Name: Maria Cervania

Age: 58

Party affiliation: Democrat

Campaign website: https://mariafornc.com/

Occupation & employer: NC State Representative – North Carolina General Assembly

Years lived in the area: 12 years

1. What in your background qualifies you to represent the people of your North Carolina district effectively? What would you cite as your three biggest career accomplishments? 

My background includes public health, local governance, and state policymaking. Having worked as an epidemiologist and biostatistician, my professional life has always strived to understand complex systems and analyze information and data in order to improve the situation. Being a member of the Wake County Board of Commissioners gave me practical knowledge of budgeting, public health, public education, infrastructure, housing, and emergency management, as well as the challenges faced by one of the fastest-growing counties in the country. Currently, as a member of the North Carolina House in House District 41, my experience informs my work in health care, appropriations, energy and utilities, education, oversight, and property tax policy. 

Three key accomplishments include: first, being part of the team that led Wake County through significant growth and the COVID-19 pandemic and still invested in public safety, schools, and quality of life; second, working on policies that increase efficiency of the government for residents by making healthcare more affordable, providing proper property tax relief, improving public health, and protecting consumers from increasing expenses; third, bringing a public health and evidence-based approach to the work of the North Carolina General Assembly while dealing with such cross-cutting topics as Medicaid, affordable healthcare, energy policy, and property tax policy.

2. What do you believe to be the three most pressing issues facing the next General Assembly? What steps do you believe the state should take to address them?

“Affordability is the first issue. The cost of housing, property taxes, childcare, health care, insurance, utilities, and other essential services is taking up more of the family budget. The state should address the needs of those affected by this problem (most of us North Carolinians) and work toward increasing the supply of housing across price points, with a particular focus on affordable and workforce housing, expanding property tax relief for homeowners with low and modest incomes, providing childcare, and considering policies that shift costs to consumers.

The second issue is health care. Proposed federal changes to Medicaid will affect health care coverage for all as well as the fiscal soundness of health care providers and hospitals. North Carolina should make sure that coverage is protected for Medicaid, build the health care workforce, increase behavioral health care and keep working toward lowering health care costs.

The third issue is managing North Carolina’s fast growth. This involves properly financing public education, transportation, water/sewer infrastructure, energy supply, housing and resiliency from disasters, not letting the cost of growth shift to counties, municipalities and individuals.”

3. Federal cuts to Medicaid are expected to cost the state $50 billion over the next decade, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. How would you address Medicaid funding to maintain coverage for the millions of North Carolinians enrolled?

“The loss of about $50 billion of federal Medicaid funding will have major impacts on North Carolina. Protecting Medicaid has been one of my priorities in serving on the Health and Appropriations committees, with an ongoing effort to oppose any cuts and barriers to Medicaid.

This has included co-sponsorship of legislation to protect Medicaid expansion, changes to the federal funding trigger, increased payments for Medicaid personal care and private duty nursing, modernization of Medicaid dental rates, Medicaid telehealth expansion, protection of Medicaid autism services, and reduction of maternal morbidity and mortality through Medicaid.

As we move into the future, protecting coverage needs to remain a budget priority. North Carolina needs to fully fund its Medicaid mandate, preserve Medicaid expansion, use all federal dollars wisely, and invest in the hospitals and providers that treat Medicaid recipients. The state needs to keep investing in primary and preventive care, behavioral health, maternal health, and community-based care while fighting any policy efforts that will needlessly take coverage away from eligible individuals.

The federal government should not cut its budget at the expense of billions of dollars worth of health care costs being dumped on North Carolina families, hospitals, providers, and taxpayers. North Carolina has made significant gains in health care. The next General Assembly needs to protect those gains instead of undoing them.”

4. The General Assembly has voted to put a constitutional amendment on ballots that, if passed, would put a cap on property tax increases. Do you support the amendment? Why or why not?

