Candidate
Winn Decker
HD 37
Wake
Democrat Winn Decker is running for the North Carolina House of Representatives in District 37 because southern Wake deserves a leader who listens and delivers real results for families.
The son of two public school teachers, Winn was raised in rural northwest Tennessee, where he learned the value of hard work, service, and community. More than a decade ago, he made North Carolina home, earning his Ph.D. in Public Administration from NC State University and eventually planting roots in Fuquay-Varina.
Winn has built his career at the intersection of education and workforce policy. At the Hunt Institute, founded by former four-term Governor Jim Hunt, he worked with governors, legislators, and state leaders from both parties to strengthen public schools, expand college access, and prepare a workforce ready for a changing economy. Today, he continues that bipartisan policy work nationally while remaining deeply engaged in his southern Wake community.
Here at home, Winn serves as a youth basketball coach and community volunteer, bringing his passion for education and public service to the families he lives alongside.
Winn’s life and career have prepared him to lead with integrity, listen with empathy, and deliver results that matter for southern Wake families.
About
HD 37
NC House District 37 covers the southern part of Wake County, anchored by the fast-growing towns of Holly Springs and Fuquay-Varina. This is one of the fastest-growing corners of North Carolina — subdivisions going up seemingly overnight, young families moving in from across the country, and communities that have transformed from quiet, tobacco-country towns into booming suburban hubs within a single generation. The district is predominantly white, college-educated, and middle-to-upper-income, with many residents commuting to jobs in the Research Triangle. It's a place full of people who moved here for opportunity and want to make sure the community keeps up with who they're becoming.
Growth is both the district's story and its central tension. Roads can't keep pace with the rooftops. Schools are crowded. Property taxes are climbing. Parents want to know their kids are getting a quality public education, and they want some say over how their communities are being planned and developed. This is a true toss-up district politically — competitive enough that voters here genuinely expect candidates to earn their vote. Affordability is creeping up as an issue, and residents are increasingly asking whether the growth they've embraced is actually working for the people who live there, or just for the developers building it.
