About Kandie

Kandie D. Smith has been deeply involved and invested in the Eastern North Carolina community since moving to Greenville in 2004. She became a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and served on the Neighborhood Advisory Board. She was first elected to office as a Greenville City Councilwoman for District 1 in 2009.

Kandie Smith for NC Senate

Biography
Kandie Smith earned a B.S. in sociology from Charleston Southern University in 1991. Her career experience includes working as a consultant.

Kandie Smith - Ballotpedia

Kandie D. Smith has been deeply involved and invested in the Eastern North Carolina community since moving to Greenville in 2004. She became a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and served on the Neighborhood Advisory Board. She was first elected to office as a Greenville City Councilwoman for District 1 in 2009.

Kandie D. Smith moved to Greenville in 2004. She earned a Bachelor of Science in sociology from Charleston Southern University in 1991. She became a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and served on the Neighborhood Advisory Board.

Kandie is a supporter of business and industry, especially in Eastern North Carolina, where there is so much opportunity for responsible growth. She is a small business owner herself, and understands how important opportunities for entrepreneurship are for people and communities to thrive.

Kandie is proud to be a 2023 Jobs Champion and will continue to work towards a business environment in the state that benefits everyone.

NC Chamber Recognizes Kandie Smith as a 2023 Jobs Champion

Kandie D. Smith is a small business owner and has worked as a consultant.

After serving as Mayor Pro Tem, Kandie made history by becoming the first African American female Mayor of the City of Greenville, NC in 2017. She was first elected to the NC General Assembly in 2018 as a Representative for House District 8, where she served two terms. In 2022, she was elected to the NC State Senate for Senate District 5, covering Edgecombe and Pitt Counties.

She was first elected to the NC General Assembly in 2018 as a Representative for House District 8, where she served two terms. In 2022, she was elected to the NC State Senate for Senate District 5, covering Edgecombe and Pitt Counties.

In her very first NC State Senate term, Kandie has taken on several leadership roles, serving as 1st Vice Chair of the Legislative Black Caucus and 2nd Vice Chair of the Bipartisan Women’s Caucus, among others.

Senator Kandie D. Smith (Democrat - District 5)

Biography

Legislative Office: 16 West Jones Street, Rm. 1113, Raleigh, NC 27601
Terms in Senate: 2 (2 in House)
Main Phone: (919) 715-8363
Member's Email: [email protected]

Senator Kandie D. Smith - North Carolina General Assembly

Kandie currently serves as a North Carolina state senator for District 5. She was elected in 2022 and is serving her second Senate term. She was first elected as a representative for North Carolina House District 8 in 2018 and served two terms. She was first elected as a Greenville City Councilwoman for District 1 in 2009.

Senator Kandie D. Smith - Biography - North Carolina General ...

2026 North Carolina General Election

(Thursday, February 23) — Advocates and organizations around North Carolina applauded the introduction of the Make Corporations Pay Their Fair Share bill in the NC Senate and House this week that would halt the phasedown of the corporate income tax in North Carolina at the current rate of 2.5%.

Additional co-sponsors of the bills included Representatives Cynthia Ball (District 49), Deb Butler (District 18), Rosa G. Gill (District 33), Zack Hawkins (District 31), Carolyn G. Logan (District 101), Tim Longest (District 34), Lindsey Prather (District 115), Caleb Rudow (District 116), and Julie von Haefen (District 36) in the NC House, and Senators Val Applewhite (District 19), Graig Meyer (District 23), Gladys A. Robinson (District 28), Kandie D. Smith (District 5), and Joyce Waddell (District 40) in the NC Senate.

NC Advocates Support Introduction Of Bill To Halt Corporate Income Tax Elimination

Cost of Living
What I’ve Done:
Sponsored legislation to raise the minimum wage in NC to $15/hour.

Sponsored legislation to remove exceptions allowing certain employees to be paid less than the minimum wage.

Sponsored legislation to raise the minimum wage in NC to $15/hour.

