North Carolina State House District 53

Tue, Nov 3 · Represented by Howard Penny Republican · Member list as of Oct 28

Howard PennyRepublican · Incumbent6 years since first win

Howard Penny 62.9Kevin G. Thurman 37.1

Last result · 2024 generalNo published poll names both candidates.

Kevin G. ThurmanDemocratic

Show all 3 candidates on the ballot

Kevin G. ThurmanDemocratic
Howard PennyIncumbentRepublican
Christopher SessionsLibertarian

Showing major-party nominees, incumbents and candidates with 5%+ in the latest poll or comparable fundraising.

Last election: Howard Penny (Republican) won by 25.8 points, 2024
On the 2026 ballot: 3 candidates

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Side by side

Left column: PennyRight column: Thurman

Donor-based spectrum: LiberalCentristConservativePennyNo published score for Thurman
Races: None listed; Won 0 of 2
Years since first win: 6; Not available

How these are counted

The spectrum is a published research score, not our rating. How this works. Wins and losses count the races in our results files, the same as each profile.

More about this race

Candidates on the ballot

Kevin G. ThurmanDemocratic
Howard PennyIncumbentRepublican
Christopher SessionsLibertarian

Source: s3.amazonaws.com (CSV), dated Oct 25

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Official results for North Carolina

History (22 elections for this seat)

Votes for listed candidates: 45,874
Election day: November 5, 2024
District map: Older district map (2024)

North Carolina House of Representatives District 53, 1982 to 2024, 2024, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
RepublicanHoward PennyWonName as filed: Howard Penny Jr.	Republican	28,86762.9%	62.9%
DemocraticKevin G. Thurman	Democratic	17,00737.1%	37.1%

Votes for listed candidates: 32,942
Election day: November 8, 2022
District map: Older district map (2022)

North Carolina House of Representatives District 53, 1982 to 2024, 2022, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
RepublicanHoward PennyWon(incumbent)Name as filed: Howard Penny Jr.	Republican	22,11867.1%	67.1%
DemocraticKevin G. Thurman	Democratic	10,82432.9%	32.9%

Votes for listed candidates: 43,015
Election day: November 3, 2020
District map: Older district map (2018 to 2019)

North Carolina House of Representatives District 53, 1982 to 2024, 2020, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
RepublicanHoward PennyWonName as filed: Howard Penny Jr.	Republican	26,22861.0%	61.0%
DemocraticSally Weeks Benson	Democratic	15,12935.2%	35.2%
OtherZach Berly	Other	1,6583.9%	3.9%

Votes for listed candidates: 27,309
Election day: November 6, 2018
District map: Older district map (2018 to 2019)

North Carolina House of Representatives District 53, 1982 to 2024, 2018, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
RepublicanDavid LewisWon(incumbent)	Republican	17,20163.0%	63.0%
DemocraticRichard Chapman	Democratic	10,10837.0%	37.0%

Votes for listed candidates: 32,226
Election day: November 8, 2016
District map: Older district map (2012 to 2017)

North Carolina House of Representatives District 53, 1982 to 2024, 2016, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
RepublicanDavid R. LewisWon(incumbent)	Republican	19,54860.7%	60.7%
DemocraticJon Blum	Democratic	12,67839.3%	39.3%

Votes for listed candidates: 19,673
Election day: November 4, 2014
District map: Older district map (2012 to 2017)

North Carolina House of Representatives District 53, 1982 to 2024, 2014, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
RepublicanDavid LewisWon(incumbent)	Republican	10,96655.7%	55.7%
DemocraticSusan Byerly	Democratic	8,70744.3%	44.3%

Votes for listed candidates: 30,735
Election day: November 6, 2012
District map: Older district map (2012 to 2017)

North Carolina House of Representatives District 53, 1982 to 2024, 2012, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
RepublicanDavid LewisWon(incumbent)	Republican	17,36556.5%	56.5%
DemocraticJoe E. Langley	Democratic	13,37043.5%	43.5%

