Advance Carolina retools for critical midterm voter engagement

Advance Carolina organizers Faith Howell-Bey (right) and Alicia Roberts share a laugh during a meeting with coworkers and partners at John Chavis Memorial Park on Jan. 15, 2026. Howell-Bey is Advance Carolina’s new Triangle regional coordinator.

RALEIGH, N.C. — Roughly a month out from the state’s March 3 primary election finds Faith Howell-Bey stepping into one of Advance Carolina’s pivotal roles as the organization’s regional coordinator for areas in and around Raleigh and Durham.

“Faith brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the role,” said Jovita Lee, Ed.D., Advance Carolina’s policy director. “We are excited to see her growth as she steps into this new position and look forward to the vision and priorities she will advance.”

Howell-Bey, 28, already was rooted in the Triangle area, cultivating Black political power as Advance Carolina’s Johnston County organizer. In that space, she’s led with her ears and followed with plenty of heart. Like that time, for example, when what was supposed to be a one-off women’s brunch turned into a series of gatherings to meet ladies where they were, building a bridge to the ballot box. The brunches offered a place to platform issues that Howell-Bey would connect to voting. She’s broadening that approach for similar impact in Wake and Durham counties, guiding other organizers in the work.

“I plan to bring a unifying, people-centered vision that sees the Triangle not as separate counties but as an interconnected region with shared power and shared responsibility,” Howell-Bey said. “My work in Johnston County grounded me in the importance of deep listening, trust building and sustained engagement. As Triangle regional coordinator, I will lead with a clear understanding of what local organizers need to thrive and be effective.”

In December, The Johnston County Citizens Association recognized Howell-Bey for her public service, which included her get-out-the-vote (GOTV) initiatives.

“She was recognized by her peers as the community trailblazer in Johnston County, a testament to the dedication and skill set she brings to community organizing and GOTV engagement,” Lee said. “Having her leadership as we head into a critical election cycle will ensure that we are rightly positioned in the Triangle region to serve our community well and support them in casting their ballot freely and fairly.”

Among Advance Carolina’s goals is making sure people on the fence about voting in the midterm elections understand the power of their civic engagement.

North Carolina is among the states emerging from the wave of redistricting — redrawn voter maps — that flooded the country in 2025. State legislators gerrymandered the 1st Congressional District of North Carolina. For years, voters in that district sent a Democrat to Washington, D.C. The redraw makes it more favorable for Republican candidates.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the ACLU of North Carolina, the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, the Hogan Lovells law firm, as well as individual plaintiffs sued lawmakers on grounds that the redrawn maps shifted thousands of Black voters out of their communities and made it nearly impossible to elect their candidates of choice. This past November, a three-judge panel ruling out of federal court in Winston-Salem said the maps are fine. While residents in Wake, Durham and Johnston counties are not directly impacted by that particular redraw, the verdict could discourage their participation in the political process, according to NAACP North Carolina State Conference President Deborah Dicks Maxwell.

“Gerrymandered maps that dilute Black political influence undermine the very foundation of our democracy,” Maxwell said.

It’s where Howell-Bey shows up with her creative approaches to offset apathy. 

“My goal is to foster deeper alignment within and across communities, elevate local leadership and advance long-term collective impact that builds and sustains Black political and economic power,” she said.