Position/philosophy statement
As a Wake County native with over 35 years of business leadership experience, I am committed to restoring effective government, rebuilding public trust, strengthening public education, and ensuring access to quality healthcare.
Current Occupation
Business Consultant
Age (optional)
59
Campaign Phone
9193463583
I have over 35 years of business leadership experience, building teams and solving problems. My volunteer work includes serving as a sports coach, church leader, scout leader, and Red Cross instructor. The common part of all these roles is leadership, knowing how to organize people to work together to meet challenges. My wife and I have been married for 34 years and raised two children to mature adulthood. I am ready to put these experiences to work for the people of my district.
Our most important priority is to remove the republican super majority control over the NC House, preserving the governor’s veto, and beginning to get government working for the people again. We need our legislature to function again, work on problems, hold hearings, debate and decide on legislation to help North Carolinians. Once we get the legislature to resume some normal activities, we can start restoring the people’s faith in their government.
NC was once called the Education State, and we can be a leader in education again. We need to restore the income limits on the private school voucher program and put oversight in place over schools that take tax money. We need to protect teacher’s and state employee’s retirement funds from meddling. Our pay for educators is the lowest in the country. We need to develop long-term models for funding educator careers to keep the best teachers in NC. State funding cuts have forced counties and municipalities to raise taxes to try to make up for the difference. Those cuts must be reversed to invest in education as the best path for a good future for our children and our state.
Under the republican leadership, NC is running without a current state budget. Budgeting is how priorities are established and communicated. Republican goals are to cut taxes on the ultrawealthy and please Trump. We need to stop the slide of the taxes on corporations and invest that revenue in our schools, healthcare, and infrastructure to support affordability. We need to restore reasonable taxes on the ultrawealthy so that they pay their fair share. We need to show our citizens how these decisions are made and how long-term investment can grow our economy for all the people.
Restore public funding for mental health services. The courts need to have a reasonable alternative to releasing dangerous people who cannot be jailed without a conviction.
Invest in information technology tools to automate court functions, reducing missed appearances and unneeded warrants.
Restore the requirement for handgun permits and waiting periods for purchase, including private sales. We need limits on open and concealed carry of firearms.
Improve training for police officers to better focus on the small number of people doing most of the serious crime.
Engage communities in crime prevention with job programs, mentoring, and conflict management training.
We have all seen the effects of republican led government: chaos, directionless, violent, unfair, wasteful, and ineffective. At the same time, the business as usual approach of the democratic leadership has been too weak and cooperative.
As Lincoln wrote, "The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew, and act anew."
We need new leadership to right the ship, get government working again, remove gerrymandering, invest in our people and communities, and restore public trust in government.
Position/philosophy statement
I am running for the North Carolina House because people deserve leadership that listens, plans responsibly, and follows through. Too often, decisions made in Raleigh feel disconnected from the realities families face every day: rising costs, crowded
Current Occupation
Senior Manager of State Initiatives, Common App
Age (optional)
33
Campaign Phone
919-370-4560
I have spent my career working at the intersection of public policy, budgeting, and implementation. I hold a Ph.D. in public administration and have worked with governors’ offices, state agencies, and local leaders to design and carry out education and workforce initiatives. My work has focused on how policy decisions translate into real outcomes, how budgets shape priorities, and how to plan responsibly within fiscal and political constraints. That experience gives me a clear understanding of how decisions made in our state legislature affect communities and what it takes to move policy from ideas to results.
My most important priority is affordability and ensuring that families can keep up as our communities grow. Too many people are facing rising housing costs, transportation challenges, and everyday expenses that outpace wages. Addressing affordability requires coordinated planning, responsible budgeting, and making sure growth is matched with infrastructure, schools, and services. As a legislator, I will focus on policies that reduce cost pressures over time, protect taxpayers and consumers, and ensure that state decisions do not shift costs onto families or local governments. Affordability is not a single issue. It is the lens through which we should evaluate housing, education, transportation, and budget decisions.
