What Democrats running for NC House in Pitt County say on the issues
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Brown urges lower housing, food, and health costs and supports abortion rights.
- Proposes teacher pay from $55,000 starting up to $100,000 based on experience.
- Plans legislation to stop seizing of Medicaid recipients’ homes.
To help voters learn which candidates are on their ballot and where they stand on important policy issues, The News & Observer is publishing candidate questionnaires in all state and federal races in North Carolina on the March 3, 2026, ballot.
Below are the candidates running for NC House District 9 who responded to our questionnaire, in order by the date their responses were received. Some candidates did not provide a photo.
District 9 is located in Pitt County and is currently represented by Rep. Timothy Reeder, a Republican who is seeking reelection.
Reeder does not face any Republican opponents, but there is a Democratic primary for the seat between Lenton Brown and Claire Kempner.
Kempner did not respond to the questionnaire.
Lenton Brown
Age as of March 3, 2026: 68
Political party: Democratic
Campaign website: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61554945849183
Current occupation: Broker/Realtor
Professional experience: Brown is a broker/Realtor and is responsible for assisting clients throughout the country in buying, selling and leasing residential, vacant land, multi-family, commercial and industrial real estate in North Carolina. Brown is a veteran and was awarded the National Defense Medal, the Southwest Asia Service Medal with Bronze Star, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Battle “E” Ribbon, the Good Conduct Medal, (twice each), Sea Service Deployment Medal (fifth award)
Education: Honor graduate, Bertie Senior High School. Biography published in Who’s Who Among American High School Students: 73-74 & 74-75 and the Society of Distinguished High School Students. Brown was inducted into the National Beta Club. He matriculated to Shaw University where he studied music and received an award for Academic Excellence. B.A. in political science with a minor in psychology from ECU. Brown was inducted into Pi Sigma Alpha and served in the Student Government Association.
Please list any notable government or civic involvement.: Lenton Brown studied real estate at J.Y. Monk. Brown completed post-licensing studies at Howard Perry and Walston Real Estate School, Pitt Community College and J.Y. Monk. Lenton is a licensed Realtor and is a member of the National Association of Realtors, the North Carolina Association of Realtors, and the Coastal Plains Association of Realtors. Lenton is an activist and has established the Coalition for Unity, Diversity, and Justice.
What is the most important issue in your district and what do you want to do about it? We are in a race not for the soul of America, but for the continued existence of America. We must lower food, housing, and health care costs, increase the minimum wage and pay for all state workers, demand free, fair, and transparent elections, pass constitutional carry, abortion rights, free tuition, end slavery in North Carolina’s prisons, stop seizing Medicaid recipients’ homes, and expedite rebuilding in Helene flooded areas. We must strive for unity, diversity, and justice for all.
The legislature sets teacher base pay. What do you think the salary range should be for teachers, from starting to 30+ experience? The salary for a starting teacher should be $55,000 minimum and should range up to $100,000 annually based on education, experience and training.
As of January, North Carolina was the last state not to have passed a new, comprehensive budget. What would you do to help make sure a budget passes? The difference between what the Senate has proposed and the House version equals .50%. It is absurd to not be able to pass a budget over a year when they are so close. I would suggest splitting the difference and tying the implementation to future economic conditions.
North Carolina’s income tax rate for individual taxpayers is 3.99%. Should that be reduced further? Yes. Since our monetary system worldwide changed from the Swift Banking System to the ISO 20022 on November 2025, the costs of making payments will decrease because money transfers will settle in seconds and will cost pennies, saving taxpayers millions. These savings will result in the need to lower income tax rates for North Carolina residents further.
Do you think the state is using taxpayer money efficiently? Why or why not? Too often the state hires private contractors to supervise the work that its own employees are more than capable of doing. For example, the $3 million contract Pat McCrory allegedly extended for Charlotte developer Graeme Keith for prison maintenance work. Graeme Keith was a donor of Pat McCrory, allegedly.
Do you support legalizing medical marijuana use? Why or why not? I do support legalizing medical marijuana use; but, with extreme protocols to ensure that we don’t have people becoming addicted and dying.
What do you see as the biggest barrier to health care access in your district, and what actions would you take to address it? The failure of Congress to extend health care subsidies, which has sent health care costs skyrocketing coupled with HMS taking the homes of Medicaid recipients. I will personally introduce legislation in the General Assembly to stop the North Carolina Division of Health Benefits (DHB) Health Management Systems (HMS) from taking the homes and assets of Medicaid recipients, which forces patients to choose between getting the health care they need and leaving a roof over their children’s head.
This story was originally published February 14, 2026 at 6:01 PM with the headline "What Democrats running for NC House in Pitt County say on the issues."