The North Carolina State Senate is the upper body of the North Carolina Legislature and consists of 50 members who serve a term of two years. Each member represents an average of 190,710 residents, as of the 2010 Census. The Senate elects officers from their membership including the President Pro Tempore.The North Carolina General Assembly, of which the Senate is a part, is to convene a new regular session every two years. The NC legislature makes decisions on the budget: taxes, tax credits, economic development, education funding, Pre-K, the courts, Medicaid, etc. It also passes laws that set environmental standards such as water and air quality, tax rates, tax credits, criminal justice. Legislators in both chambers serve two-year terms without term limits. Sessions begin at noon on the third Wednesday after the second Monday in January.
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Position/philosophy statement
Put working people first, invest in our schools and our communities, and make Raleigh answer to the people who live here.
Campaign Phone
252-288-9313
I graduated from Randolph-Macon Woman’s College with a degree in communication. For years, I worked in management -first as the stadium operations director of a Minor League Baseball team, and then helping to open and manage high volume restaurants. I was often tasked with revamping broken systems to make them more efficient for the people who relied on them. After becoming a parent, childcare cost more than I was making, and we made the choice that I would stay at home. I have been a stay at home mom for 10 years, volunteering as we raise two kids, learning more about the needs of working people in northeastern NC.
My top priority is and will always be public education. Great schools build great communities. In many of the 10 counties in Senate District 1, our public schools are one of the largest employers. When schools have the funds they need, and we pay teachers a competitive salary - everyone moves forward.
It is important that we prioritize public education in this state, and soon. Investing in our public schools - our teachers, staff, and our actual buildings - is one of the best ways that we can improve communities, especially in rural areas. The school voucher system is currently draining our schools and without any accountability, playing a large part in schools closing. Your tax dollars are helping send kids to private schools, while our public schools are asking more from families, and our teachers are paying $1600/year out of pocket for classroom supplies. Raleigh needs to address the basics for North Carolinians, and education is at the top of that list.
With the referendums on the ballot in November, tax policy is at the top of a lot of minds. Tax policy should work for the people who live and work here, not just the biggest corporations and those at the top. I believe in a fair tax system that doesn’t ask working families to carry more while profitable corporations get bigger breaks. Tax dollars should be invested in the things that actually make communities stronger: public schools, infrastructure, healthcare, housing, and good-paying jobs. If we’re giving away taxpayer dollars, there should be a clear public benefit—and working people should see that benefit, too.
I would work to expand North Carolina’s co-responder programs so that mental-health professionals can work alongside law enforcement when people are experiencing a behavioral-health crisis. I would also work to give local governments more tools to create affordable housing. Safe communities aren’t just about responding to crime after it happens. They’re about making sure people have a safe place to live, access to mental-health care, and opportunities to build stable lives.
I’m interested in a pretty simple question:
How can the state be a better partner?
How do we help local governments build the infrastructure they need? How do we make sure economic development creates opportunities for the people who already live here? And how do we make sure a young family can actually afford to live in the community where they work? Because whether you’re running a restaurant, running a farm, or raising a family, you need
the basics to work. You need good roads. Good schools. A healthy workforce. And affordability in your everyday lives. And you need government that sees the people on the other side of the spreadsheet, and that is the perspective I would bring to the State Senate.
