Biography
Mark Speed is the Democratic candidate for the North Carolina House of Representatives, District 7, in the November 3, 2026 general election, where he faces Republican Cory Thornton.[1][2] In a Ballotpedia survey, he said he has served on the Franklin County Board of Commissioners since 2017 and is a cattle and timber farmer and business owner.[3]
Speed earned a high school diploma from Louisburg High School and an associate degree from Louisburg Community College.[2] In a 2026 Ballotpedia survey, he said he is a lifelong Franklin County resident with 25 years in the hospitality industry as a mobile DJ, and that he volunteers with the fire department, the police department and Relay for Life.[3]
In a 2022 survey, Speed's responses said he had been a Franklin County commissioner since his appointment in 2017 and that his father, James D. Speed, had represented the community in the North Carolina General Assembly for over 30 years.[4] Speed was the Democratic candidate for North Carolina State Senate District 11 in 2022, when incumbent Republican Lisa Barnes defeated him.[2] In 2026 he said he supports public education and opposes the rapid expansion of data centers, and that road infrastructure in the district is not being expanded to match growth.[3] He listed the AFL-CIO and Down Home NC as endorsers.[3]
- 1.North Carolina House of Representatives elections, 2026 · Ballotpedia Reference
- 2.Mark Speed · Ballotpedia Reference
- 3.Mark Speed - Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey responses (2026) · Ballotpedia Candidate's own words
- 4.Mark Speed - Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey responses (2022) · Ballotpedia Candidate's own words
Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21. Not yet independently fact-checked.
North Carolina House District 7
Mark Speed is on the Nov 3, 2026 ballot for North Carolina House District 7 as D. Not researched in depth — candidate list only.