My journey into the world of public service was heavily shaped by my community and the people who raised me, especially my mom. I’ve spoken before about how some of my earliest memories are of her up into the late hours of the night, sitting at our kitchen table as she graded papers, putting her students first every time. Over her career, she really defined the word service, and she taught me the value of hard work and putting our community first.
A lot of folks don’t see all the hours and the hard work that our public employees put in to serve our state—but the reality of how much we ask of them was present in our household every single day. I saw firsthand the dedication and sacrifices that our educators make, and I saw how profoundly my mom’s work transformed her students’ lives.
Much the same is true of our other public employees who do the grunt work of keeping North Carolina running. Our public employees are more than just educators—they’re engineers who ensure that we have structurally-sound bridges to drive on, they’re DMV workers who are working their hardest to keep the line moving, they’re meat and poultry inspectors who help ensure that the food that reaches our tables is safe to eat, and so much more.
Our state employees work hard for us, and without them, our state won’t be able to function. It never made sense to me that some people don’t think they deserve the best benefits we can offer to them in thanks for that critical work. It’s one of the reasons I’m running for Treasurer, because we need someone in the Treasurer’s office who will be willing to safeguard their benefits and ensure that we can attract the best of the best to these important roles.
Every North Carolinian deserves access to quality healthcare and stable retirement options, but as a state, we have a special duty to provide those things to our public employees. They deserve the peace of mind of knowing that their service, their sacrifice, and their hard work will be rewarded. And as Treasurer, I’ll always be the advocate in our state employees’ corner.
The people who take care of our communities every day deserve to be taken care of in return. That’s why I’m asking you to please consider making a contribution to my campaign today—because I can’t make a difference without your support.