Property tax relief is needed, but the constitutional amendment being suggested as a means to this end is not the right route to take. The amendment does not provide for any set limit or an actual solution to reduce anyone’s property tax bill. It seeks to amend the Constitution to compel a future General Assembly to enact limits on increases in local property tax levies, rather than on appraised values or individual property tax bills. This is talking about property tax levies, which are the total amount of property-tax revenue a local government collects, rather than the tax rate or an individual homeowner’s tax bill. 

Having served as Wake County Commissioner, I have gone through the budget process at the local level and attest to how property taxes are used: public education, public safety (Sheriff/law enforcement, fire and EMS services), roadways, parks, library systems, low-cost housing, and other infrastructure. Our county, which is growing incredibly quickly, has costs that do not just go away because revenues have been capped. That was one of the arguments against the amendment that I have made.

Actual solutions would be property tax relief that includes stronger protections for homesteads, circuit breakers for senior citizens and people living with disabilities, and relief for property owners facing rising property taxes they cannot afford. The legislature should address the actual causes of rising tax bills before placing a broad mandate in the Constitution.

5. How would you address the rising costs of housing, childcare, and basic necessities facing North Carolina families?

“Affordability should be considered in terms of family budgets, not as a list of separate issues.

In terms of housing, there is a need in North Carolina for a larger variety of housing types at different prices, affordability and workforce housing incentives, maintaining current affordable housing, and infrastructure investment that will allow communities to handle growth.

In terms of childcare, the state needs stabilization funds, increased reimbursement rates, and legislation that allows childcare providers to pay their employees without all the cost falling on the parents.

Relief from property taxes should focus on homeowners most likely to be pushed out by higher costs. Costs of health care and prescriptions also need to be looked at, since they make up a significant part of families’ budgets. The same is true for utilities (especially electricity), where costs need to be shouldered by industry, not passed to consumers.”

6. Climate disasters are intensifying: Hurricane Helene devastated Western North Carolina in 2024, Tropical Storm Chantal flooded the Triangle in 2025, and coastal erosion threatens the Outer Banks. With much affordable housing located in flood-prone areas and FEMA resources stretched thin, what is your plan for climate resilience and disaster relief?

“Disaster policy cannot be set up only once a disaster has already happened. Planning during a disaster is too late. I learned this most especially during my work in emergency management in the aftermath of Hurricanes Rita and Katrina. Fast forward to my tenure as a Wake County Commissioner, when it was a privilege to serve and contribute to the 100 Counties Task Force of the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners. We develop training, resources, and relationships to effectively prepare for, respond to, and lead their communities through emergencies and disasters.

North Carolina should focus on investing more in mitigation, resilience infrastructure, updated flood maps, stormwater management, watershed protection, emergency communication, and the acquisition or relocation of frequently flooded properties. Housing policy also needs special consideration, since many of our families live in areas that have the fewest resources for evacuation and rebuilding.

The state also needs a strong disaster recovery fund to avoid the situation where communities are forced to wait for federal aid in order to start their recovery efforts. Recovery programs should be restructured to better serve homeowners, renters, small businesses, farmers, and local governments.

Finally, energy and resilience policies need to go hand in hand. Investing in a robust energy system now rather than rebuilding vulnerable systems again in the future would save much money and effort.”

7. The General Assembly recently passed a new congressional redistricting map. This marks the state’s seventh congressional map since 2016. How do you view the most recent redistricting? And do you support independent redistricting processes, or do you believe the legislature should retain this power? 

My position on this matter is clear. There should not have been a need for North Carolina to draw congressional districts over and over again for partisan advantage. I have been against the new 2026 congressional map and have advocated for the Fair Maps Act. 

Independent redistricting will make sure greater transparency, trust, and public confidence. People should elect their representatives, not have politicians select their voters. Districts should reflect population equality, legal requirements, communities of interest, geographic coherence, and a transparent process that allows meaningful public participation.

8. North Carolina ranks near the bottom nationally in teacher pay. How would you address teacher compensation, and what will you do to ensure a budget passes that adequately funds education?

