Editor’s note: This article focuses on the presidential race. For a look at which candidates will be on the 2015 primary ballot in Western North Carolina for all races, please click on this article: Primary slate set
When North Carolinians go to the polls in March, they’ll get a chance to pick one of 27 candidates for president in three political parties.
The State Board of Elections finalized its list of candidates Tuesday with 12 Republicans, four Democrats and 11 Libertarians.

Voters who are affiliated with one of three parties will have to participate in that party’s primary. Unaffiliated voters will be allowed to pick one party from which to select candidates in all races.
Those voters are aren’t clearly committed to any party or its candidates will need to decide which ballot to fill out when they vote, since they can only pick candidates from that one party in all races. In the fall general elections, voters can pick candidates from any party. The ballot will also include an option for the voter to select “no preference” for president.
Early voting for the primary starts March 3. The primary election day will be March 15.
The following are the presidential candidates on North Carolina ballots:
Republicans
- Mike Huckabee
- John R. Kasich
- Rand Paul
- Marco Rubio
- Rick Santorum
- Donald J. Trump
- Jeb Bush
- Ben Carson
- Chris Christie
- Ted Cruz
- Carly Fiorina
- Jim Gilmore
Democrats
- Rocky De La Fuente
- Martin J. O’Malley
- Bernie Sanders
- Hillary Clinton
Libertarians
- John David Hale
- Cecil Ince
- Gary Johnson
- Steven Elliott “Steve” Kerbel
- Darryl W. Perry
- Austin Petersen
- Derrick Michael Reid
- Jack B. Robinson Jr.
- Rhett Rosenquest Smith
- Barbara Joy Waymire
- Marc Allan Feldman