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Deanna Ballard (Republican Party) is a member of the North Carolina State Senate, representing District 45. She assumed office on April 26, 2016. Her current term ends on January 1, 2023.

Ballard (Republican Party) ran for re-election to the North Carolina State Senate to represent District 47. She lost in the Republican primary on May 17, 2022.

Committee assignments[edit]

This membership information was last updated in March 2021. Ballotpedia completes yearly updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at: editor@ballotpedia.org.

2021-2022

Ballard was assigned to the following committees:

2019-2020

Ballard was assigned to the following committees:

2017 legislative session[edit]

At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:

North Carolina committee assignments, 2017
• Appropriations on Education/Higher Education
• Education/Higher Education
• Health Care
• State and Local Government
• Transportation

Elections[edit]

2022[edit]

General election

The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

General election for North Carolina State Senate District 47

Incumbent Ralph Hise is running in the general election for North Carolina State Senate District 47 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate
		Ralph Hise (R)

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for North Carolina State Senate District 47

Incumbent Ralph Hise defeated incumbent Deanna Ballard in the Republican primary for North Carolina State Senate District 47 on May 17, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Ralph Hise	50.7	13,085
	Deanna Ballard	49.3	12,706

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. Source 1 Source 2	Total votes: 25,791
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Campaign finance[edit]

2020[edit]

General election

General election for North Carolina State Senate District 45

Incumbent Deanna Ballard defeated Jeanne Supin in the general election for North Carolina State Senate District 45 on November 3, 2020.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Deanna Ballard (R)	68.4	71,897
	Jeanne Supin (D)	31.6	33,139

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 105,036
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Democratic primary election

The Democratic primary election was canceled. Jeanne Supin advanced from the Democratic primary for North Carolina State Senate District 45.

Republican primary election

The Republican primary election was canceled. Incumbent Deanna Ballard advanced from the Republican primary for North Carolina State Senate District 45.

Campaign finance[edit]

2018[edit]

See also: North Carolina State Senate elections, 2018

General election

General election for North Carolina State Senate District 45

Incumbent Deanna Ballard defeated Wes Luther in the general election for North Carolina State Senate District 45 on November 6, 2018.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Deanna Ballard (R)	65.1	48,998
	Wes Luther (D)	34.9	26,293

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 75,291
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Brandon Anderson (D)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for North Carolina State Senate District 45

Brandon Anderson advanced from the Democratic primary for North Carolina State Senate District 45 on May 8, 2018.

		Candidate
✔		Brandon Anderson

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for North Carolina State Senate District 45

Incumbent Deanna Ballard defeated Shirley Randleman in the Republican primary for North Carolina State Senate District 45 on May 8, 2018.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Deanna Ballard	53.6	8,403
	Shirley Randleman	46.4	7,276

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 15,679
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2016[edit]

See also: North Carolina State Senate elections, 2016

Elections for the North Carolina State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election was held on March 15, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016.^[1] The candidate filing deadline was December 21, 2015.^[2] Incumbent Daniel Soucek (R) resigned from the state Senate on April 8, 2016. Deanna Ballard (R) was appointed to the seat on April 26, 2016.

Incumbent Deanna Ballard defeated Art Sherwood in the North Carolina State Senate District 45 general election.^[3]^[4]

North Carolina State Senate, District 45 General Election, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Deanna Ballard Incumbent	65.00%	56,758
	Democratic	Art Sherwood	35.00%	30,559
Total Votes				87,317
Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections

Art Sherwood ran unopposed in the North Carolina State Senate District 45 Democratic primary.^[5]^[6]

North Carolina State Senate, District 45 Democratic Primary, 2016
Party		Candidate
	Democratic	Art Sherwood (unopposed)

Deanna Ballard defeated Ken Boham in the North Carolina State Senate District 45 Republican primary.^[7]^[8]

North Carolina State Senate, District 45 Republican Primary, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Deanna Ballard	53.00%	13,546
	Republican	Ken Boham	47.00%	12,013
Total Votes				25,559

Campaign themes[edit]

2022[edit]

Ballotpedia survey responses

Deanna Ballard did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

2020[edit]

Deanna Ballard did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

2016[edit]

Ballard's website highlighted the following campaign themes:

“

Jobs and Economy

Born and raised in North Carolina surrounded by a family logging company, Deanna understands the energy, long hours, and commitment it takes to build a successful small business.

She also knows that a changing marketplace and government regulations and mandates can be significant challenges for any small business – family-owned or not.

The North Carolina tax code is over 600 pages long, and many citizens spend thousands of hours and dollars trying to comply with all of the rules. Deanna will fight to remove burdensome regulations so that businesses will be encouraged to expand and hire more employees. It is her goal to put more money and, therefore, power in taxpayers' pockets to take care of current needs and save for future expenses.

