Jess Rivera

Jess Rivera is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, barber, and small business owner from Wilson running to flip a seat in the North Carolina Senate in November. Jess joined the Marine Corps at seventeen years old, and one of the most important lessons she learned during her service was when to speak and when to listen. She believes in service before self, and that strength comes from community. Jess also believes that public systems working in harmony with private enterprise have the power to transform lives. She’s running to ensure no one falls through the cracks and, if elected, Jess will fight for strong local economies, fully funded public schools, access to affordable health care, and support for veterans and working families.

District 4 is one of the most competitive in North Carolina, and Jess, with the DLCC’s support, is ready to flip this battleground and break the GOP supermajority in the North Carolina Senate.

North Carolina is one of the most heavily gerrymandered states in the country, which has allowed an increasingly out-of-touch Republican legislative majority to cling to power for more than a decade, even as Democrats have won elections statewide. In this political environment, we have an opportunity to overcome this gerrymander and grow Democratic power we have not seen before. 

In the 2024 elections, Democrats pulled off a major victory by breaking the GOP supermajority in the state House, giving them the power to protect newly elected Governor Josh Stein’s veto authority. Now, 2026 presents a historic opportunity to build as much Democratic power as possible in this once-in-a-generation election environment. 

Democrats in the North Carolina Senate are just one seat away from breaking the GOP supermajority in their chamber, and Democratic candidates in the House are fighting for every single race to flip as many seats as possible. With competitive races for the U.S. Senate and U.S. House alongside these legislative races,  the DLCC is all hands on deck to support the strong campaigns and infrastructure needed to reach voters and win seats in both chambers in November.