Candidate Info Viewer (v6) - Wake County Democratic Party

Lisa Grafstein

NC Senate District 13

Candidate Statement:

I am honored to represent Senate District 13 because I believe in public service, and that we are here to make a difference. I have spent my legal career trying to do just that - advocating for people with disabilities, for workers facing unfair treatment, and for people whose civil rights have been violated.

North Carolina is a beautiful place with so much to offer. But our state faces many challenges. Some are the result of a decade or more of bad policy-making and a failure to invest in the people who live here.

Healthcare and public education have suffered because that's what happens when you starve systems of the funding they need and treat people as less important than profit.

Social divisions have deepened because that's what happens when you divide people for political and financial gain and refuse to acknowledge the dignity and humanity of every person.

Political divisions have hardened because that's what happens when you let elected officials pick their voters instead of voters choosing who they want to represent them.

There is a different way, and it is still achievable. We can commit to valuing each other and our communities, and to investing in our children, and to dismantling bad policies that divide us and hold us back.

Direct Quote:

We can despair and leave our community's fate in the hands of those who have different priorities. Or we can do the work. I will continue to do all I can in the North Carolina Senate to move our state forward.

Issues:

Economy

A productive and fair economy requires living wages, safe working conditions, and fair tax policies. Our state's policies for the last ten years have been harmful to workers and our economy and have failed to fund critical public goods like healthcare and education. Our wages have not kept up with the cost of living, and the state's anti-union laws undermine the ability of workers to organize for better conditions and wages. North Carolina's economy has grown dramatically in recent years, particularly in Southern Wake County. Big businesses that benefit from North Carolina's workforce and quality of life should pay what they owe in taxes.

EconomyA productive and fair economy requires living wages, safe working conditions, and fair tax policies. Our state's policies for the last ten years have been harmful to workers and our economy and have failed to fund critical public goods like healthcare and education. Our wages have not kept up with the cost of living, and the state's anti-union laws undermine the ability of workers to organize for better conditions and wages. North Carolina's economy has grown dramatically in recent years, particularly in Southern Wake County. Big businesses that benefit from North Carolina's workforce and quality of life should pay what they owe in taxes.

Healthcare & Reproductive Freedom

After years of relentless efforts by Governor Cooper and Democrats in the General Assembly, Medicaid Expansion went into effect on December 1, 2023. Hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians have been able to access coverage with Medicaid expansion, and I'm proud to have been part of the fight. Overturning Roe signaled a retreat from equal rights. It is up to us to step in. We have come too far to accept losing the right to control our own bodies and make our own healthcare decisions. We will have a healthier and more equitable community when we protect the right to abortion and reproductive freedom.

Healthcare & Reproductive FreedomAfter years of relentless efforts by Governor Cooper and Democrats in the General Assembly, Medicaid Expansion went into effect on December 1, 2023. Hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians have been able to access coverage with Medicaid expansion, and I'm proud to have been part of the fight. Overturning Roe signaled a retreat from equal rights. It is up to us to step in. We have come too far to accept losing the right to control our own bodies and make our own healthcare decisions. We will have a healthier and more equitable community when we protect the right to abortion and reproductive freedom.

Voting Rights

Our power to have a say in our government has been eroded by extreme gerrymandering and efforts to make it more difficult to vote. There are three core values that should drive our system of elections: Voters should choose their representatives - not the other way around. We need a non-partisan redistricting commission to prevent gerrymandering and ensure that all citizens have an equal say in elections that impact our daily lives. All voters should have ample opportunities to cast their vote, both in person and by absentee ballot. Our electoral system must be fully funded so we have strong processes and adequate staffing at every level and in all locations.

Voting RightsOur power to have a say in our government has been eroded by extreme gerrymandering and efforts to make it more difficult to vote. There are three core values that should drive our system of elections: Voters should choose their representatives - not the other way around. We need a non-partisan redistricting commission to prevent gerrymandering and ensure that all citizens have an equal say in elections that impact our daily lives. All voters should have ample opportunities to cast their vote, both in person and by absentee ballot. Our electoral system must be fully funded so we have strong processes and adequate staffing at every level and in all locations.

Economy

A productive and fair economy requires living wages, safe working conditions, and fair tax policies. Our state's policies for the last ten years have been harmful to workers and our economy and have failed to fund critical public goods like healthcare and education. Our wages have not kept up with the cost of living, and the state's anti-union laws undermine the ability of workers to organize for better conditions and wages. North Carolina's economy has grown dramatically in recent years, particularly in Southern Wake County. Big businesses that benefit from North Carolina's workforce and quality of life should pay what they owe in taxes.

EconomyA productive and fair economy requires living wages, safe working conditions, and fair tax policies. Our state's policies for the last ten years have been harmful to workers and our economy and have failed to fund critical public goods like healthcare and education. Our wages have not kept up with the cost of living, and the state's anti-union laws undermine the ability of workers to organize for better conditions and wages. North Carolina's economy has grown dramatically in recent years, particularly in Southern Wake County. Big businesses that benefit from North Carolina's workforce and quality of life should pay what they owe in taxes.

Healthcare & Reproductive Freedom

After years of relentless efforts by Governor Cooper and Democrats in the General Assembly, Medicaid Expansion went into effect on December 1, 2023. Hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians have been able to access coverage with Medicaid expansion, and I'm proud to have been part of the fight. Overturning Roe signaled a retreat from equal rights. It is up to us to step in. We have come too far to accept losing the right to control our own bodies and make our own healthcare decisions. We will have a healthier and more equitable community when we protect the right to abortion and reproductive freedom.

Healthcare & Reproductive FreedomAfter years of relentless efforts by Governor Cooper and Democrats in the General Assembly, Medicaid Expansion went into effect on December 1, 2023. Hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians have been able to access coverage with Medicaid expansion, and I'm proud to have been part of the fight. Overturning Roe signaled a retreat from equal rights. It is up to us to step in. We have come too far to accept losing the right to control our own bodies and make our own healthcare decisions. We will have a healthier and more equitable community when we protect the right to abortion and reproductive freedom.

Voting Rights

Our power to have a say in our government has been eroded by extreme gerrymandering and efforts to make it more difficult to vote. There are three core values that should drive our system of elections: Voters should choose their representatives - not the other way around. We need a non-partisan redistricting commission to prevent gerrymandering and ensure that all citizens have an equal say in elections that impact our daily lives. All voters should have ample opportunities to cast their vote, both in person and by absentee ballot. Our electoral system must be fully funded so we have strong processes and adequate staffing at every level and in all locations.

Voting RightsOur power to have a say in our government has been eroded by extreme gerrymandering and efforts to make it more difficult to vote. There are three core values that should drive our system of elections: Voters should choose their representatives - not the other way around. We need a non-partisan redistricting commission to prevent gerrymandering and ensure that all citizens have an equal say in elections that impact our daily lives. All voters should have ample opportunities to cast their vote, both in person and by absentee ballot. Our electoral system must be fully funded so we have strong processes and adequate staffing at every level and in all locations.

External Candidate Links:

Lisa Grafstein's Website