# North Carolina's 5th Senate district

North Carolina's 5th Senate district is one of 50 districts in the North Carolina Senate. It has been represented by Democrat Kandie Smith since 2023.

## Geography

Since 2019, the district has covered all of Edgecombe and Pitt counties. The district overlaps with the 8th, 9th, and 23rd state house districts.

## District officeholders since 1989

| Senator | Party | Dates | Notes | Counties |
| Wendell Murphy | Democratic | January 1, 1989 – January 1, 1993 | Retired. | 1989–1993 All of Duplin, Lenoir, and Jones counties. Part of Pender County. |
| Charles Albertson | Democratic | January 1, 1993 – January 1, 2003 | Redistricted to the 10th district. | 1993–2003 All of Duplin County. Parts of Sampson, Pender, Onslow, and Jones counties. |
| Tony Moore | Democratic | January 1, 2003 – January 1, 2005 | Switched parties. Lost re-election. | 2003–2005 All of Wilson County. Part of Pitt County. |
| Tony Moore | Republican | January 1, 2003 – January 1, 2005 | Switched parties. Lost re-election. | 2003–2005 All of Wilson County. Part of Pitt County. |
| John Kerr III | Democratic | January 1, 2005 – January 1, 2009 | Redistricted from the 7th district. Retired. | 2005–2013 All of Greene County. Parts of Wayne and Pitt counties. |
| Don Davis | Democratic | January 1, 2009 – January 1, 2011 | Lost re-election. | 2005–2013 All of Greene County. Parts of Wayne and Pitt counties. |
| Louis Pate | Republican | January 1, 2011 – January 1, 2013 | Redistricted to the 7th district. | 2005–2013 All of Greene County. Parts of Wayne and Pitt counties. |
| Don Davis | Democratic | January 1, 2013 – January 1, 2023 | Retired to run for Congress. | 2013–2019 All of Greene County. Parts of Wayne, Lenoir, and Pitt counties. |
| Don Davis | Democratic | January 1, 2013 – January 1, 2023 | Retired to run for Congress. | 2019–2023 All of Greene and Pitt counties. |
| Kandie Smith | Democratic | January 1, 2023 – Present | | 2023–Present All of Edgecombe and Pitt counties. |

## Election results
### 2024

North Carolina Senate 5th district general election, 2024 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Kandie Smith (incumbent) | 59,440 | 55.08% |
| | Republican | Alexander Paschall | 48,469 | 44.92% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 107,909 | 100% |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2022

Democratic primary for the 2022 North Carolina Senate 5th district election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Kandie Smith | 13,604 | 86.58% |
| | Democratic | Lenton Brown | 2,109 | 13.42% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 15,713 | 100% |
2022 North Carolina Senate 5th district general election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Kandie Smith | 36,557 | 52.23% |
| | Republican | Karen Kozel | 33,432 | 47.77% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 69,989 | 100% |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2020

2020 North Carolina Senate 5th district general election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Don Davis (incumbent) | 51,702 | 55.12% |
| | Republican | Karen Kozel | 42,104 | 44.88% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 93,806 | 100% |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2018

Democratic primary for the 2018 North Carolina Senate 5th district election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Don Davis (incumbent) | 11,011 | 77.35% |
| | Democratic | Lonnie Carraway | 3,224 | 22.65% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 14,235 | 100% |
Republican primary for the 2018 North Carolina Senate 5th district election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Kimberly Robb | 4,189 | 51.95% |
| | Republican | Tony Moore | 3,875 | 48.05% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 8,064 | 100% |
2018 North Carolina Senate 5th district general election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Don Davis (incumbent) | 36,321 | 55.34% |
| | Republican | Kimberly Robb | 29,317 | 44.66% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 65,638 | 100% |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2016

2016 North Carolina Senate 5th district general election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Don Davis (incumbent) | 57,882 | 100% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 57,882 | 100% |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2014

2014 North Carolina Senate 5th district general election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Don Davis (incumbent) | 35,740 | 100% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 35,740 | 100% |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2012

2012 North Carolina Senate 5th district general election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Don Davis | 59,648 | 100% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 59,648 | 100% |
| | Democratic win (new seat) | Democratic win (new seat) | Democratic win (new seat) | Democratic win (new seat) |

### 2010

2010 North Carolina Senate 5th district general election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Louis Pate | 25,780 | 54.54% |
| | Democratic | Don Davis (incumbent) | 21,488 | 45.46% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 47,268 | 100% |
| | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic |

### 2008

Democratic primary for the 2008 North Carolina Senate 5th district election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Don Davis | 10,303 | 35.81% |
| | Democratic | Kathy A. Taft | 6,942 | 24.13% |
| | Democratic | Ed Wilson | 3,882 | 13.49% |
| | Democratic | Tony Moore | 3,553 | 12.35% |
| | Democratic | Chuck Stone | 2,514 | 8.74% |
| | Democratic | Charles Elliott Johnson | 1,581 | 5.49% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 28,775 | 100% |
Democratic primary run-off for the 2008 North Carolina Senate 5th district election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Don Davis | 5,494 | 62.77% |
| | Democratic | Kathy A. Taft | 3,259 | 37.23% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 8,753 | 100% |
2008 North Carolina Senate 5th district general election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Don Davis | 40,982 | 52.90% |
| | Republican | Louis Pate | 36,493 | 47.10% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 77,475 | 100% |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2006

2006 North Carolina Senate 5th district general election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | John Kerr III (incumbent) | 17,865 | 58.43% |
| | Republican | Todd Siebels | 12,711 | 41.57% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 30,576 | 100% |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2004

2004 North Carolina Senate 5th district general election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | John Kerr III (incumbent) | 34,162 | 56.80% |
| | Republican | Tony Moore (incumbent) | 25,987 | 43.20% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 60,149 | 100% |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2002

Democratic primary for the 2002 North Carolina Senate 5th district election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Tony Moore | 5,005 | 33.94% |
| | Democratic | James M. Johnson III | 4,859 | 32.95% |
| | Democratic | William L. Neill | 2,511 | 17.03% |
| | Democratic | Robert Wheeler Jr. | 2,371 | 16.08% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 14,746 | 100% |
Republican primary for the 2002 North Carolina Senate 5th district election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Tom Coulson | 3,651 | 69.74% |
| | Republican | George H. Gray | 1,584 | 30.26% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 5,235 | 100% |
2002 North Carolina Senate 5th district general election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Tony Moore | 22,265 | 50.86% |
| | Republican | Tom Coulson | 20,992 | 47.95% |
| | Libertarian | Christopher Ruff | 521 | 1.19% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 43,778 | 100% |
| | Democratic win (new seat) | Democratic win (new seat) | Democratic win (new seat) | Democratic win (new seat) |

### 2000

2000 North Carolina Senate 5th district general election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Charles Albertson (incumbent) | 28,166 | 59.58% |
| | Republican | Cynthia B. Watson | 19,109 | 40.42% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 47,275 | 100% |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |