If You Want To Vent Your Racism On Facebook, Maybe You Shouldn't Run For Congress

They all look the same to me; which one is Mark Walker?

After the North Carolina Republican primary runoff last month, many people were stunned by what happened in NC-06 (think Mayberry), where a heavy Establishment favorite, Phil Berger's son, Phil, Jr., was defeated by fringe right-wing extremist, Baptist Choral Pastor/gun nut Mark Walker. As we explained at the time, Walker is a Science denier who wants to abolish the minimum wage and raise the Social Security retirement age to 70. And Walker is not just anti-choice, but believes women who are the victims of rape or incest should be forced by the government to give birth to the child of her rapist. Walker wants to defund Planned Parenthood, and enthusiastically supports a so-called "personhood amendment" to the constitution, which would ban common forms of birth control. Everything about him reeks of statism and Big Government interfering in the private lives of regular working families.

What we didn't get into is his virulent racism. No one has come up with a photo of Walker running around in a KKK costume yet but… Facebook is forever. Thursday's High Point Enterprise shared a shockingly racist perspective with the bigoted pastor from his Facebook page.

In the post from April 2013 about families dependent on government assistance and African-Americans, Walker writes that “these Americans have no concept of the pride and joy when we, as parents, invest in our children.” In referring to meeting with a black male who grew up in an inner city, Walker-- who is white-- continues that government programs “strip away the essence of what God created him to be.”

Fjeld and Democratic Party leaders in North Carolina pounced on the comments, which gained national attention in political circles when they were highlighted by the online magazine Slate.

"The fact that Mr. Walker could say that African-American parents don't take pride in investing in their children reflects how out of touch he is with the working families in our district and state. Words like those are just plain wrong," Fjeld said.


State Rep. Alma Adams, D-Guilford, the Democratic nominee for the 12th Congressional District, said the sentiment in the Facebook post is insensitive.


“In today’s political climate it’s important to understand that we need leaders who understand the needs of all of our citizens and not make assumptions about people based on their race,” Adams said.


“Mark Walker’s comments are not only false but insensitive and insulting,” said Yvonne Johnson, a Greensboro City Council member and former Greensboro mayor.
Walker acknowledged Thursday that his Facebook post wasn’t as articulate as it could have been.

In his post Walker said there are exceptions to African American parents who don't raise their children to fit the right-wing model and he cited the mother of reactionary icon Ben Carson. So generous of Walker! As Howard Chubbs, pastor of the Greensboro's Providence Baptist Church pointed out, "Walker has no concept of our community." On his campaign website, Walker makes it clear that he's running for Congress because he thinks government needs to dictate a right-wing political agenda to families. It isn't any different from the platform Nazis ran on in German in the 1930s: "The breakdown of the American family is a tragic result of a systematic moral devastation. This travesty, created by our government, translates into many other problematic areas within our culture." The primary difference was that the Nazis' main target was the Jews; Walker's is African-Americans.

Fjeld will debate Walker on Fox-8 (WGHP) on October 29. Even if the DCCC is studiously ignoring the race, it's important to remember that Democrats hold a registration advantage in NC-06 and that Kay Hagen won the district in 2008. With someone as extreme as Walker in the race, advocating profoundly unAmerican ideas and a kind of right-wing radicalism that even scares many Republicans, this is a district a vaguely competent DCCC would have on the top of its target list. Alas, that isn't the case this cycle. Maybe Fjeld can do it on her own.

One of the sharpest political minds in the area belongs to Danielle Adams, a young progressive who was elected Durham County Soil & Water District Supervisor. I know Danielle from the People for the American Way's Young Elected Officials network. She's very much in touch with the deep agricultural roots that so many of the voters in NC-06 have and I asked her about Walker's diatribe on Facebook. This is what she told me a few hours ago:

Mr. Walker's post shows not only a lack of understanding of the communities around him but a severe lack of judgement and a very deep level of social and political ignorance that cannot be tolerated of a candidate seeking to serve in the United States House of Representatives.

He shows a lack of awareness of the government programs that systematically oppressed women and minorities while providing the privileges and comforts he now enjoys.

I take personal offense to his comments as a young black woman whose parents worked hard, went to four year universities and worked sometimes two jobs at a time, to ensure that my brothers and I could enjoy the America promised to us.

