The Daily Tar Heel editorial board’s 2014 endorsements

U.S. SENATE

Sen. Kay Hagan is neither the perfect senator nor the perfect candidate. But the combination of her record and the dangerous ideas of her opponent is enough for this board to lend her our endorsement.

We believe poverty and economic inequality are the gravest problems afflicting both North Carolina and the country. Hagan’s anti-austerity policies are far better suited to addressing poverty and its attendant problems than those of Rep. Thom Tillis. We view her support of a higher minimum wage as indicative of a real desire to address the needs of the poor.

Hagan has a strong environmental record. Tillis, when asked if he believed climate change was a scientific fact, replied that he did not. In a state facing massive pollution from fracking and agricultural runoff, anyone willing to turn a blind eye is not fit to lead.

Tillis has pledged to spend valuable time and taxpayer money fighting to preserve North Carolina’s ban on same-sex marriage. Any politician willing to fight to the bitter end to protect laws dehumanizing parts of his constituency cannot be trusted to make North Carolina a better place to live.

If elected, Hagan should stick to her progressive guns and continue to take decisive action on behalf of the state’s neediest citizens.

U.S. HOUSE David Price is a proven leader and educator. He should be reelected as the representative for U.S. House District 4. Price is a former public policy professor at Duke University and has served nearly three decades in the House. Price has authored legislation aimed at restructuring campaign finance. He recently named economic recovery and tax code reform as two of his highest priorities. Price’s opponent, Paul Wright, is a lawyer from Mount Olive. Defunding “Obamacare” and fighting “de-Christianization” seem to be his main priorities. David Price is the more qualified candidate. But voters should ask more of the 13-term incumbent — given his seniority, Price has the capacity to be a more active voice in a tumultuous Congress.

U.S. HOUSE Residents of the 6th Congressional District should vote for Laura Fjeld. Her experience as vice president and general counsel of the UNC system will prepare her well to defend education. The state’s modern Republican Party owes its origins to race-baiting. Fjeld’s opponent, Mark Walker, represents a continuation of this tradition.  His diatribes against the federal government have ugly roots, as does his emphasis on food stamps, welfare cheats and broken families destroyed by “lavish entitlements.” Walker even touts his visits to the “inner city” of Baltimore, New York and Cleveland.  These “once-proud communities,” he laments, are “now addicted to the secular seduction of governmental assistance.” All voters should reject candidates like Walker.

N.C. SENATE Incumbent Valerie Foushee is the clear choice for N.C. Senate in the 23rd District. At the forefront of her concerns is K-12 education, which she argues must be strengthened to keep North Carolina schools competitive. She has been an outspoken opponent of Amendment 1 and new, restrictive voter ID laws. Her co-sponsorship of a bill to expand Medicaid coverage to those below the federal poverty line demonstrates her commitment to citizens most in need. Meanwhile, Foushee’s opponent, Mary Lopez-Carter, has implied she does not believe health care to be a right. Lopez-Carter’s vague and unconstructive platform is also cause for concern. If elected, Foushee will continue to be a capable voice for Orange County in the N.C. Senate.

N.C. HOUSE Voters in District 56 should vote for incumbent Verla Insko. In addition to her nine terms in the House, Insko has extensive experience in Chapel Hill politics: eight years on the Board of Education and four years on the Orange County Board of Commissioners. We respect the value she places on quality public schools. She advocates for reduced budget cuts and teacher pay raises for all public schools. Insko advocates for the expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, which would benefit as many as 500,000 low-income residents. She also supports raising the minimum wage and restoring a graduated tax structure. Her opponent, David Carter, says he believes in job creation but lacks specificity on policies directly meant to help the poor. 

N.C. HOUSE Residents of District 50 should reelect Rep. Graig Meyer. He wants to repeal recent N.C. voting laws, guarantee equal pay for women and promote full rights for members of the LGBTQ community. Meyer should be celebrated for his willingness to clearly answer to such pressing issues. His opponent’s goals and motives are not as clear. 

Rodney Chaney describes himself as the “pro-liberty, pro-rights, pro-constitution candidate,” which is hard to argue with, but has not been at all specific in how he might legislate those views. Such facile politics rarely inspire progress. Voters who still have faith that the political structure should be more practical than rhetorical should show their support for Graig Meyer on election day. 

BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS Voters should choose Mia Burroughs for District 1’s Orange County Commissioner seat because of her experience in government, a focus on serving underprivileged communities and a strong belief in the benevolent role of local government. The candidate formerly served the community as the chair of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro School Board and has been its vice chair since 2011. Her opponent, Gary Kahn of Chapel Hill, has admitted he has “no real qualified background” to serve in local government when interviewed by Chapelboro last fall during a failed bid for a town council seat. Mia Burroughs will continue to serve Orange County well if elected to the Board of County Commissioners.