Education policy in the coming year must focus on stability, predictability, and follow-through. North Carolina should fully fund public schools and pass budgets on time so districts can plan, hire, and retain staff with confidence. Competitive pay and benefits are essential not only for teachers, but for the full school workforce, including support staff who keep schools running every day. Funding must also keep pace with enrollment growth and facility needs, particularly in fast-growing communities. Education dollars should always be used transparently and responsibly, with accountability to ensure investments reach classrooms and students as intended.
Tax policy should support a strong economy while ensuring the state can meet its responsibilities to residents. North Carolina needs a stable, predictable revenue system that allows us to fund education, infrastructure, health care, and other core services without shifting costs onto families or local governments. Tax changes should be evaluated based on their long-term impact, not short-term surpluses, and paired with responsible budgeting and planning. Reducing revenue without a plan does not make costs disappear. It pushes them onto classrooms, local governments, and basic services families rely on. A fair tax system is one that supports growth, provides certainty for businesses, and allows the state and its communities to thrive.
Improving safety in our communities requires a focus on prevention, accountability, and smart use of public resources. I believe the state should prioritize approaches that reduce gun violence and promote responsible ownership, alongside investments in mental health services and community-based prevention. Public safety also includes safer roads and neighborhoods, which means thoughtful infrastructure planning and coordination with local governments as communities grow. Laws should be guided by data and real-world outcomes, with an emphasis on reducing harm, supporting first responders, and addressing safety challenges before they become crises.
I am running to bring steady, thoughtful leadership to the North Carolina House at a time when many people feel disconnected from the decisions being made in Raleigh. I believe good government starts with listening, planning responsibly, and being honest about tradeoffs. If elected, I will focus on affordability, strong public schools, and making sure our communities can grow in ways that improve quality of life. I am committed to being accessible, transparent, and accountable to the people I represent, and to approaching this work with seriousness, respect, and a focus on results rather than rhetoric.
Position/philosophy statement
My name is Marcus Gadson, and I am running to represent District 37 in the General Assembly. As we approach America’s 250th anniversary, I’m mindful of just how many opportunities this country has given me.
Current Occupation
Law Professor
Campaign Phone
919-275-2568
Campaign Youtube URL
I have served the community over the past several years as a member of the North Carolina Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, a secretary of the Raleigh-Apex NAACP branch, a member of the governing board of the North Carolina ACLU, and a member of the Local Rules Advisory Committee for the Eastern District of North Carolina. And I have taught hundreds of students about our state and federal constitutions and watched with pride as they make their mark after graduating. I have written a book about the history of constitutional crisis in America and am co-authoring a textbook about state constitutional law. This gives me unique expertise to address the constitutional and policy issues facing North Carolina.
Affordability is the most important priority. Many North Carolinians work really hard but still have trouble paying for basic things and saving money. In the legislature, I will spend every day working to make North Carolina the most affordable place in America to live and raise a family. I will also do everything in my power to help those willing to work hard and play by the rules own a home, get the training they need to pursue their career, and save for a dignified retirement.
In the General Assembly, I will work to make North Carolina #1 in America at teaching reading and math. Research—and common sense—show that one of the best ways to do that is to provide every student with a high-quality, experienced teacher. But the state’s low teacher salaries prevent us from hiring and retaining qualified teachers, leading to staffing shortages. In the General Assembly, I will support increasing education funding to bring teacher salaries in line with the rest of the country. This will make the state a more attractive place to teach and ensure that every child, regardless of background, has an excellent teacher.
I believe we should focus tax relief on working and middle-class North Carolinians instead of on corporations. In particular, I want to (1) restore the earned income tax credit, (2) provide a deduction for money spent on rent, (3) provide a childcare tax credit, and (4) lower the regressive sales taxes on clothes, cleaning supplies, and over-the-counter medication.
Crime destroys lives. It prevents people from feeling safe in their own homes and discourages businesses from opening in certain areas. Black and Native American North Carolinians are far likelier than North Carolinians of other races to be victims of crime.
Instead of using the National Guard for publicity stunts, I will use my position in the General Assembly to provide real solutions that lower crime and make all North Carolinians safer while giving those who have been held accountable a chance at redemption. In particular, I will focus on hiring more police and correctional officers, and on promoting rehabilitation in our prison system so that we lower North Carolina's recidivism rate.
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