My parents, and their parents, and the previous generations of strong black and brown parents who served in our military, fought in American wars, worked as teachers, domestic workers, farmers and slaves, took enormous pride and joy in not only investing in, but sacrificing for their children. I am the product of that.

Saying that the entitlement programs of the 60s, to black and brown people have taught us "...to believe that the federal government is designed to provide for every aspect, need or want, of their lives" is one of the biggest falsehoods out there. It is incumbent on any person running for office in our nation to understand the history of entitlements before making egregious blanket judgement on the constituents they purport to want serve. Mr. Walker could use an education based in reality, not privilege.

That's an authentic 21st Century North Carolina voice. Walker may be using Facebook, but his perspective is straight out of the 18th Century.

Not All The Bad News In North Carolina Comes From Republicans

A young member of Congress, Don Young (R-AK), mostly senile these days

When Valerie Foushee replaced Ellie Kinnnaird in the North Carolina state Senate, she gave up her District 50 state House seat (Orange and Durham counties), Thursday, a 4 person selection committee, two Democrats from each county) voted to replace her with Graig Meyer. There were 7 candidates, including, Danielle Adams, whose responses to the committee's questionnaire are here-- and very much worth reading. Meyer, a white male with no experience in elective office, will serve out the rest of Foushee's term, just over a year.

There were 3 women running, all of whom do have elective experience, Danielle, who is the Durham County Soil and Water Conservation district supervisor, Laurin Easthom, a Chapel Hill Town Council member, and Orange County Commissioner Bernadette Pelissier. None of the other males had ever been elected to anything either and none of them got any of the 269 votes cast in the first round of voting (97 from the 2 Durham members and 172 from the 2 Orange members). It was all split between the 3 women and Meyer. In the second round Meyer was unanimously selected.

Meyer sounds like he might be a pretty good guy but this was hardly the most progressive move these four members of the vacancy committee could have made. After all, they chose to fill the vacancy left by a female person of color with... another heterosexual white male, a group overly-represented in the North Carolina legislature-- and not only overly represented on the Republican side of the aisle.

How significant is this? If you don't know, ask a woman. Ask a woman of color. There are 28 women in the North Carolina House out of 120 members-- 16 of whom are Democrats. This means that progressive women hold 16 of the 43 Democratic seats (37.20%) and progressive women make up just 13.33% of the entire state legislature. When you have a vacancy left by a progressive woman and you have three overly qualified elected officials who are all women vying for that seat why would you choose a male with no prior experience?

The research is pretty clear that when Democrats put women in office, they favor equal rights amendments, oppose parental consent, oppose prohibiting abortion, oppose the death penalty, oppose nuclear power, and believe the private sector can't solve all problems-- all things that have impacted North Carolina since Art Pope managed to buy the state government for the Republicans.

For young women of color, this is an especially lousy message. Of the 7,383 state legislators in the U.S., 238 of them are women of color! That's a demographic that voted at least 95% for Obama as a block but it is a demographic that makes up just 3% of legislators in our nation. And, as far as young people… the Democratic Party is as oriented towards electing geriatric cases as the Republican Party is.

Democrats aren't getting any younger. At least, their top leaders aren't.

Voters under the age of 30 were key to President Obama's electoral success. But Obama's going gray and his most prominent potential successors aren't paragons of youth.

Hillary Clinton, who would be the presumptive Democratic favorite for president the minute she decided to run, will be 69 in 2016. Vice President Biden is already 70.

The party's congressional leaders aren't spring chickens, either. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California are both 73. Pelosi's top two lieutenants in House leadership are also septuagenarians.

Overall, the average age of Democrats in Congress tops 60, with the party's caucuses in both the House and Senate skewing older than the Republicans.

…Obama, who was 47 when he first took office, depended on the youth vote, particularly in his re-election effort.

His share of the vote of those under 30 actually slid from 66 percent to 60 percent between 2008 and 2012, but young voters made up his margin of difference in essential states such as Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Virginia.

…Younger voters are more likely to be liberal and identify themselves as Democrats than the population as a whole. Nearly two-thirds of those under 30 favor same-sex-marriage rights and keeping abortion legal in most cases, according to exit polling last November-- much higher numbers than among those who are older.

"The other side happens to be full of younger faces with old ideas," says Mo Elleithee, a Democratic consultant who worked on Clinton's 2008 campaign… "Paul Ryan is a young guy"-- the Wisconsin representative was 42 when he served as the GOP's vice presidential pick in 2012-- "but he didn't do well with young voters because of his ideas and his vision," Elleithee says.

