Ballotpedia, Alvin Robinson (North Carolina)

Alivn is a husband and father of 4 children. 

Alvin currently runs a small pork, poultry, and produce farm and operates a private property management company. He previously worked as a firefighter and sheriff's deputy.

Alvin Robinson previously ran for the Guilford County Board of Commissioners and state senate in 2022, but did not win either race.

As of August 15, 2024, Alvin Robinson’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Economy

Energy & the Environment

Healthcare

Believes that "state overreach in local matters" is too great.

Champions certain changes to election procedure, such as eliminating non-citizen registration, establishing voter identification requirements, and securing transparent election results verification in order to make elections safe from "illegitimate and illegal interference."

- Believes that "state overreach in local matters" is too great.
- Champions certain changes to election procedure, such as eliminating non-citizen registration, establishing voter identification requirements, and securing transparent election results verification in order to make elections safe from "illegitimate and illegal interference."

Voting & Elections

Public Safety

Education

Foreign Policy and Immigration

Facebook

Youtube

Alvin Robinson

Alvin currently runs a small pork, poultry, and produce farm and operates a private property management company. 

As of September 25, 2024, Alvin Robinson’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Ballotpedia, Phil Berger

Phil grew up in Danville, Virginia. He has a bachelors degree in sociology from Averett University and has a law degree from Wake Forest University. Phil and his wife Pat live in Eden and have three children.

Phil runs the Berger Law Firm in Eden. Previously, he practiced in Charlotte and Raleigh. Before attended law school, he worked in a local factory and as a produce manager of a grocery store.

Philip (Phil) Berger is serving as a State Senator for State Senate District 26. He served from 2000-2014, 2016-2018, and 2022-2024, and is serving his ninth term. He previously served two terms as a State Senator for State Senate District 30 from 2018-2022. He served as minority leader of the Senate starting in 2004 and became President Pro Tempore in 2010.

Candidate website

Believes in reducing government regulation to boost the private economy and cutting taxes for families and businesses. As Senate leader, passed regulatory reform bills, balanced state budgets, and supported clean energy exploration.

Believes in reducing government regulation to boost the private economy and cutting taxes for families and businesses. 

Believes in reducing government intervention to boost creativity, productivity, and entrepreneurship. As a State Senator, worked to "get government off the backs of job-creating businesses."

Believes in reducing government intervention to boost creativity, productivity, and entrepreneurship. 

- Believes in reducing government regulation to boost the private economy and cutting taxes for families and businesses. 
- Believes in reducing government intervention to boost creativity, productivity, and entrepreneurship. 

As of June 14, 2024, Philip (Phil) Berger’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Believes in protecting the unborn and religious freedom. Opposes abortion and supports the rights of government officials to opt out of duties conflicting with their beliefs.

Believes more than two-thirds of North Carolinians support requiring voter ID to prevent fraud and ensure fair elections. Supports a constitutional amendment for voter ID at the polls starting in 2020.

North Carolina General Assembly, HB 10

Supports forcing all state sheriffs to cooperate with the Immigration Enforcement Service (ICE).

- Opposes gun control.
- Supports forcing all state sheriffs to cooperate with the Immigration Enforcement Service (ICE).

As a State Senator, supported opportunity scholarships for disabled students and those in failing schools, increased classroom funding, lifted the cap on public charter schools, and implemented an A-F scale for evaluating public schools.

Supports opportunity scholarships for disabled students and those in failing schools, increased classroom funding, lifting the cap on public charter schools, and the A-F scale for evaluating public schools.

Supports proven school reforms, including teacher pay raises, performance pay for top educators, and ensuring early reading proficiency.

Supports teacher pay raises, performance pay for top educators, and ensuring early reading proficiency.

- Supports opportunity scholarships for disabled students and those in failing schools, increased classroom funding, lifting the cap on public charter schools, and the A-F scale for evaluating public schools.
- Supports teacher pay raises, performance pay for top educators, and ensuring early reading proficiency.

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Philip (Phil) Berger

Philip E. (Phil) Berger grew up in a working-class family in Danville, Virginia, and became the first in his family to graduate from what is now Averett University. He later attended law school at Wake Forest University. Phil is married to his high school sweetheart, Pat, and together they have three children, Phil Jr., Kevin, and Ashley, and four grandchildren. They currently reside in Eden.

Phil Berger worked in a local factory and as a produce manager of a grocery store before attending law school at Wake Forest. After graduating, he practiced law briefly in Charlotte and Raleigh. He eventually settled in Eden, where he runs the Berger Law Firm.

