Sam Page, the Republican nominee for North Carolina Senate District 26, attended the "Kids over Corporations" protest organized by the North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE) in Raleigh on May 1. Photos documented Page shaking hands and engaging with attendees at the event, which coincided with national "May Day" labor demonstrations. Page was also photographed walking alongside NCAE President-elect Christina Cole, according to coverage by the News & Observer.
During the protest, Page told educators that teacher pay should be raised to the highest level in the Southeast. In comments captured by a News & Observer education reporter, Page stated: "This is America. People can have rallies on all the issues. I think it's important to let people know how important it is to look after our educators, to pay our educators." No other Republican legislative members were reported at the protest. Page's campaign has not yet responded to inquiries about his attendance.
The NCAE event drew participation from teachers across North Carolina, resulting in significant disruptions to public education. Approximately 22 school districts canceled classes on May 1 due to teachers requesting personal leave, affecting around 700,000 of the state's roughly 1.5 million K-12 students. A reporter covering the event estimated the crowd at approximately 8,000 people, a figure substantially lower than the NCAE-led teacher protest in 2019, which drew around 20,000 attendees to Raleigh.
Page, who serves as sheriff of Rockingham County, defeated Senate Leader Phil Berger in the March primary election. He faces Democrat Steve Luking in November's general election for the seat, which carries a +9 Republican rating according to the Civitas Partisan Index. After his primary loss, Berger stated that "the voters have spoken" and congratulated Page on his victory. When questioned about the primary results, Berger suggested that Democratic voters had participated in the Republican primary.
Teacher pay has been a prominent issue in Page's campaign. Following Berger's concession in March, Page said he had "ran for the right reasons" and expressed confidence in winning the November election, citing education as one of his top priorities.