We're disappointed Danielle didn't get the appointment. She has three more years on her Durham County term and I hope we'll be seeing her run for higher office after that.

Danielle Adams Withdrawing From Her North Carolina Congressional Race, But...

Durham County Soil & Water District Supervisor Danielle Adams, a young and promising YEO from North Carolina has decided to withdraw her candidacy for Congress. This is bad news for progressives because it leaves the Democratic nomination open to some hack garden variety Democrat with no chance of winning the seat. However, it might not be bad news for North Carolina because the reason Danielle withdrew was so she could contest a suddenly opened state House seat.

"Nothing about the choice has been easy," she told me yesterday. "The recent government shutdown illuminated to me that the kind of politics one has to play at the Congressional level isn't conducive to my personality... rather I'm not quite suited for what is required of a candidate. I don't want to be that kind of candidate or elected official-- I'm an issues person. Someone who cares about doing what's right and protecting my constituents." This is the questionnaire she filed out for the Democratic Party appointment to the House District 50 seat:

1) What are the three most important issues facing NC House District 50? If appointed, how will you address those issues?

The top three issues facing the district are environmental quality, rural economic development, and land preservation.

House 50, by census standards, is a rural district that is blessed with incredible beauty and abundant natural resources. With increased urbanization and a dismantling of environmental regulations by the Republican majorities, it is more important than ever to have an environmental champion serving this district. In the legislature I would work to ensure that we work to protect our natural resources through reasonable regulation while listening to experts on air, water, forestry, and soil quality in the district.

Rural economic development is a huge issue for the district. In the General Assembly I would ensure that local officials were supported in being able to create the transportation and water and sewer infrastructure needed to attract businesses to the community without overstepping or preempting the authority of county and municipal governments.

Farmland preservation is another critical issue facing House 50. According to 2011 Ag Statistics, Durham County has 242 farms encompassing 26,150 acres-- much of which lies in the district and Orange County boasts 604 active farms covering 60,057 acres of lush land. These operations had cash receipts of $9,207,598 and $27,448,205 which clearly indicate how vital it is to ensure that landowners are capable of keeping their land without feeling the need to sell to developers. I would work to ensure the Farmland Preservation Trust Fund has a reoccurring budget that is adequate to compensate landowners for giving up their development rights.

2) Have you ever run for elective office? If yes, what office(s) did you seek and how did you place (first, second, etc), and what percent of the total vote did you earn?

I ran for office in both 2008 and 2012. On both occasions I ran for the Durham County Soil and Water Conservation District Board of Supervisors and came in first place both times in a field of three. In 2012 I performed very well in the precincts making up the NC House 50 District and outperformed the Republican Party challenger who out raised me 6 to 1 during the election.

Comparatively, even with the voter drop­off to my down ballot race, I was able to receive more votes than Senator Foushee in the precincts that are wholly included in the House district. In 2008 I received a total of 42,059 votes or 45.61% of the votes and in 2012 I received 80,043 votes or 72.09% of the vote.

3) How will you promote economic development while protecting our watersheds?

House 50 is home of some of the world’s top pharmaceutical, R&D, defense, and technology companies and to some of the most beautiful working agricultural land in our region. It is important for the district to continue to strike a balance between rural economic development and conscientious natural resource conservation and preservation.

Capitalizing on the top notch institutions of higher education in Orange and Durham counties as well as the world class research being conducted in RTP ­ in the General Assembly I will work to continue to make North Carolina a great place to do business and to live. This would involve reevaluating our corporate tax structure to make sure that the tax breaks given to businesses that relocate to North Carolina really are investing and contributing to our communities while ensuring that we are able to attract businesses to the area with the availability of tax-­advantaged corporate parks in our rural corridors.

Because House 50 is encompasses the Upper Eno River Basin and is a key portion of the Upper Neuse River Basin I would continue to push for investments in Farmland Preservation-- as well as protections for our critical watershed areas. Due to my background as an elected official, for me, this means budget investments in Soil and Water Conservation, DENR, and the Department of Agriculture. These investments would help grow our district’s various agribusinesses (e.g. forestry, equine, aquaculture, and dairy) while providing funding for best management practices cost share, watershed monitoring, and wetland and watershed protections.

