Raymond Smith Jr.

Raymond Edward Smith Jr. (born October 15, 1961) is a former Democratic member of the North Carolina House of Representatives, who represented the 21st district (including portions of Wayne and Sampson counties) from 2019 to 2023. He is the Democratic nominee for the U.S. House from North Carolina's 3rd congressional district in the 2026 election.

Career Smith served in the United States Army during the Persian Gulf War, and then worked in local and state government, and served on the Wayne County Board of Education before he won the election to the state legislature on November 6, 2018 as the nominee of the Democratic Party. He secured fifty-three percent of the vote while Republican Robert Freeman Sr. secured forty-seven percent. He was re-elected in 2020.

In 2022, Smith challenged incumbent state senator Toby Fitch in the Democratic primary for North Carolina's 4th Senate district. Smith lost the primary, winning 45.5% of the vote to Fitch's 54.5%.

Committee assignments 2021–2022 session Education - Community Colleges Local Government Federal Relations and American Indian Affairs Finance Homeland Security, Military, and Veterans Affairs LGBTQ+ Rights and Restrictions

2019–2020 session House Appropriations on Health and Human Services Appropriations Homeland Security, Military, and Veterans Affairs Transportation

Electoral history 2026

2024

2023

2022

2020

2018