The North Carolina House of Representatives is the lower house of the North Carolina General Assembly. The House of Representatives consists of 120 members who serve a term of two years. Each member represents an average of 87,116 residents *, as of the 2020 Census . The presiding officer of the House of Representatives is the Speaker of the House, who holds powers similar to those of the Senate President pro-tem. The Speaker is elected by the members from their membership for a two-year term. The Speaker’s duties include maintaining order in the House and appointing members to the House standing committees.The North Carolina General Assembly, of which the House is a part, is to convene a new regular session every two years, and the dates for these sessions are set by law. 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.* https://ballotpedia.org/Population_represented_by_state_legislators
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Position/philosophy statement
A nurse's compassion, a leader's accountability, and a neighbor's commitment to our families.
Current Occupation
Nurse Practitioner
Age (optional)
39
Campaign Phone
9195784853
With 20 years of experience as an emergency nurse and nurse practitioner, I approach public service the same way I treat patients: by listening closely, diagnosing root problems, and acting with urgency. Holding both an MSN and an MBA, I bring clinical problem-solving paired with the operational and fiscal expertise needed to manage complex budgets and make state government accountable. Raised by a single mom and the first in my family to graduate college, I know firsthand the challenges working families face. I offer practical, evidence-based leadership focused on strengthening public education, expanding accessible healthcare, and investing in our community, putting people over politics every day.
My top priority is building healthier, more resilient communities by expanding access to affordable healthcare and fully investing in public education.
As a nurse practitioner, I see how systemic failures impact everyday lives, from delayed care and medical debt to unaddressed mental health needs. In the legislature, I will fight to provide access to affordable healthcare, tackle clinician shortages, and protect essential community services.
True community health also requires strong public schools that support every child, pay educators fairly, and open pathways to good-paying jobs. By prioritizing prevention, quality education, and accountable governance, we ensure working families have the foundation they need to thrive.
Public education is the bedrock of strong communities, and our funding priorities must reflect that. In the coming year, North Carolina must focus on:
Competitive Educator Pay: Raise teacher salaries above the national average, restore master’s degree pay, and provide living wages for essential support staff to tackle critical classroom shortages.
Prioritizing Public Dollars: Halt the diversion of public funds into unaccountable private voucher programs and reinvest directly into neighborhood schools, modern learning materials, and safe facilities.
Whole-Child Support: Expand mental health professionals, school nurses, and nutrition programs so students are healthy and ready to learn.
Tax policy must build an economy that works for everyday people, not corporate balance sheets. Through my People-Powered Plan (jenwilesnchouse.com/peoplepoweredplan), I advocate for tax justice that relieves the pressure on working- and middle-class families while asking wealthy corporations to pay their fair share.
Slashing corporate taxes and shifting the burden onto everyday North Carolinians through regressive taxes strips our communities of vital revenue. We must use our tax dollars on the front end (investing sustainably in high-quality public schools, living wages for teachers, affordable healthcare, and modern infrastructure) rather than paying the steep price of neglect. Sound tax policy invests in people first.
As an emergency clinician, I know real community safety means treating public health root causes alongside law enforcement support. To protect our neighborhoods, I will champion:
Common-Sense Gun Safety: Enacting red flag laws (extreme risk protection orders), universal background checks, and secure firearm storage mandates to prevent accidental shootings, suicides, and gun violence.
Community Violence Intervention & Mental Health: Funding evidence-based violence prevention initiatives, mobile crisis response units, and youth mentorship.
Support for First Responders: Providing law enforcement and first responders with competitive pay, modern de-escalation training, and behavioral health resources.
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