4) What is your record as a public official or what other experience demonstrates your ability to be effective in the NC House of Representatives? (This might include career or community service; be specific about its relevance to this office.)

I currently represent twelve counties from Area IV on the legislative committee of the NC Soil and Water association for soil and water districts and serve as secretary of the Durham district. I am the immediate past secretary of the state association. I also serve as an ex­-officio member of the Upper Neuse River Basin Association representing six Soil and Water Districts.

I am an ambassador to Oxfam America's Sisters on the Planet advocacy program where I've lobbied on Capitol Hill for funding for climate change adaptation and mitigation, as well as for other policies that impact global hunger issues like rising food prices, and sustainable agriculture in drought­-stricken communities. I’ve also lobbied on the Hill on behalf of the National Cattleman's Beef Association and the National Grange for rural broadband access.

I am a member of the Young Elected Officials Network (a sub­organization of the People for the American Way) and serve on the "Ensuring a Sustainable Future" policy council where we develop annual progressive policy focuses for the 700+ past and present members. I also serve as State Director for the network and recruit, mentor, and assist progressive young candidates and elected officials in NC.

I served as the Alternative Transportation project manager for Appalachian State University where I proudly introduced ride-sharing, car sharing, and revamped our entire transportation program while facilitating cooperation between ASU and the Boone Town Council.

I received Spectacular Magazine's Emerging Leader Woman of the Year and NCASWCD's Outstanding Supervisor of the Year awards.

5) Have you ever owned a business or managed people? Please explain your experience.

I have not ever owned a business, however, I do not view this as a disadvantage. Outside of management experiences from an elected capacity, my experiences have been within academic or political forms. In 2002 I won my first election for office while an undergraduate at Shenandoah University where I served as both the freshman class and sophomore class vice presidents. I began managing various campaigns for myself and others over the past 10+ years.

In my tenure as an elected official in Durham I have had the opportunity to be supported by an outstanding department of Soil and Water staff, that is very responsive and works hard to comply with the wishes of our board, and I have served on numerous local, state, and national boards-- where these positions of leadership have required management communication with staff.

I was recently elected as a co­-chair of the Young Elected Officials Network Black Caucus, where I assist in the organization of policy positions and actions by our members. One current project is working with our colleagues in Florida and nationwide to help repeal “Stand Your Ground” laws. As State Director for the network, I work with other progressive young elected officials by ensuring that information is disseminated, that they are connected with nationwide partners, and working with staff to ensure that candidates and officials get the support they need.

These leadership and managerial experiences serve as examples of my energy, enthusiasm, and fearlessness in service.

6) Currently, Republicans have a majority in the House, Senate, and Executive Office. What is your strategic plan for securing bipartisan support?

The Division of Soil and Water is currently under the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, a department headed by Republican Commissioner Steve Troxler. Since being elected in 2008, I have been surrounded by numerous conservative voices in the world of Soil and Water Conservation. I have grown to understand what is necessary to compromise and work with less progressive voices. As a result, I have matured into becoming a pragmatic progressive capable of reaching across the aisle to move forward policies that are in the best interest of the community.

I believe this history makes me uniquely qualified to fill the vacancy over other candidates. In Durham and Orange counties it is easy to get comfortable in our Democratic and progressive safe havens but in my position, I have had to continually work with Republicans to advocate for legislation that is important to Soil and Water Districts.

I currently serve as one of eight supervisors (out of 496) on the NC Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts’ Legislative Committee. In this capacity I have seen that the Republicans not only have majorities in the House, Senate, and Executive-- that hold majorities in the eyes of our rural, agricultural communities. I’ve had almost five years of experience working hand in hand with conservatives and strategically, I strongly believe that it is possible to bring House 50 what it needs because I know how to speak to the shared values we all have so that we can move forward.

7) Do you plan to run in the 2014 primary? If so, please explain how you plan to be re­elected. Do you have support to win the primary and general election?

Absolutely. If given the opportunity to serve I would not wait idly by until the legislature convenes in May. I believe that the two most important questions a public servant can ask their constituents are “What do you need?” and “How can I help?” If appointed to fill the vacancy I would immediately set out to hold town hall meetings and speak to residents find out what they need and how I can help.

As a Supervisor I’ve learned that the best way to serve my community and gain their support, is to get to know the people in it and to take care of them. A strategy I believe proved successful in the almost doubling of my 2012 vote totals (a lower turnout election) over 2008.

