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.
Campaign site
“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)) “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)) “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
Campaign site
“When I was in the Senate, I helped pass legislation promoting Life and discouraging abortions.”
(Campaign website) “If I return to the State Senate, I will champion legislation to end the barbaric practice of abortion in North Carolina.”
(Campaign website) “I will always fight for our North Carolina farmers and advance policies that promote local agriculture production.”
(Campaign website)