Votes for listed candidates: 20,317
Election day: November 2, 2010
District map: Older district map (2004 to 2011)

North Carolina House of Representatives District 53, 1982 to 2024, 2010, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
RepublicanDavid LewisWon(incumbent)	Republican	13,53366.6%	66.6%
DemocraticAbraham Oudeh	Democratic	6,78433.4%	33.4%

Votes for listed candidates: 30,566
Election day: November 4, 2008
District map: Older district map (2004 to 2011)

North Carolina House of Representatives District 53, 1982 to 2024, 2008, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
RepublicanDavid LewisWon(incumbent)	Republican	16,13552.8%	52.8%
DemocraticJoseph Lindsey Tart	Democratic	14,43147.2%	47.2%

Votes for listed candidates: 14,609
Election day: November 7, 2006
District map: Older district map (2004 to 2011)

North Carolina House of Representatives District 53, 1982 to 2024, 2006, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
RepublicanDavid W. LewisWon(incumbent)	Republican	7,76353.1%	53.1%
DemocraticFrank Stewart	Democratic	6,84646.9%	46.9%

Votes for listed candidates: 24,850
Election day: November 2, 2004
District map: Older district map (2004 to 2011)

North Carolina House of Representatives District 53, 1982 to 2024, 2004, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
RepublicanDavid W. LewisWon(incumbent)	Republican	14,63358.9%	58.9%
DemocraticLouise Taylor	Democratic	10,21741.1%	41.1%

Votes for listed candidates: 15,659
Election day: November 5, 2002
District map: Older district map (2002 to 2003)

North Carolina House of Representatives District 53, 1982 to 2024, 2002, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
RepublicanDavid W. LewisWon	Republican	9,67261.8%	61.8%
DemocraticLarry C. Upchurch	Democratic	5,98738.2%	38.2%

Votes for listed candidates: 27,715
Election day: November 7, 2000
District map: Older district map (1992 to 2001)

North Carolina House of Representatives District 53, 1982 to 2024, 2000, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
RepublicanRoger WestWon	Republican	16,84260.8%	60.8%
DemocraticW. C. Burrell	Democratic	10,87339.2%	39.2%

Votes for listed candidates: 21,347
Election day: November 3, 1998
District map: Older district map (1992 to 2001)

North Carolina House of Representatives District 53, 1982 to 2024, 1998, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
RepublicanJames C. CarpenterWon(incumbent)	Republican	12,23357.3%	57.3%
DemocraticJohn W. Bruce	Democratic	9,11442.7%	42.7%

Votes for listed candidates: 23,281
Election day: November 5, 1996
District map: Older district map (1992 to 2001)

North Carolina House of Representatives District 53, 1982 to 2024, 1996, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
RepublicanJames C. CarpenterWon(incumbent)	Republican	12,09552.0%	52.0%
DemocraticThomas K. Jenkins	Democratic	11,18648.0%	48.0%

Votes for listed candidates: 20,401
Election day: November 8, 1994
District map: Older district map (1992 to 2001)

North Carolina House of Representatives District 53, 1982 to 2024, 1994, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
RepublicanJames C. CarpenterWon	Republican	10,72052.5%	52.5%
DemocraticThomas K. Jenkins(incumbent)	Democratic	9,68147.5%	47.5%

Votes for listed candidates: 24,319
Election day: November 3, 1992
District map: Older district map (1992 to 2001)

North Carolina House of Representatives District 53, 1982 to 2024, 1992, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
DemocraticThomas K. JenkinsWon	Democratic	12,83652.8%	52.8%
RepublicanMarty Kimsey(incumbent)	Republican	11,48347.2%	47.2%

Votes for listed candidates: 21,498
Election day: November 6, 1990
District map: Older district map (1982 to 1991)