Phil Berger was first elected to the North Carolina State Senate in 2000. He served as minority leader starting in 2004 and became President Pro Tempore in 2010 after Republicans gained a majority in the Senate.

Philip E. (Phil) Berger

As Senate President Pro Tempore, balanced the state budget without raising taxes, turning a $2.5 billion deficit into a surplus. Believes in maintaining fiscal responsibility without increasing taxes on families or businesses.

Believes citizens and job creators can manage their money better than the government. As a State Senator, led the largest tax cut and reform since the 1930s.

Believes economic policies since January 2011 have significantly reduced North Carolina’s unemployment rate and created over 600,000 new jobs.

Believes Gov. Cooper's economic policies harm small businesses by treating bars and restaurants differently. Said, "Gov. Cooper needs to release the science behind these apparent contradictions."

Believes the state’s $5 billion deficit could have been mitigated if Cooper and Democrats had not blocked pay raises when funds were available.

Believes North Carolina's government became "more efficient and productive" after stopping "runaway spending" in 2011.

The candidate's website says, "The changes come on the heels of an audit from the State Auditor’s Office that found the department exceeded its budget by $742 million in fiscal year 2019. The audit also determined that when the 14 highway divisions were short on cash they were allowed to borrow against the next year’s budget, meaning the divisions would begin the next fiscal year without a balanced budget."

The candidate's website says, "Senate Votes Unanimously To Increase Financial Oversight Of NCDOT"

Believes that taking $150 million from the reserve would harm the state's ability to provide care. Criticizes Democrats for "feigned interest" in Medicaid care to support Gov. Cooper’s "all-or-nothing Medicaid expansion fantasy."

As a State Senator, voted to increase Medicaid funding by $463 million to ensure access to care for vulnerable patients.

The candidate's website says, "Transformation will include a groundbreaking program that will screen patients to determine if they need to be connected to other programs that focus on food security, housing, transportation, employment, and interpersonal safety. This is a holistic program to treat not only a person’s health but also other social and environmental factors. Gov. Cooper is undermining his own appointed secretary by not allowing her to oversee this program."

Believes Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of the state budget and House Bill 555 has stalled Medicaid transformation efforts. Said Cooper’s “unwillingness to compromise” has derailed progress and endangered patients.

Supports allowing one immediate family member or designated health care agent to visit hospitalized patients, including minors and those with developmental disabilities.

Believes in transforming Medicaid to managed care for better budget predictability and improved patient outcomes. Supports additional funding for Medicaid transformation, as requested by Secretary Cohen.

Believes in allowing one hospital visitor per patient to ensure no one dies alone. Supports measures to improve patient care and emotional support during critical times.

The candidate's website says, "Raleigh, N.C. — The North Carolina Senate today passed the No Patient Left Alone Act, which allows hospitalized patients to designate one visitor who would be permitted access to their room in accordance with a hospital’s visitation rules and limitations."

Believes in protecting patient rights, as demonstrated by supporting the No Patient Left Alone Act. As a State Senator, passed legislation ensuring no patient dies alone in hospitals.

Believes in the importance of investigating absentee ballot irregularities. Supports establishing an independent, bipartisan task force to address these issues.

Believes the Democratic-run Board of Elections should not oversee investigations into voter fraud. Supports a bipartisan task force for conducting legitimate probes.

Believes in ensuring election integrity and addressing absentee ballot irregularities. As a State Senator, highlighted statistical anomalies in absentee-by-mail votes in Bladen County during the 2018 election.

Believes there is "widespread and long-standing absentee ballot fraud" in Bladen County. Said complaints about 2010 election irregularities were never investigated.

Believes in strong voter ID laws. Cites a Gallup Poll showing "80 percent of registered U.S. voters support voter ID" in August 2016.

Believes in the importance of investigating absentee ballot issues. Supports establishing an independent, bipartisan task force to ensure election integrity.

The candidate's website says, "Separately, the U.S. Department of Justice recently issued large-scale subpoenas into North Carolina voting records. Democratic elected officials and members of the Board of Elections fought the subpoenas."

The candidate's website says, "Breaking news stories have pointed to the Bladen County Improvement Association’s continued involvement in the 2018 elections."

Believes judges should have discretion over sentencing, opposing mandatory minimums. Supports rehabilitation for nonviolent offenders, particularly drug users, over harsher penalties.

Believes that "violent mobs won’t heal" racial injustice and supports reestablishing the rule of law to address public safety issues.

As Attorney General, Cooper sponsored and enacted a law reducing the marijuana possession threshold for trafficking charges by 80%.

Believes mandatory minimums distort the justice system by removing judicial discretion and giving excessive power to prosecutors. Supports criminal justice reform to address these issues.

