NC House 117 candidates Balkcom and Martinez vie for District 117
Incumbent Republican Jennifer Balkcom 45 a Henderson County mortgage lender faces Democratic challenger Dr Steve Martinez 68 a retired medical consultant in a district centered on Henderson County Naples and surrounding towns The pair outline priorities on health care public education farmland preservation and teacher pay Balkcom backs school choice and ongoing constituent service while Martinez calls for reallocating voucher funds to public schools and a broader voice for residents in Raleigh