North Carolina's 51st House district
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
American legislative district
Demographics61% White
16% Black
18% Hispanic
1% Asian
5% Multiracial
16% Black
18% Hispanic
1% Asian
5% Multiracial
Population(2024)86,421
| North Carolina's 51st State House of Representatives district | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Representative |
| ||
| Demographics | 61% White 16% Black 18% Hispanic 1% Asian 5% Multiracial | ||
| Population (2024) | 86,421 | ||
North Carolina's 51st House district is one of 120 districts in the North Carolina House of Representatives. It has been represented by Republican John Sauls since 2017.[1]
Since 2023, the district has included all of Lee County, as well as part of Moore County. The district overlaps with the 12th and 21st Senate districts.
District officeholders
Multi-member district
| Representative | Party | Dates | Notes | Representative | Party | Dates | Notes | Representative | Party | Dates | Notes | Representative | Party | Dates | Notes | Counties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District created January 1, 1983. | ||||||||||||||||
 Marie Colton (Asheville) |
Democratic | January 1, 1983 – January 1, 1995 |
Redistricted from the 43rd district. |  Martin Nesbitt (Asheville) |
Democratic | January 1, 1983 – January 1, 1995 |
Redistricted from the 43rd district. Lost re-election. |
 Narvel Crawford (Asheville) |
Democratic | January 1, 1983 – January 1, 1995 |
Redistricted from the 43rd district. | Gordon Greenwood (Black Mountain) |
Democratic | January 1, 1983 – January 1, 1993 |
Redistricted from the 43rd district. | 1983–1993 All of Buncombe and Transylvania counties. Part of Henderson County.[2] |
| 1993–2003 Part of Buncombe County.[3] | ||||||||||||||||
 Wilma Sherill (Asheville) |
Republican | January 1, 1995 – January 1, 2003 |
Redistricted to the 116th district. | Larry Linney (Asheville) |
Republican | January 1, 1995 – January 1, 1997 |
Lost re-election. | Lanier Cansler (Asheville) |
Republican | January 1, 1995 – April 8, 2001 |
Resigned. | |||||
Martin Nesbitt (Asheville) |
Democratic | January 1, 1997 – January 1, 2003 |
Redistricted to the 114th district. | |||||||||||||
| Vacant | April 8, 2001 – April 11, 2001 |
|||||||||||||||
| Mark Crawford (Montreat) |
Republican | April 11, 2001 – January 1, 2003 |
Appointed to finish Cansler's term. Redistricted to the 115th district and lost re-election. | |||||||||||||
Single-member district
| Representative | Party | Dates | Notes | Counties |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 John Sauls (Sanford) |
Republican | January 1, 2003 – January 1, 2007 |
Retired. | 2003–2005 All of Lee County. Parts of Harnett and Moore counties.[4] |
| 2005–2013 All of Lee County. Part of Harnett County.[5] | ||||
| Jimmy Love Sr. (Sanford) |
Democratic | January 1, 2007 – January 1, 2011 |
Lost re-election. | |
 Mike Stone (Sanford) |
Republican | January 1, 2011 – January 1, 2015 |
Lost re-election. | |
| 2013–2019 Parts of Lee and Harnett counties.[6] | ||||
| Brad Salmon (Mamers) |
Democratic | January 1, 2015 – January 1, 2017 |
Lost re-election. | |
John Sauls (Sanford) |
Republican | January 1, 2017 – Present |
Retiring. | |
| 2019–2023 All of Lee County. Part of Harnett County.[7][8] | ||||
| 2023–Present All of Lee County Part of Moore County.[9][10] |
Election results
2026
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Charles Taylor | 3,005 | 54.16% | |
| Republican | Sherry Lynn Womack | 2,543 | 45.84% | |
| Total votes | 5,548 | 100% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Charles Taylor | |||
| Democratic | Tasherra Nichols McDuffie | |||
| Total votes | 100% | |||
2024
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | John Sauls (incumbent) | 25,829 | 64.30% | |
| Democratic | Ginger Bauerband | 14,339 | 35.70% | |
| Total votes | 40,168 | 100% | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
2022
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | John Sauls (incumbent) | 16,973 | 64.98% | |
| Democratic | Malcolm Hall | 9,147 | 35.02% | |
| Total votes | 26,120 | 100% | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
2020
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | John Sauls (incumbent) | 22,628 | 57.33% | |
| Democratic | Jason Cain | 16,841 | 42.67% | |
| Total votes | 39,469 | 100% | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
2018
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | John Sauls (incumbent) | 13,707 | 52.79% | |
| Democratic | Lisa D. Mathis | 12,259 | 47.21% | |
| Total votes | 25,966 | 100% | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
2016
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | John Sauls | 17,904 | 55.66% | |
| Democratic | Brad Salmon (incumbent) | 14,262 | 44.34% | |
| Total votes | 32,166 | 100% | ||
| Republican gain from Democratic | ||||
2014