The candidate's website says, "According to the U.S. Sentencing Commission, “the [sentencing] gap between African American offenders and other groups began to widen” in the “period during which large groups of offenders became subject to mandatory minimum drug sentences.”"

Supports giving judges flexibility to impose sentences below mandatory minimums.

Believes mandatory minimums contribute to mass incarceration. 

Supports criminal justice reform, as evidenced by the passage of the First Step Act and the Second Chance Act in the North Carolina Senate.

Believes in providing judges with flexibility to ignore mandatory minimum sentences. Said, "The First Step Act, inspired by legislation of the same name supported and signed into law by President Donald Trump," allows this flexibility.

The candidate's website says, "Senate Passes Trump-Inspired Bill To Roll Back Cooper-Sponsored Mandatory Minimum Laws"

Believes teachers should receive pay raises without political interference. Said, "Gov. Roy Cooper and legislative Democrats blocked them last year with cover from the far-left NCAE."

Believes a top-notch education begins with high-quality teachers. As a State Senator, helped secure an average 19% pay raise for North Carolina’s public school teachers.

Supports equal distribution of bonuses to teachers due to insufficient data from a shortened school year.

Opposes teacher pay raises proposed by the legislature over the past decade.

Believes in the value of a good education and prioritizes improving public schools, ensuring better classroom results, and creating opportunities for hardworking students.

Believes Democrats opposed a 4.9% teacher pay raise and $1,000 bonus due to their "Medicaid expansion-or-nothing ultimatum."

Believes in the value of education and prioritizes improving public schools, ensuring better classroom results, and creating opportunities for hardworking students.

The candidate's website says, "Senate Passes Teacher Bonuses"

Ballotpedia, Steve Luking

Steve holds a bachelor's degree from Wright State University and a medical degree from the University of Cincinnati. He also attended the University of South Carolina. Steve is married to his wife, Sara, with whom he has 2 children. He is a member of United Methodist Church in Reidsville. 

Steve previously worked as a family physician for his own private practice, Reidsville Family Medicine. He also worked as chief of staff and chief of medicine at Annie Penn Hospital. 

Steve Luking's campaign for state senator in District 26 is his first run for public office. 

Supports exempting a portion of small business income from state corporate taxes, believing small businesses face more challenges with regulations and less favorable legislation compared to large corporations.

Supports policies that aid small businesses. 

Believes North Carolina's tax system is regressive and plans to "restore a more progressive tax system" to provide relief for young and lower-income families.

Wants to install a more progressive tax system aimed to support middle and working-class families. 

- Supports policies that aid small businesses. 
- Wants to install a more progressive tax system aimed to support middle and working-class families. 

Believes the state government must actively protect the environment and opposes those prioritizing profit over environmental health. Plans to ensure North Carolina maintains a healthy environment for current and future generations.

Believes the state government needs to be heavily involved in environmental conservation efforts. 

- Believes the state government needs to be heavily involved in environmental conservation efforts. 

Believes the General Assembly needs more physicians with community care experience and advocates for patient rights. Criticizes Phil Berger's stance on Medicaid expansion as "pathetic" and "unforgivable."

Believes the right to an abortion is a fundamental healthcare right for women. Plans to resist any attempts to erode women’s reproductive rights.

Supports abortion access, calling it "a fundamental healthcare right for women."

Believes in advancing the fight against the fentanyl crisis, endorsing science-based healthcare policies, limiting insurance company influence, deterring aggressive medical debt tactics, improving minority and rural healthcare access, and reducing drug costs.

Supports advocating against fentanyl use. 

Believes in expanding women's healthcare rights, access to affordable healthcare, reducing drug prices, and lowering the influence of insurance companies.

Wants to lower drug costs and insurance company's influence. 

Supports access to affordable healthcare and wants to especially improve minority and rural healthcare access.

- Supports Medicaid expansion. 
- Supports abortion access, calling it "a fundamental healthcare right for women."
- Supports advocating against fentanyl use. 
- Wants to lower drug costs and insurance company's influence. 
- Supports access to affordable healthcare and wants to especially improve minority and rural healthcare access.

Believes in endorsing reforms to limit gerrymandering by both parties. Supports giving voters a true say in community issues.

Wants to install measures to reduce gerrymandering by both parties. 

- Wants to install measures to reduce gerrymandering by both parties. 
- Wants to preserve legislative integrity.

Supports common-sense gun laws to reduce the risk of violent death to families, children, and law enforcement. Said, "The NRA and others have hijacked the legislative process with false claims of danger to Second Amendment rights."

Supports gun ownership with restrictive measures. 