North Carolina House of Representatives District 53, 1982 to 2024, 1990, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
RepublicanMarty KimseyWon(incumbent)	Republican	10,98651.1%	51.1%
DemocraticJeff H. Enloe Jr.	Democratic	10,51248.9%	48.9%

Votes for listed candidates: 22,294
Election day: November 8, 1988
District map: Older district map (1982 to 1991)

North Carolina House of Representatives District 53, 1982 to 2024, 1988, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
RepublicanMarty KimseyWon	Republican	11,75752.7%	52.7%
DemocraticJeff H. Enloe Jr.(incumbent)	Democratic	10,53747.3%	47.3%

North Carolina House of Representatives District 53, 1982 to 2024, 1986, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
DemocraticJeff H. Enloe Jr.Won(incumbent)	Democratic	——	—

Votes for listed candidates: 21,890
Election day: November 6, 1984
District map: Older district map (1982 to 1991)

North Carolina House of Representatives District 53, 1982 to 2024, 1984, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
DemocraticJeff H. Enloe Jr.Won(incumbent)	Democratic	11,86254.2%	54.2%
RepublicanMichael Floyd Clayton	Republican	10,02845.8%	45.8%

Votes for listed candidates: 21,515
Election day: November 2, 1982
District map: Older district map (1982 to 1991)

North Carolina House of Representatives District 53, 1982 to 2024, 1982, every candidate
Candidate	Party	Votes and share	Share
DemocraticJeff H. Enloe Jr.Won(incumbent)	Democratic	12,32157.3%	57.3%
RepublicanBilly J. Cook	Republican	9,19442.7%	42.7%

2024: MEDSL 2024 official precinct returns (individual_states zips), retrieved Oct 28, 2026. Compiled by MIT Election Data and Science Lab (MEDSL) from official returns; not an official source
1982 to 2022: State Legislative Election Returns, 1967-2022 (Carl Klarner, Harvard Dataverse), retrieved Oct 28, 2026. Compiled by Carl Klarner (Harvard Dataverse) from official returns; not an official source

Last contest in this district on file: 2024.

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Election Wrld. (2026). North Carolina State House District 53, election results 1982 to 2024. https://www.electionwrld.com/nc/house/53. Retrieved October 30, 2026.

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Sources

Sources: Census TIGERweb Legislative MapServer (120th CDs layer 0, 119th CDs layer 4, 2026 SLD upper layer 1 and lower layer 2) (US Census Bureau, public domain), retrieved Oct 28, 2026; Open Civic Data division identifiers (census_autogenerated us_sldl/us_sldu and openstates state files); also (sld-recent.json): Open Civic Data division identifiers (country-us) (CC0 (repository); also (sld-recent.json): CC0 1.0), retrieved Oct 28, 2026; Open States people (current) CSVs (CC0-1.0 (Open States people data)), retrieved Oct 28, 2026, compiled by Open States volunteers and staff (rosters from state legislature sites) from official returns, not an official source; MEDSL 2024 official precinct returns (individual_states zips) (Not stated in the GitHub repository (an earlier label said "MIT (repo)", which the repository does not support). MEDSL's Harvard Dataverse records are CC0 1.0, but these GitHub files were not checksum-matched to the Dataverse files, so CC0 is not claimed for them.), retrieved Oct 28, 2026, compiled by MIT Election Data and Science Lab (MEDSL) from official returns, not an official source; State Legislative Election Returns, 1967-2022 (Carl Klarner, Harvard Dataverse) (CC0 1.0), retrieved Oct 28, 2026, compiled by Carl Klarner (Harvard Dataverse) from official returns, not an official source.

District id: ocd-division/country:us/state:nc/sldl:53

DataState data (JSON)Sources: State Legislative Election Returns, 1967-2022 (Carl Klarner, Harvard Dataverse), DIME (ODC-BY), MEDSL 2024 official precinct returnsData as of Oct 28, 2026