James Gailliard

James Gailliard is the Democratic candidate for North Carolina State Senate District 11 in the November 3, 2026 general election, in which incumbent Lisa Barnes (R) and Gavin Bell (L) are also running.[1] A pastor and former state representative, he served in the North Carolina House of Representatives from 2019 to 2023, representing District 25.[1][2]

James Gailliard is the organizing Senior Pastor of Word Tabernacle Church in Rocky Mount, according to his campaign website.[2] The site says the church converted a former Home Depot building into a community hub.[2]

Gailliard was elected to House District 25 and took office on January 1, 2019, succeeding Jeffrey Collins (R).[1] He won re-election in 2020 and lost his 2022 re-election bid to Allen Chesser II (R), leaving office on January 1, 2023.[1] His House committee assignments included Education - K-12, Education - Community Colleges, Health, and Appropriations.[1] His campaign website says his legislative work focused on criminal justice reform, educational equity and economic opportunity, and that he served on the Task Force for Racial Equity in Criminal Justice and the DRIVE Task Force.[2] He advanced to the general election after the March 3, 2026 Democratic primary was canceled.[1]

Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21. Not yet independently fact-checked.