Valerie Jordan, candidate for NC Senate District 3

Name: Valerie Jordan

Political party: Democrat

Age as of Nov. 8, 2022: 53

Campaign website: www.valeriejordan.com

Occupation: Small business owner

Education: BA from North Carolina Central University and MBA from the Keller Graduate School of Management

Have you run for elected office before? No

Please list highlights of your civic involvement: 2019-present: Governor’s Advisory Council on Historically Utilized Businesses, North Carolina Department of Administration. 2017-present: NC Department of Transportation Board Member.

What are the three issues that you see as most important to your district and what will you do to address them?

As I talk to voters in my district, it’s clear that there are real concerns about the leadership in Raleigh. In my district, health care costs are rising and hospitals are closing. It’s past time we pass Medicaid expansion, save our rural hospitals, and bring relief to rural communities. We also have to prioritize legislation that keeps money in the pockets of hard working families who are burdened by rising costs and inflation and we have to invest more in our public schools and educators.

At a time when costs are rising, state government has a surplus. How should it be used?

People in Eastern North Carolina have been left behind for too long. Raleigh politicians are out of touch with the struggles that people in my district are facing. While they prioritize tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy, people in Eastern North Carolina are trying to figure out how to make ends meet. We should be lifting up working families, helping them get ahead — incentivizing job creation, investing in infrastructure and rural broadband, funding schools, recruiting educators and helping low-income families.

Will you vote for Medicaid expansion in North Carolina?

Yes.

What has the legislature gotten right, and what has it gotten wrong, about public education in North Carolina?

In recent years, we’ve made some *very* small strides in increasing teacher pay and school funding but, we’re still a long ways off from where we could and should be. North Carolina ranks 44th in the country for teacher pay and in my district, schools are falling apart. We desperately need to invest in our students, educators, and school staff. The families in my district deserve the same access to quality education that those in other parts of the state are receiving.

Should North Carolina change its abortion laws? How?

There should be fewer restrictions on abortion after 20 weeks.

Please add anything else voters should know about your position on the legality or availability of abortion in North Carolina.

I believe that Roe v. Wade should be codified at the federal level and that we must protect women’s reproductive rights at the state level by holding our numbers in the state Senate. Women’s reproductive decisions are deeply personal and should remain between women, their doctors and their faith — not politicians.

Should medical marijuana be legalized in North Carolina?

Yes.

What, if anything, should the legislature do to shape curriculum dealing with topics of race, sexuality and gender?

We should not be politicizing what is taught in our schools. I trust parents and educators to determine what children should be learning and believe that politicians in Raleigh should stay out of it.

Do you accept the results of the 2020 presidential election?

Yes.