Berger, Page announce intention to run for NC-26 state Senate seat

While most people are taking a collective breath after November’s general election, two Republican candidates for North Carolina State Senate District 26, including incumbent Senate Leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, are already gearing up for the 2026 primary election.

“My intent has been, all along, to run again,” he told reporters Tuesday. “And I feel that the appropriate thing would be to make the announcement of that closer to the filing period. But I intend to run. I intend to continue to be the senator from the 26th District.”

Berger is in his 13th two-year term in the Senate, and has been the only Senate president pro tempore since Republicans took over the chamber in 2011.

He outlined the priorities for the upcoming legislative session during the Senate’s opening session in January, including expanding on North Carolina’s status as an economic and opportunity powerhouse, taking a renewed look at how they prepare for and respond to natural disasters after Hurricane Helene’s devastation.

Regarding security, Berger said, “We’ve made incredible strides in improving education, facilitating access to healthcare, supporting public safety and law enforcement, reducing burdensome regulations, and providing our citizens with the tools they need to take control of their future.”

Berger’s re-election confirmation follows Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page’s announcement last week that he intends to run in the Republican primary for the seat currently occupied by Berger.

District 26 covers Rockingham and Guilford counties.

Page has more than 43 years of law enforcement experience, including 27 years as sheriff, and is a military veteran.

No stranger to politics, Page ran unsuccessfully among a crowded field of 11 Republican candidates for lieutenant governor in the March Primary. Hal Weatherman and Jim O’Neill were the two top vote-getters as both were close but didn’t reach the 30% threshold to clinch the nomination. Weatherman would beat out O’Neill in a May runoff election before losing to Democrat Rachel Hunt in November’s General Election.

In a phone interview with Carolina Journal on Friday, Page explained why he had decided to run for office once again, this time for a different office.

“I’m in my 27th year here (as sheriff),” he said. “Next year will be my 28th year, and what I’d like to do is step up to the next level and take what I’ve learned as sheriff over the past 28 years to bring that to the Senate. I bring a different perspective and another vision to help the people of North Carolina, and also my district.”

Page’s term as sheriff ends in December 2026.

He told CJ that supporters in and out of the district contacted him with their concerns about the leadership in the General Assembly. He says they asked him to run for the state Senate when he was running for lieutenant governor, but he refused because he’d committed to finishing out that race.

Page said public safety is his top priority. He has worked with the North Carolina Sheriff’s Association on legislative issues, including public safety, at the national level with the National Sheriff’s Association, where he was co-chair a few years ago, and also sits on the Border Security Committee with the National Sheriff’s Association.

“I’ve had some good exposure on legislation and some congressional work on issues that affect us such as border security, illegal immigration, and human trafficking,” he said. “I think I’ve got a good background outside and in and then what’s going on within my community, but at the end of the day, my job is about protecting and serving the citizens, and I want to continue doing that.”

He said that he will be putting together a website and establishing a committee over the coming weeks.

The post Berger, Page announce intention to run for NC-26 state Senate seat first appeared on Carolina Journal.