Staff Report
The Moore County Democratic Party has chosen a new candidate who will challenge incumbent State Rep. Neal Jackson in the House District 78 race this November.
Matt Holway, of West End, was chosen to replace Matt Borja of West End, who has withdrawn from the race.
A North Carolina resident for 40 years, Holway decided to enter the race when he learned it was an unopposed race and believes every voter deserves a choice.
“I am running because the people of District 78 deserve a representative who will listen, show up, and focus on making people’s lives better,” Holway said. “All government should work for the people it serves, not for political careers or special interests.”
In a news release announcing his candidacy, Holway said his decision to seek public office grew out of his own involvement in the election process. After hearing repeated claims questioning the integrity of North Carolina’s elections, he became an election worker with the Moore County Board of Elections to see the process firsthand. Through that experience, he gained confidence in the professionalism and security of North Carolina’s elections while serving voters throughout Moore County.
On state issues, Holway expressed concern about the General Assembly’s decision to dedicate hundreds of millions of additional taxpayer dollars to expanding North Carolina’s private school voucher program. He was also driven to run after the passage of Senate Bill 876, which delayed Moore County’s municipal elections until 2028; made municipal elections partisan; and added new petition requirements for unaffiliated candidates seeking local office. Most recently, Holway took part in a protest against state approval for plans for a data center in Lee County, which could affect Moore County’s water supplies.
“I didn’t decide to run because I wanted to become a politician,” Holway said. “I decided to run because I saw government become less accountable to the people it is supposed to represent. When local communities lose their voice and political insiders gain more control, it’s time for ordinary citizens to step forward. I couldn’t sit on the sidelines any longer.”
Holway was previously registered as a Republican and later became an unaffiliated voter. He recently registered as a Democrat because he said the party most fully reflects his values, those that have guided his decades of community service and to give the people of District 78 a meaningful choice at the ballot box.
“Matt isn’t a career politician, and that’s exactly what makes his candidacy so compelling,” said Monique Baker, chair of the Moore County Democratic Party. “While he has only lived full time in Moore County since 2020, he’s had family ties here going back to 2005, and he has spent decades serving communities across North Carolina through coaching, charitable work, election service, mentoring and volunteerism.
“Voters in District 78 deserve someone whose first priority is serving the community, and that’s exactly what Matt intends to do.”
“I know this won’t be the biggest campaign in the district,” Holway said. “I know I’m entering the race late, and I know the odds. But I also know all of us in District 78 deserve a choice. I look forward to earning that choice one conversation at a time.”
