Results in the five most expensive Republican North Carolina Senate primaries


5 Most Expensive Elections

Republican primary elections for 49 of 50 seats in the North Carolina State Senate took place on May 17, 2022. Of the 49 seats up for election in 2022, 15 had a primary election with more than one candidate.

Across all contested Republican primary elections, candidates raised $1.8 million. Incumbents raised an average of $111,949 per candidate and challengers raised an average of $35,619 per candidate.

Five primary elections with the most fundraising

The table below details the five Republican primary elections with the most fundraising in the State Senate. Winning candidates’ names are in bold.

District Money Raised Officeholder Candidates
District 47 $239,472 Deanna Ballard (R) Ralph Hise and Deanna Ballard
District 10 $230,582 Brent Jackson (R) Benton Sawrey, Jill Homan, and Matt Ansley
District 1 $211,509 Bob Steinburg (R) Norman Sanderson and Bob Steinburg
District 12 $197,674 Jim Burgin (R) Jim Burgin, David Buboltz, and Ernie Watson
District 4 $187,933 Milton F. Fitch Jr. (D) Eldon Sharpe Newton III and Joe Democko

#1 District 47 – $239,472

Incumbent Ralph Hise raised $118,076 and Incumbent Deanna Ballard raised $121,396.

Ralph Hise advanced to the general election with 51 percent of the vote and Deanna Ballard received 49 percent of the vote.

#2 District 10 – $230,582

Benton Sawrey raised $131,260, Jill Homan raised $99,322, and Matt Ansley raised $0.

Benton Sawrey advanced to the general election with 66 percent of the vote, Jill Homan received 20 percent of the vote, and Matt Ansley received 15 percent of the vote.

#3 District 1 – $211,509

Incumbent Norman Sanderson raised $77,457 and Incumbent Bob Steinburg raised $134,052.

Norman Sanderson advanced to the general election with 56 percent of the vote and Bob Steinburg received 44 percent of the vote.

#4 District 12 – $197,674

Incumbent Jim Burgin raised $125,730, Ernie Watson raised $51,753, and David Buboltz raised $20,191.

Jim Burgin advanced to the general election with 53 percent of the vote, David Buboltz received 37 percent of the vote, and Ernie Watson received 11 percent of the vote.

#5 District 4 – $187,933

Eldon Sharpe Newton III raised $147,547 and Joe Democko raised $40,386.

Eldon Sharpe Newton III advanced to the general election with 68 percent of the vote and Joe Democko received 32 percent of the vote.

The data above are based on campaign finance reports that active North Carolina PACs submitted to the North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE). Federal PACs are not required to report to state agencies. Transparency USA publishes campaign finance data following major reporting deadlines. State or federal law may require filers to submit additional reports.

Report Name Report Due Date
2022 Semiannual 1/28/2022
2022 Q1 Plus 5/10/2022
2022 Semiannual (only candidates not on 2022 ballot) 7/29/2022
2022 Q3 Plus 10/31/2022
2022 Q4 1/11/2023
2022 Year End Semiannual (only candidates not on 2022 ballot) 1/27/2023

This article is a joint publication from Ballotpedia and Transparency USA, who are working together to provide campaign finance information for state-level elections. Learn more about our work here.