Jessica (Jess) Rivera
Jess Rivera served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2004 to 2012. She earned a high school diploma from Murrieta Valley High School and attended Old Dominion University.
· Ballotpedia
Campaign site
Jobs, economy & workforce: “I’m Jess Rivera. I’m a Marine veteran, a barber, and a small business owner. I’m also the oldest of six kids from a Mexican-Irish, working-class family. Where I come from, you pull your weight. You take care of the people around you, and you don’t expect anything to come easy.”
(Campaign website (accessed Oct 23, 2026)) Campaign priorities & governance: “After my time in the Marines, I found a new sense of purpose behind the barber chair. I got licensed in cosmetology in 2017, trained overseas, and after COVID I came home to eastern North Carolina. I opened The Garrison Barber & Parlor in downtown Wilson. Not just as a business, but as a place where people can feel proud to walk in, and even more proud walking out. A place that says we all matter.”
(Campaign website (accessed Oct 23, 2026)) Campaign priorities & governance: “I’m running for State Senate because I know what it’s like to fall through the cracks. And I know how much it matters when someone reaches out and says, “I see you.””
(Campaign website (accessed Oct 23, 2026)) Buck Newton
Buck Newton was born in Wilson, North Carolina . Newton graduated from Hunt High School.
· Official legislative page · Ballotpedia
Campaign site
Healthcare: “When I was in the Senate, I helped pass legislation promoting Life and discouraging abortions.”
(Campaign website) Healthcare: “If I return to the State Senate, I will champion legislation to end the barbaric practice of abortion in North Carolina.”
(Campaign website) Infrastructure, Water & Environment: “I will always fight for our North Carolina farmers and advance policies that promote local agriculture production.”
(Campaign website)