It’s 12:01 in the morning and I hope that, unlike me, you’re in bed instead of preparing to walk back onto the floor of the NC House so the Republicans can ram their budget bill through in the dead of night, under the cover of darkness. What a way to start a birthday, right?
I won’t mince words: this sucks. The lack of transparency and flouting of procedure sucks for our democracy. The provisions of this budget suck for all of our state employees and our working families and everyone who had hoped to see a state that gave a damn about them. And I have to admit, sometimes it’s hard not to feel helpless in the face of this GOP supermajority.
But while this day may seem bleak, we have the power to change things. We have another election coming down the road, and if we work hard, we can win it and take our state back. |
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If we want to win it, though, we have to remember what got us here. We have to look inward. In 2022, our party’s statewide candidates fell flat. Part of that is just structural—we only elect the big row offices like Governor and Secretary of State and Treasurer every four years, so it was entirely up to our US Senate candidate and a handful of statewide judges to provide the kind of infrastructure that normally gets split between way more campaigns. But we also failed to build the kind of broad coalition that we know we need to win.
We need candidates who will inspire people. We need candidates who will show North Carolinians a different way from the GOP and this budget—what’s possible when we have a state that invests in our people.
Because right now, instead, the GOP supermajority is passing a budget that they should have passed three months ago. Instead of setting our state up for success, they’re hollowing out our government services through tax cuts for the people who are already doing well financially. They’re giving our state employees pittance raises that don’t even come close to keeping up with inflation and the rising cost of living, even while our ability to hire and retain employees is at a crisis. And in doing so, they’re denying the people of our state their American birthright: opportunity.
The only way forward now is to double down on our commitment to democracy and work hard to elect candidates who will build that statewide coalition, who will invest in building up our party and fighting for every single vote. I’ll be frank, John, I need you with me if we’re going to win this. The work to win in 2024 starts with your contribution to this campaign.
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So this is a pretty shitty way to start my thirty-seventh birthday, but I’m keeping my head up. Because it’s still not too late to fight hard, win in 2024, and reverse course. Because I know that with your help, John, my thirty-eighth birthday next year will see us on the cusp of building a new day for North Carolina, preparing to elect leaders who are committed to helping us reach our potential. |
In this fight together,
Wesley Harris |
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Wesley Harris is a North Carolina native and the only PhD economist in the General Assembly. First elected in 2018, he has been fighting hard for the residents of southern Mecklenburg County and working to make our state the best place in the country to live, work, and start a family. Now, Wesley is running for Treasurer to make an investment in our state's greatest asset, it's people. Together, Wesley believes that we can unlock our potential and build opportunity for every North Carolinian.
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Paid for by Wesley Harris for NC Wesley Harris for NC
P.O. Box 77764
Charlotte, NC 28271
United States |
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