Supports LGBTQ+ rights and promises to "point out the prejudice and cynical politics that fuels such false culture battles."

- Supports gun ownership with restrictive measures. 
- Supports LGBTQ+ rights and promises to "point out the prejudice and cynical politics that fuels such false culture battles."

Believes "rotten funding" is intentionally diminishing public school quality. Opposes new vouchers that give wealthy citizens taxpayer funds for private schools while failing to provide teacher raises to keep up with inflation.

Believes public school funding is insufficient. 

Believes in restoring public school funding and improving teacher pay. Plans to support public school systems to help students succeed, citing his own experience and family background in education.

Promises to restore public school funding and increase teacher salaries. 

- Believes public school funding is insufficient. 
- Promises to restore public school funding and increase teacher salaries. 
- Opposes school vouchers.

As of June 14, 2024, Steve Luking’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Steve Luking

Steve Lurking's campaign for state senator in District 26 is his first run for public office. 

Steve Luking is a retired family doctor who lives in Reidsville, North Carolina, with his wife Sara, a former public school teacher, and they have two children, Melinda and Forrest. He attended undergraduate school in Ohio and is a member of Main Street United Methodist Church in Reidsville. His hobbies include fishing, boating, gardening, exploring nature, reading, camping, writing, playing banjo and guitar.

Steve Luking is a retired family doctor who, along with his brother Scott, established Reidsville Family Medicine in North Carolina, where he cared for over five thousand patients. He has served in various capacities including Chief of Staff, Chief of Medicine, Chair of the Medical Ethics Committee, and Hospital Board Chairperson at Annie Penn Hospital. His previous jobs include working for the United Methodists Volunteers in Mission overseas, loading trucks at UPS, and volunteering in a pediatric emergency room. He is board certified in Family Medicine since 1987 and was a Teamsters Union member from 1976 to 1980.

As of July 8, 2024, Steve Luking’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Opposes "slashing corporate taxes" and "pushing private school vouchers for the wealthy," and believes these actions harm communities and provide "dumb economic growth with substandard wages."

Believes small businesses face significant regulation and challenges, but credits teachers for creating job skills. Said, "I never, ever, considered myself a 'job creator.'"

Believes that some individuals with working-class roots never forget them, while others "pull the ladder up behind themselves" as they climb higher.

Supports small businesses, environmental protection, LGBTQ+ rights, gun safety, and fair tax policy.

Believes that prioritizing community benefits in evaluating proposed industries will lead to quality economic growth.

The candidate's website says, "You see what hurts: The thin ice of near poverty. The lack of medical insurance coverage. Not receiving a solid education. The shattering burden of addiction. Community shortages in primary care and mental health care. You see what helps: Good paying jobs. A safe and cohesive community. Committed educators. Volunteers donating their time and energy. All the givers: nurses, caretakers, police, firefighters, emergency personnel. Supportive churches helping families through joys and sorrows. Leaders who tell the truth and truly lead."

Believes support for a quality public education system has "deteriorated considerably." Said some legislators, including Phil Berger, have treated people with "clear disrespect."

Believes children feel neglected, families are worried, and teachers feel disrespected and underpaid. Said, "It seems like we are being set up to fail."

Believes a state budget should reflect moral values and opposes cutting public education funding to lower corporate taxes. Plans to fight against policies that sacrifice the future of school children.

Believes in the importance of education and opposes legislative decisions that undermine teaching programs and additional pay for advanced degrees. Supports educators working in high-risk schools to maximize their impact.

Believes North Carolina's decline in per student public school funding harms education quality and competitiveness. Said, "North Carolina was the only state in the nation to actually cut the amount of funding per public school student, when adjusted for inflation."

Supports reversing cuts to public school funding by raising corporate taxes to 2016 levels and directing the increased revenue to schools and teacher pay, aiming to improve the state's national ranking in education funding.

Believes "a quality public education for all" is essential for the success of children and the state. Said, "We are jeopardizing our kid’s futures, all to save a buck!"

- Your State Senator participates in the legislative process at the state level. They are one of 50 members of the North Carolina Senate. The North Carolina Senate is the upper house of the North Carolina General Assembly (the state's lawmaking body).
- Your State Senator drafts laws, approves budgets, has oversight of the state executive branch, and debates and votes on proposed laws.
- In addition to drafting and voting on bills, your State Senator can serve on committees. This is important because many bills can be stalled in committee, preventing them making it to a vote.
- Your State Senator is responsible for representing your interests. They also are responsible for helping you navigate the state's services and bringing back resources to your district.
- The State Senator is elected to a 2-year term. There is no term limit.

North Carolina State Senator, District 26

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