Winn Decker

Winn Decker is the Democratic candidate for the North Carolina House of Representatives, District 37, in the November 3, 2026 general election, in which he faces incumbent Erin Paré (R).[1][2] He is a policy analyst with a Ph.D. in public administration who works on state-level education and workforce efforts.[2][3]

Decker was raised in rural northwest Tennessee and is the son of two public school teachers, according to his Ballotpedia survey responses.[3] He earned a bachelor's degree from Rhodes College and a Ph.D. in public administration from North Carolina State University, with a focus on education policy, public budgeting and program implementation.[2][3] He said his professional background includes work in higher education and workforce policy at the state and national levels, supporting governors, legislators and state agencies.[3]

Decker lives in Fuquay-Varina, has lived in Wake County for more than a decade, and serves as a youth basketball coach and volunteer, he said in the survey.[3] He won the March 3, 2026 Democratic primary for District 37 with 50.3 percent of the vote, ahead of Marcus Gadson and Ralph Clements.[2] In the survey, he named affordability, strong public schools and thriving communities amid growth as his three key campaign messages.[3]

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