LENOIR, N.C. – “Now I get to vote!” exclaimed Iris Bender, the Democratic candidate looking to Represent N.C. House District 87 (all of Caldwell County and a small slice of Watauga County) in the North Carolina General Assembly (NCGA).

However, Bender’s comments were not based on the commonly expressed desire to vote based on wanting to change the status quo. While that is true with Bender, in her case, it’s much deeper. Bender, who as a child fled Cuba with her parents in 1998, explained, “I couldn’t do that there.” Her point being, of course, that voting is not allowed by dictatorships. While she has voted numerous times over the decades, the thought of it still excites her. “I can’t wait to vote! People die for the right to vote.”

As she finished her remarks, a Lenoir city fire truck came screaming down Harper Avenue. Bender easily transitioned to one of the many reasons she is running to unseat five-term incumbent Destin Hall. “It came down to we need somebody that cares for Caldwell County. We need representation that goes back to the people.”

She offers deep community involvement as well, argued Bender. “This has been my home for the last 20 years. Never in my life did I wake up and say ‘I want to be a politician’ but I’m doing it for my home.

“I just say to people, give me chance at least one time. Ask yourself if he’s done enough in ten years. If so, vote for him, if not, vote for me. Give me a chance. It’s him or me.”

Iris Bender

“It is a tough race,” she admits. “He’s a career politician. He’s a lawyer.” She notes however, “While I see that, I like a challenge. I’m aware of all the things I have to learn and how to prepare myself for when I get to the General Assembly.”

She continued, “I am the best person for the job for where we are in Caldwell County today. I tell people. ‘I was not born here and that didn’t stop me from going to where I needed to be.’ I’m a fighter. I like a challenge. I’m also aware of my abilities and I know my flaws. I know what I’m good at and I know where I need learning.”

She shared, “I like to focus on our true problems. Then, when we fix our true problems, the problems around them will take care of themselves.” She pointed to mental health issues as an example of not addressing the root cause problem. “We have suicide, abuse, social media. People lack education, support, guidance. Many are homeless. We must focus on the core issues.”

She undeniably has experience at identifying root causes and looking for solutions, as she has been a business owner and has worked for 20 years with the Family Support Network/HOPE. Bender says, “We assist families with special needs children or adults with disabilities.” A home visit agency, they operate in Alexander, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, and McDowell Counties. Bender has served as a board member and a family resource specialist. She continued, “We help families with literacy, education, parenting and other needs. I really love to work with families.”

People need help insisted Bender. “Mental health is one of the biggest issues we have. It’s a crisis. I serve families that are struggling with this. It’s not a small percentage.”

Bender says, “Whatever you want to be, that’s what I want you to be. If you need healthcare, more affordable things, its up to you to tell me what you need to make life easier. Maybe it’s because I’m mother. It’s always been there.” Indeed, she and her husband have been married 26 years and have two children, a 25-years-old son, and 22-year-old daughter.

Bender also owned a popular Lenoir restaurant, Taste of Havana. It reveals her work ethic she said. “I would never ask staff to do something that I wasn’t able to do. I will never ask an employee to scrub the toilet if I hadn’t done it before.”

The hard-working attitude has worked well in her campaign she believes. Bender recalled, “For three days we wrote 4,300 postcards. I worked every shift for three days straight.” She paused to thank her many contributors and volunteers, admitting, “We haven’t gotten everything right, but we’re learning and doing our best.”

She added, “I’m in it to win. But I’m not talking numbers all the time. I care about the people. I’ve learned a lot of things. I have learned we need more kindness, we need better representation, we need a lot of resource so that we can cover our needs. I also learned that we can agree to disagree. I know in my heart I can work with another person despite our differences.” She admitted it is challenging, pointing out that there are still extremists of all political persuasions that are not ready or able to cooperate with others.

As for the challenge of taking on an incumbent, she replies, “I just say to people, give me chance at least one time. Ask yourself if he’s done enough in ten years. If so, vote for him, if not, vote for me. Give me a chance. It’s him or me.”

Should you choose Bender, she says she has already considered how she will approach serving in the North Carolina General Assembly. “I have seen myself there. I have seen myself speaking about a bill I’m passionate about. And advocating for a bill.” She continued, “When I’m in Raleigh I will remember the people.”

Among her campaign priorities are education funding and affordability for families. According to her campaign website, “Education opened doors for Iris and her family, and she knows firsthand how opportunity grows when schools are supported and families are engaged. From volunteering in local schools to advocating for children with special needs, Iris believes public education should be fully funded and respected. She will stand up for strong public schools, teachers, and students and oppose political distractions that undermine classrooms.”

Regarding affordability, it notes, “Iris understands the pressure working families face because she’s lived it. As a small business owner and parent, she knows rising costs for housing, utilities, and health care make it harder to get ahead. Iris is running to bring practical solutions that lower costs, support small businesses, and put working families first, not powerful insiders or political ambition.”

So, argues Bender, Anyone who wants local representation from a candidate who cares about their community should cast their vote for her. As noted on her website, “The majority of Iris’ campaign funds come from the folks living in Caldwell County, not from corporations looking for favors. Caldwell County is home for Iris and the people of Caldwell County are her priority. She will be transparent in the work she does and keep people updated on progress and changes. She will continue to listen to the needs of those she serves, following their lead as their representative.”

Voting Information

The in-person early voting period for the November 2026 general election began on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026 and will run until 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026.

Caldwell County Early Voting Dates and Times

• Thursday, October 15th – Friday, October 16th (8:00 AM – 7:30 PM)
• Saturday, October 17th – Sunday, October 18th (CLOSED)
• Monday, October 19th – Friday, October 23rd (8:00 AM – 7:30 PM)
• Saturday, October 24th – Sunday, October 25th (CLOSED)
• Monday, October 26th – Friday, October 30th (8:00 AM – 7:30 PM)
• Saturday, October 31st (8:00 AM – 3:00 PM)

Caldwell County Early Voting Locations

• Caldwell County Resource Center – 120 Hospital Ave NE, Lenoir, NC 28645
• William B. Shuford Recreation Center – 56 Pinewood Rd, Granite Falls, NC 28630

Election Day

Tuesday, November 3rd, 2026; 6:30 AM to 7:30 PM; On Election Day, you must vote at your assigned precinct. Please see our Voting Locations page for more information.

Photo ID Required

Photo ID must be unexpired or expired less than 1 year.

• Older voters may use an expired photo ID if it expired after they turned 65.
• Your photo ID does not need to include your current address. Precinct officials will only be looking at your photo and name.

If a voter does not have an acceptable photo ID, they can get a free No-Fee ID Card from the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles (Find more information under “No-Fee ID Cards” at State IDs| NCDMV) or a free NC Voter Photo ID card at the Board of Elections Office. For more information on photo ID, please visit the State Board of Elections website.

According to the Caldwell County Board of Elections, on the first day of Early Voting, 1,347 voters cast ballots at the county’s two Early Voting locations. In Lenoir, 843 people voted; in Granite Falls, 504 people voted.

© Michael M. Barrick, 2026