2026 #IAmLeandro Candidate Survey

Where do the people seeking to represent you stand on the future of North Carolina's public schools?

Every child in North Carolina has a constitutional right to the opportunity to receive a sound basic education. Over more than three decades, four North Carolina Supreme Court decisions affirmed that obligation.

The Leandro Comprehensive Remedial Plan was developed through an extensive process involving education experts, state agencies, educators and other stakeholders to identify what North Carolina must do to fulfill that constitutional promise.

Now, the decisions about whether and how to make those investments rest with the people North Carolinians elect to the General Assembly.

The 2026 #IAmLeandro Candidate Survey is a statewide, nonpartisan voter education initiative created to give North Carolinians an opportunity to hear directly from the candidates seeking to represent them.

Who We Asked

Every candidate for the North Carolina General Assembly was invited to participate in the same questionnaire. Participation is voluntary, and candidates may continue to submit responses throughout the election season.

We do not score, rank or endorse candidates based on their answers. Responses are published as submitted, with changes limited to formatting and correction of obvious typographical errors.

What We Asked

Before answering, candidates were provided with an overview of the Leandro Comprehensive Remedial Plan and its seven major areas of investment: early childhood education; a strong teacher pipeline and competitive pay; effective school leadership; well-resourced schools; student supports and safe learning environments; accountability and school improvement; and college, career and workforce pathways.

We then asked each candidate three yes-or-no questions:

1. If elected or reelected, would you support legislation and appropriations to fully implement the Leandro Comprehensive Remedial Plan, including all of its corrective actions, by funding it at no less than its original estimated cost, adjusted for inflation?

2. If elected or reelected, will you support legislation and appropriations to begin implementation of the Leandro Comprehensive Remedial Plan during the 2027–2028 legislative biennium?

3. If elected or reelected, would you support maintaining or increasing state appropriations for public education and oppose legislation that reduces funding available to North Carolina's public schools?

Candidates were also invited to provide an optional statement explaining their position, adding context or qualifying their answers so voters could understand their perspective in their own words.

The Results

The responses published below belong to the candidates themselves.

Our purpose is not to tell North Carolinians what to think or how to vote. It is to make information available so voters can hear directly from the people seeking to represent them, compare their positions and make their own informed decisions.

We asked the questions. They gave their answers. You decide what they mean for you, your community and North Carolina's future.