Sponsored legislation to remove exceptions allowing certain employees to be paid less than the minimum wage.

Housing and food are some of our most basic needs, but many in our community are having trouble affording these necessities.

Co-sponsored the Make Corporations Pay Their Fair Share bill to stop North Carolina’s corporate income-tax phaseout at 2.5%.

Sponsored legislation to raise North Carolina’s minimum wage to $15 per hour.

Sponsored legislation to eliminate exceptions that allow some employees to be paid below the minimum wage.

- Co-sponsored the Make Corporations Pay Their Fair Share bill to stop North Carolina’s corporate income-tax phaseout at 2.5%.
- Sponsored legislation to raise North Carolina’s minimum wage to $15 per hour.
- Sponsored legislation to eliminate exceptions that allow some employees to be paid below the minimum wage.

Economy

Criminal Justice Reform
What I’ve Done:
Sponsored legislation to repeal the death penalty.
Introduced legislation giving those who are delinquent on child support payments the opportunity to enroll in job training rather than be put in jail.

The current criminal justice system does not work, especially for people from poor and minority communities. I support policies that promote transparency in the criminal justice system, such as body cameras for law enforcement. We also need to reform mandatory sentencing laws at the state and federal levels so that judges can consider all the factors when making decisions that affect people for the rest of their lives.

I support policies that promote transparency in the criminal justice system, such as body cameras for law enforcement. We also need to reform mandatory sentencing laws at the state and federal levels so that judges can consider all the factors when making decisions that affect people for the rest of their lives. 

In addition, initiatives that reduce the barriers to employment, housing, re-entry to society for those formerly incarcerated will reduce the negative impact of the criminal justice system and provide a chance for a better life, regardless of anyone’s past.

Sponsored legislation to repeal the death penalty.

Introduced legislation allowing people delinquent on child-support payments to enroll in job training instead of being jailed.

Supports law-enforcement body cameras as a way to promote transparency in the criminal-justice system.

Calls for reforming mandatory-sentencing laws so judges can consider all relevant factors in sentencing decisions.

- Sponsored legislation to repeal the death penalty.
- Introduced legislation allowing people delinquent on child-support payments to enroll in job training instead of being jailed.
- Supports law-enforcement body cameras as a way to promote transparency in the criminal-justice system.
- Calls for reforming mandatory-sentencing laws so judges can consider all relevant factors in sentencing decisions.

Public Safety

Reproductive Healthcare
What I’ve Done:
Sponsored legislation to codify protections from Roe and Casey.

Attacks on women’s access to in vitro fertilization (IVF), birth control, and abortion have increased dramatically.

Attacks on women’s access to in vitro fertilization (IVF), birth control, and abortion have increased dramatically. Groups of politicians and private citizens with extreme views on the personal decisions of other people should not have the right to dictate what medical interventions are offered, to whom, or how. I will always fight for women and their doctors to have control over their reproductive healthcare, not politicians.

Sponsored legislation to codify abortion protections established by Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey.

Pledges to support women and their doctors, rather than politicians, making reproductive-health-care decisions.

- Sponsored legislation to codify abortion protections established by Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey.
- Pledges to support women and their doctors, rather than politicians, making reproductive-health-care decisions.

Healthcare

Priorities
Funding Education
What I’ve Done:
Brought $215 million to the Brody School of Medicine at ECU

Sponsored legislation to increase pay for teachers with advanced degrees

One key piece of investing in education is raising teacher pay. The average teacher salary in NC in the 2021-2022 school year was below the national average and the average for southern states. To retain our best teachers, we must pay them a salary considerate of their hard work, experience, and degree-level. Well-paid teachers, as part of a well-paid education system, will allow all students across the state to learn, grow, and thrive.

Eastern North Carolina has a rich history, and continued progress requires economic development to support thriving communities. As a former Mayor and City Council member, I recognize the importance of working alongside local leaders to develop flexible yet dependable economic development policies that encourage our residents to start new businesses, attract companies to relocate here, and retain and grow our existing businesses. 