I am confident I would have support to win in both the primary and general elections as I have a strong base and strong community ties in Durham, and strong relationships and support in Orange County as well. These relationship have been forged over years of participation in the former 4th Congressional District and in my work with Soil and Water, working with Orange and Durham County districts while serving on the Upper Neuse River Basin Association.

An advantage that I possess is that I have a built in campaign team from my previous elections and my 6th Congressional District exploratory committee that is ready and waiting for the green light to win this seat and keep it blue.

8) This position comes with little pay; however, it requires a lot of time. How will you manage employment and time commitments as a NC House representative?

The reality of the current economic climate is that many recipients of higher education and many highly skilled workers are unemployed or underemployed. I fall into the group of the latter. Although not ideal, being underemployed has not only increased my resolve to defend students, workers, and families it has provided me the time to dedicate to my constituents in my current elected position.

I fervently believe that our General Assembly should transition to becoming a professional body so that our Representatives are wholly committed to the people they serve in.

9) What bills are you yearning to introduce?

I would love to usher North Carolina into a new progressive era by introducing a variety of new bills:

●  Paid sick leave

●  A Corporate Responsibility Act that would prohibit the state from awarding 
contracts over a certain financial threshold amount to businesses or individuals that contribute to candidates, political parties, or sitting office holders

●  Campaign Finance Reform that limits special interests and provides for public financing of statewide races.

●  Deceptive Practices Provision that would create stronger penalties for individuals and organizations that intentionally communicate materially false information about the time, place, manner, qualifications, or restrictions on voter eligibility with regard to elections in North Carolina.

●  Success in Higher Education Act that would create collaboration between public four­year institutions and community colleges that would award students who transfer into four year institutions the opportunity to receive an Associate’s degree upon completion of 60 credit hours of coursework if they meet the requirements of an available Associate’s degree program.

●  Financial Literacy Education Act that would require personal financial literacy to be incorporated into existing Math curriculum in public secondary schools.

●  Right to Rent Act allowing low to moderate value homeowners facing foreclosure to remain in their homes as renters at the fair market value of their home which can often be less than what their current mortgage values are.

●  Domestic and Migrant Workers Bill of Rights/Protections.

●  Universal health care/single­payer system.


10) What are your positions on the laws concerning voter suppression, reduced access to abortion services, the refusal to expand Medicaid, and charter school expansion?


I believe that every eligible voter has a right to participate in fair elections and that any measures put in place to suppress voters in that process are unjust and deplorable. Public officials should do all that we can to increase voter participation and ensure easier access to the ballot box.


I believe that the reduced access to abortion services and the intrusion of our government into the discussions of a woman’s health between her and her doctor are affronts on the millions of women across our state. The reproductive health choices made by women are deeply personal and done so thoughtfully, I am fundamentally opposed to limiting access to a clean and safe abortion. Women in all economic classes should have access to the same care.


I believe it was cruel, immoral, and unjust to deny Medicaid expansion. I stand by the need of the coverage and always support the accessibility, affordability, and availability of care to all North Carolinians.


I am the product of the Durham Public School system and I am proud of the fact that my high school, Durham School of the Arts, was ranked 1st in North Carolina for Best High School by US News and World Report. I believe it is necessary to provide parents with educational options for their children but I do not believe that diverting taxpayer dollars to expand the Charter School system instead of investing in per pupil spending, raising teacher pay, and investing in Teaching Fellows-- is sound legislative policy.

She also told me that she would like to contribute the $939 Blue America had raised for her back to the PAC. "I would like to take all of the money donated to my campaign through Blue America donors and donate it to the general Blue America campaign fund. The money should go towards progressive candidates that have a real shot at winning." I'm pretty sure this isn't the last time we'll be hearing from Danielle Adams.