Education

Deanna is proud to be a beneficiary of the North Carolina public education system. She is also the daughter of a public school teacher and has seen first-hand the time and effort educators dedicate to reviewing papers and reports after long workdays and family dinners. Many hard-working individuals strive to afford opportunities for students to achieve their full potential and Deanna is committed to making sure the focus of education continues to be on the best outcome for the children.

Class size, competitive teacher pay, or curriculum decisions, it all comes down to listening and effectively addressing the concerns of parents, teachers and school officials at the local level. Empowering local ownership is key to building an educated workforce.

Thoughtfully spending our tax dollars on education must be a priority to chart a path to attracting more businesses, creating more jobs, and growing the state's economy. As a NC State Senator, Deanna will spend more time in the classroom, communicate with families in the district regarding their preferences and concerns, and focus on providing accessible and affordable learning opportunities for young people after high school. While larger universities and four-year colleges may not be for everyone, community colleges and vocational and technical schools can help many achieve their goals.

Constitutional Liberties

Upholding the Constitution and its We the People charge will be at the heart of Deanna's service in the NC Senate. She will fiercely protect the rights and freedom of law-abiding citizens, challenging those who ignore the First Amendment by targeting churches and organizations because of their faith and opposing gun laws that restrict our Second Amendment rights.

Taking the oath of office is a great privilege and serious responsibility for any elected official. When left unchecked, federal government can and has already overstepped its constitutional authority. Deanna will be dedicated to protecting our states’ rights, limiting the scope and size of federal government's impact on our state.

Sanctity of Life

Recognizing that God is the giver of all life, it is crucial that we protect the precious lives of the unborn from the moment of conception. Mothers with unplanned pregnancies need to know that there is hope, and there are a variety of valuable, pro-life services available to them.

Fiscal Responsibility

Though the General Assembly of North Carolina has eliminated $2.75 billion of debt in recent years, our state budget still struggles with billions of unfunded liabilities. More must be done to prevent future generations from being overwhelmed with more crushing debt.

There must be meaningful action to ensure timely balanced budgets and higher accountability of government agencies and administrators who spend your tax dollars. Underlying problems with Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid should also be addressed.

Deanna will work to build a brighter future by paying down the debt and focusing on opportunities to grow the economy. These positive steps will take time, but she is dedicated to putting in the hours and effort needed to make it a reality.

Veterans and Military Families

As sister to a 15-year Navy Aviation Ordnance Chief, Deanna takes great pride in the men and women serving in our military. Those soldiers, sailors, airmen, Coast Guardsmen, and Marines--and their families--continue to sacrifice so much for our freedom, both overseas and here at home. We can never say thank you enough.

That’s why keeping our promises to veterans is important. Healthcare, employment opportunities, housing, and education options should be available and readily accessible. Veteran’s benefits should be distributed in a timely and efficient fashion. Deanna will be a strong advocate for veterans and military families in the 45th District.

Agriculture and Environment

One of the 45th District's greatest treasures is the land--from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the rolling green countryside and farmlands, our area provides an incredibly special, unique way of life. This provides tremendous opportunities for tourism and small business development that keep our community attractive and growing.

Deanna believes good stewardship of our natural resources carefully balanced with strong economic growth will help ensure future generations can enjoy the beauty and vitality of our area.^[9]^[10]

”

Campaign donors[edit]

Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

Deanna Ballard campaign contribution history
Year	Office	Result	Contributions
2018	North Carolina State Senate District 45	✔	$162,516
2016	North Carolina State Senate, District 45	✔	$95,237
Grand total raised			$257,753
Source: Follow the Money

2018

North Carolina State Senate District 45 2018 election - Campaign Contributions
Top individual contributors to Deanna Ballard's campaign in 2018
GRAY, JOHN	$5,200.00
MARKHUS, WILHEM	$5,200.00
WORDSWORTH, ELAINE S	$5,000.00
WORDSWORTH, STEVE A	$5,000.00
SMITH III, JOHN D	$5,000.00
Total Raised in 2018	$162,515.82
Source: Follow the Money

2016[edit]

Ballard won election to the North Carolina State Senate in 2016. During that election cycle, Ballard raised a total of $95,237.

North Carolina State Senate 2016 election - campaign contributions
Top contributors to Deanna Ballard's campaign in 2016
North Carolina Republican Senate Caucus	$20,655
Henson, Alexandra L (Sandra)	$5,100
Lutz, Thomas P.	$5,100
Sarahpac	$5,000
Graham, Melvin	$5,000
Total raised in 2016	$95,237
Source: Follow the Money

Scorecards[edit]

See also: State legislative scorecards and State legislative scorecards in North Carolina

A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.

Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.

Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of North Carolina scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.

2021

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2021, click [show].

In 2021, the North Carolina State Legislature was in session from January 13 to December 30.

Affordable Healthcare Coalition of North Carolina

Legislators are scored based on their stance related to healthcare costs.

Civitas Action