We also need to strengthen our Community College system so that students have opportunities to be a part of a highly-skilled, in-demand workforce without having to leave their homes.

Sponsored legislation to increase pay for teachers with advanced degrees and said North Carolina should raise teacher pay.

Calls for strengthening community colleges to help students enter skilled, in-demand jobs without leaving their communities.

- Sponsored legislation to increase pay for teachers with advanced degrees and said North Carolina should raise teacher pay.
- Calls for strengthening community colleges to help students enter skilled, in-demand jobs without leaving their communities.

Education

As of January 5, 2026, Kandie D. Smith’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Energy & the Environment

Foreign Policy and Immigration

People First
What I’ve Done:
Sponsored legislation to allow automatic voter registration at drivers license offices, public agencies, and community colleges.
Sponsored legislation to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

People First
What I’ve Done:
Sponsored legislation to allow automatic voter registration at drivers license offices, public agencies, and community colleges.
Sponsored legislation to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Brought over $175 million in state funding to Edgecombe and Pitt Counties for the 2024 budget year.

Sponsored legislation to establish automatic voter registration at driver-license offices, public agencies, and community colleges.

Sponsored legislation to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

- Sponsored legislation to establish automatic voter registration at driver-license offices, public agencies, and community colleges.
- Sponsored legislation to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Voting & Elections

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Kandie D. Smith

- Sponsored legislation to raise North Carolina’s minimum wage to $15 per hour.
- Sponsored legislation to eliminate exceptions that allow some employees to be paid below the minimum wage.

Facebook

Kandie Smith has a bachelor 27s degree in sociology from Charleston Southern University. She has lived in Greenville since 2004. 

Kandie is a small business owner. She also works as a consultant. 

Kandie is currently a member of the North Carolina State Senate, representing District 5. She was first elected to the Senate in 2022. Before that, she served as a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives from 2018 to 2020. She was first elected to office as a Greenville city council member in 2009. She served as the first African American female mayor of the City of Greenville from 2017 to 2018.

Supports raising the minimum wage in North Carolina to $15/hour.

Supports legislation to remove exceptions allowing certain employees to be paid less than the minimum wage.

Believes many families in North Carolina struggle to afford basic needs like housing and food, and emphasizes the importance of ensuring they can live safe, happy, and healthy lives without financial stress.

Supports strengthening the Community College system to prepare a dependable workforce for in-demand jobs.

Supports policies that promote transparency in the criminal justice system, including body cameras for law enforcement, and advocates for reforming mandatory sentencing laws to allow judges to consider all factors in their decisions.

Supports initiatives that reduce barriers to employment, housing, and re-entry for formerly incarcerated individuals to mitigate the negative impacts of the criminal justice system.

Supports the obligation of the state to fund education for all students, viewing it as a crucial investment in the future of North Carolina.

Supports raising teacher pay to retain quality educators and improve the education system for all students.

Supports recruiting and retaining STEM professors and raising salaries for community college staff.

For Candidate Kandie D. Smith on Issue voting-elections: Believes elected officials should prioritize the needs of their constituents over partisanship, emphasizing a "People First" approach to governance.

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- Your State Senator participates in the legislative process at the state level. They are one of 50 members of the North Carolina Senate. The North Carolina Senate is the upper house of the North Carolina General Assembly (the state's lawmaking body).
- Your State Senator drafts laws, approves budgets, has oversight of the state executive branch, and debates and votes on proposed laws.
- In addition to drafting and voting on bills, your State Senator can serve on committees. This is important because many bills can be stalled in committee, preventing them making it to a vote.
- Your State Senator is responsible for representing your interests. They also are responsible for helping you navigate the state's services and bringing back resources to your district.
- The State Senator is elected to a 2-year term. There is no term limit.

Your representative and state lawmaker in North Carolina Senate.