Meet Danielle Adams, A Progressive Champion Running In North Carolina

Howard Coble first won his North Carolina congressional seat in 1984, narrowly beating a freshman Democrat by riding Ronald Reagan's formidable coattails. The rematch in '86 was even tighter but Coble won, 72,329 to 72,250... 79 votes! Coble, a pretty mainstream conservative has never had a close call again. The longest-serving congressmember in North Carolina history, no opponent has ever reached 40% against him. But he's 84, not well and in and out of hospitals for the last 4 years-- most recently last month. There's been lots of speculation about Coble retiring, but he's popular enough in the folksy, mostly rural 6th district-- which includes Mt. Airy, Andy Griffith's hometown and the model for Mayberry-- so that he can die in office if that's what he wants. Despite that, two crazed Tea Party extremists, religionist loon Bradley Walker and financial consultant Don Webb, have both started nasty primary fights against him. Neither has a snowball's chance in hell. The Republican Establishment already has it's candidate lined up if Coble should, for any reason, not run in 2014: Phil Berger, Jr., son of Phil Berger, the president pro tem of the state Senate, one of the masterminds behind the extreme anti-democracy jihad that has driven down the approval ratings of the North Carolina legislature to historic lows. Junior is the district attorney of Rockingham County and the district was recently gerrymandered with the object of Junior succeeding Coble.

Democrats don't quite see it that way. The DC Beltway crowd dug up some non-partisan type hack who doesn't stand for anything beyond mom and apple pie, Laura Fjeld. The DCCC recruited her, despite the fact that she has no record whatsoever in any kind of civic engagement on any level. But the good news is that there is also a young progressive woman running, Danielle Adams, who was elected Durham County Soil & Water District Supervisor and is very popular with that same agricultural base that has been so loyal to Coble.

We know Danielle because she is a mentor at People for the American Way's Young Elected Officials Network and she is often talked about as one North Carolina's great young hopes. Fjeld's Republican-lite strategy isn't going to win a race against a real Republican. Danielle's record of civic engagement and her down-to-eath populism is the only shot Democrats have to win this very tough R+10 district. (While Obama was winning statewide against McCain, the 6th only gave him 43% of it's vote.)

"We have a serious representation problem in North Carolina," Danielle told me this morning. "This is a state that hasn't seen the election of a woman of color to Congress in 20 years, a state lacking in progressive female representation at the national level and a lack of young progressive leadership at the state and national level... in a state that prides itself on higher education and young entrepreneurship. These are signs of politics as usual and a lack of true representative government, these are signs that there needs to be a change.

"I grew up in a North Carolina where I believed wholeheartedly in our motto that this was the land where the weak grow strong and the strong grow great, that my opportunities were as limitless as our crisp blue skies and that the biggest fight that you'd ever get into other than Duke vs. UNC vs. NC State was whether or not Eastern BBQ is better than Western BBQ. I grew up believing that if I worked hard, did well in school, stayed out of trouble and stayed true to my family and faith that I could graduate from the college of my choice, get a good job, settle down, buy a house, start a family, and retire securely. That North Carolina, the one I grew up in no longer exists. That North Carolina doesn't exist for too many of the residents of the 6th district and that means the American Dream is gone. I believe that dream is worth fighting for and it is time for a new generation of leadership to come in and move us forward."

And suddenly she was on fire. "We are more than what divides us. We are a district of strong communities that need to be united together to solve problems, not divided. We are more than black and white, rural or urban, rich and poor, young and old, farmer and banker, haves and have nots, gay or straight... and we are certainly more than Democrats and Republicans. We are communities are friends, families, and neighborhoods that are just as diverse as our nation is. In that we deserve leadership that fights for the common good, which is why I'm running-- to unite everyone and provide a voice for all communities in the 6th district. This district deserves representation that fights for a full realized Farm Bill that includes SNAP funding for under privileged communities. Access to fresh and healthy foods is the right of not only families in rural communities but families that live in urban centers. Access to clean drinking water is also a right, not an issue that should be skirted over or delayed. Representation committed to ensuring access to these basic fundamental rights is lacking in North Carolina and in Washington and it is time for that to change.

"This is a district of diverse communities that deserves the representation for all, not the representation of some. Being a young, African American female who has close to $50,000 in student loan debt, is under employed for my level of education, is uninsured, a renter, and losing sight on the American promise, I believe I am uniquely capable of providing a multitude of perspectives that are truly representative of the people who live in my community and neighboring ones.

"We are tired of elected leaders putting personal gain and personal politics over the people they are sworn to serve. This district expects more and deserves more than the same old pay to play politics that is rampant in Washington."

Sounds good? Even though she's from a different political party, she'd be an amazing successor to Howard Coble, one who would bring honor, esteem hardwork and incredible energy to a district that often gets lost in the shuffle. If you'd like to give her a hand, she's the most recent addition to the Blue America page.