
|---|---|---|
| AB PAC | $11,939 | — |
| ADVANCE NORTH CAROLINA | $6,642 | — |
Smaller expenditures that appear only on a group's regular monthly or quarterly report aren't in these totals, so the full amounts can be somewhat higher. When a group amends a report, only its latest version is counted.
§5Financial disclosures
Why this matters: Federal candidates and members of Congress must report their assets, income, debts and outside jobs, and members must report stock trades. These filings show possible conflicts of interest.
- Candidate financial disclosure report10filed Oct 1, 2026