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Brad Salmon | 10,755 | 53.94% | |
| Republican | Mike Stone (incumbent) | 9,182 | 46.06% | |
| Total votes | 19,937 | 100% | ||
| Democratic gain from Republican | ||||
2012
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Mike Stone (incumbent) | 15,764 | 52.03% | |
| Democratic | W. P. "Bill" Tatum | 14,533 | 47.97% | |
| Total votes | 30,297 | 100% | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
2010
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Mike Stone | 10,793 | 53.53% | |
| Democratic | Jimmy Love Sr. (incumbent) | 9,370 | 46.47% | |
| Total votes | 20,163 | 100% | ||
| Republican gain from Democratic | ||||
2008
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jimmy Love Sr. (incumbent) | 19,231 | 59.18% | |
| Republican | Linda Shook | 13,264 | 40.82% | |
| Total votes | 32,495 | 100% | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
2006
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Tim McNeill | 1,121 | 59.09% | |
| Republican | Bobby Ray Hall | 776 | 40.91% | |
| Total votes | 1,897 | 100% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jimmy Love Sr. | 8,724 | 54.16% | |
| Republican | Tim McNeill | 7,383 | 45.84% | |
| Total votes | 16,107 | 100% | ||
| Democratic gain from Republican | ||||
2004
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | John Sauls (incumbent) | 13,255 | 50.74% | |
| Democratic | Leslie Cox | 12,869 | 49.26% | |
| Total votes | 26,124 | 100% | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
2002
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | John Sauls | 8,500 | 51.14% | |
| Democratic | Leslie Cox (incumbent) | 7,819 | 47.04% | |
| Libertarian | Mark Jackson | 302 | 1.82% | |
| Total votes | 16,621 | 100% | ||
| Republican gain from Democratic | ||||
2000
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Martin Nesbitt (incumbent) | 9,617 | 31.76% | |
| Democratic | Barbara Field | 8,668 | 28.62% | |
| Democratic | J. Ray Elingburg | 7,520 | 24.83% | |
| Democratic | C. Michael Morgan | 4,477 | 14.78% | |
| Total votes | 30,282 | 100% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Wilma Sherrill (incumbent) | 41,402 | 19.18% | |
| Democratic | Martin Nesbitt (incumbent) | 38,594 | 17.88% | |
| Republican | Lanier Cansler (incumbent) | 38,041 | 17.63% | |
| Democratic | Barbara Field | 32,224 | 14.93% | |
| Democratic | J. Ray Elingburg | 29,951 | 13.88% | |
| Republican | Betty B. Williams | 28,384 | 13.15% | |
| Reform | Kristina Michele Murphy | 3,593 | 1.67% | |
| Reform | Lance Kurland | 1,836 | 0.85% | |
| Reform | Jerold F. Johnson | 1,811 | 0.84% | |
| Total votes | 215,836 | 100% | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
| Democratic hold | ||||
| Republican hold | ||||
References
- ↑ "State House District 51, NC". Census Reporter. Retrieved April 13, 2026.
- ↑ J. D. Lewis (2014). "North Carolina State House of Representatives Districts Map - 1985 to 1992". Retrieved August 19, 2022.
- ↑ "1992 House Base Plan 5" (PDF). North Carolina General Assembly. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
- ↑ "Interim House Redistricting Plan For N.C. 2002 Election" (PDF). North Carolina General Assembly. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
- ↑ "House Redistricting Plan" (PDF). North Carolina General Assembly. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
- ↑ "Lewis-Dollar-Dockham 4" (PDF). North Carolina General Assembly. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
- ↑ "2018 House Election Districts" (PDF). North Carolina General Assembly. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
- ↑ "HB 1020, 2nd Edition - 2019 House Remedial Map" (PDF). North Carolina General Assembly. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
- ↑ "S.L. 2022-4 House" (PDF). North Carolina General Assembly. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
- ↑ "SS.L. 2023-149 House" (PDF). North Carolina General Assembly. Retrieved April 20, 2025.
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections.
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections.
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections.
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections.
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections.
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections.
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections.
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections.
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections.
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections.
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections.
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections.
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections.
- ↑ "NC State House 051 - D Primary". Our Campaigns. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
- ↑ "NC State House 051". Our Campaigns. Retrieved August 19, 2022.