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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Current Occupation
Behavior Interventionist / Coach
I am a retired NC Public Schools Educator (History Teacher) Administrator and Coach. I have spent the last year talking to the constituents of NC House District 89 to determine what they want and need.
They want a Representative that will listen to them and take their issues back to Raleigh and craft legislation that makes their lives better and I will. They want a Representative that is transparent and available and I will be both in Raleigh and back in the district.
Historically, North Carolina was considered a leader in public education. After the 2010 midterms shifted the General Assembly and fiscal priorities, our schools began to decline and have continued to do so. Our public schools are now 46th in teacher pay and 50th in student funding, leaving us near 30th in student performance.
I am passionate that all children in NC should receive a free and appropriate public education, where every child has every opportunity to be successful. I promise to fight for our kids, for full funding, and for our teachers to receive the pay they deserve and have been denied for far too long.
My first priority in the coming year is paying our teachers and school staff what they've earned. That means a meaningful raise that brings us back in line with our neighboring states, so we can recruit and keep great teachers in every classroom.
My second priority is fully funding our public schools, including meeting our constitutional obligation under the Leandro case to provide every child a sound basic education. Funding should follow need, so students in every county have the teachers, support staff, and resources they need.
Tax policy should ensure North Carolina can invest in what builds a strong economy and a good life for its residents. Since 2013, the General Assembly has passed tax cuts that give the biggest breaks to corporations and the wealthiest, even scheduling the end of the corporate income tax. Families are paying the price: our schools are second-to-last in per-student funding, teachers are among the lowest paid, Medicaid was left $319 million short, and 21,000 people with disabilities wait years for home-based care. I support a fair tax system where everyone pays their share. Before more tax cuts, we must meet our obligations to our kids, teachers, and most vulnerable neighbors. I'll fight for a tax policy that works for all of us.
Many of North Carolina's safety laws are sound, but laws only work when they are fully funded. Safe communities start with prevention. I would fight to fully fund mental health and substance use treatment so people in crisis get care before problems escalate, and to expand crisis teams that pair mental health professionals with law enforcement. I would put more counselors, psychologists, and social workers in our schools to support struggling students early. I'd invest in what keeps neighborhoods strong: good schools, health care, after-school programs, and job training. Our officers deserve fair pay, quality training, and the resources to do their jobs. When we fund prevention and support those who serve, every community is safer.
North Carolina was built on a promise that every child deserves a strong public education and every family deserves a fair shot. For too long, that promise has been broken by leaders who chose tax cuts for those at the top over our classrooms, our health care, and our communities. Meanwhile, working families are struggling with the rising cost of housing, child care, and health care. I'm running to change that. I will fight to lower costs for working families, fully fund our public schools, and pay our teachers what they deserve. I will fight for a Medicaid system families can count on, including the thousands of North Carolinians with disabilities still waiting for care, and for real investment in the services that keep our communities safe and healthy. These aren't partisan goals. They are what makes a strong North Carolina where every family can thrive. Our kids and our neighbors can't wait any longer, I would be honored to earn your vote.