“Teachers’ salaries must be competitive with the salaries in other states and with those in other occupations with comparable educational and professional training. According to the most recent NEA data, the average salary for a North Carolina teacher is $60,323, placing the state 43rd nationwide for the 2024-25 school year.

North Carolina should increase salaries across the whole pay scale and tenure, strengthen incentives for experienced and National Board-certified teachers and for credentials, better compensate school personnel, and improve health care coverage and retirement benefits.

It is also essential that North Carolina meets its constitutional mandate to provide public education. This means providing sufficient funding for exceptional children, school psychologists and counselors, teaching materials, school buildings, transportation, and other needs identified through the Leandro process.

State budgets need to be negotiated with these basic commitments in mind. Public education cannot continue to be considered anything left over after other considerations have been satisfied.”

9. North Carolina currently has a 12-week abortion ban with certain exceptions. Some legislators have proposed further restrictions. Do you support the current law, believe access should be expanded, or would you support further restrictions?

“Access to reproductive health services needs to be broadened, not further limited. My track record in the legislature is clear: co-sponsored the Codify Roe and Casey Protections Act, voted against the 12-week abortion limit, and voted against overriding the veto of Gov. Cooper.

As a public health professional and legislator on the Health Committee, reproductive health services access is a public health concern. Access limitations impact certain patient populations more than others, including low-income patients, rural residents, and those with complicated pregnancies.

Patients need to make these difficult decisions themselves in consultation with their doctors and family, not their elected officials. It is time that North Carolina guarantees abortion rights, contraception, fertility services, and maternal healthcare while seeking to lower maternal mortality rates.”

10. Federal legislation will ban most hemp-derived THC products, like Delta-8, by December 2026, threatening North Carolina’s hemp industry. Meanwhile, recreational marijuana remains illegal and medical marijuana bills have stalled. What is your position on hemp regulation and would you address the upcoming federal ban, if at all?

“It is essential that there be a comprehensive set of laws in North Carolina statutes that address hemp, intoxicating cannabinoids, and cannabis as distinct but related areas.

In December of 2026, the federal government is due to significantly modify its definition of lawful hemp in such a way that many intoxicating products will fall outside of this definition. Additionally, the FDA expressed concerns about the unregulated nature of Delta-8 products, their unreliable potency, and the false labeling of products, which are sold using child-attracting marketing practices.

A far more effective (but not limited to this list) policy regarding Delta-8 THC will involve implementing strict product regulations, including restricting access to minors, ensuring independent testing and accurate ingredient labeling, child-proof packaging, marketing restrictions for children, proper product tracking, and enforcement guidelines.

North Carolina should push for federal regulation of the industry to distinguish legitimate agricultural hemp and non-intoxicating products from intoxicating consumer goods, without needlessly harming farmers and businesses in North Carolina.”

11. Iryna’s Law eliminates cashless bail, requires mental health evaluations for certain defendants, and attempts to restart the death penalty by requiring alternative execution methods if lethal injection is unavailable. The law also accelerates death penalty appeals. Where do you stand on the death penalty and these criminal justice reforms?

Public safety and due process must not be considered competing objectives. I voted against Iryna’s Law. My position is reflected in the House roll call records for the vote on September 23, 2025.

The legislation addresses a broad range of unrelated topics, including release pending trial, mental health, criminal procedure, and capital punishment. Certain provisions in the bill were subsequently delayed until July 2028.

Evaluation for mental illness should be available where there is reason to believe that a person is dangerous to self or others; however, North Carolina must have sufficient capacity to treat those in need of evaluation. We have not shown the commitment, legislatively or fiscally, to support true solutions for the mental health of all North Carolinians or even those identified in this particular law.

Detention prior to trial should depend on safety concerns and other considerations like risk of flight, criminal record, and facts of the case, but not merely on a defendant’s ability to post bail. Basing a defendant’s freedom on the ability to post bail creates a two-tiered system based on wealth. 

Capital punishment is a topic worthy of separate review. Any system carrying an irreversible punishment requires extraordinary safeguards for due process, competent representation, reliable evidence, and protection against wrongful conviction. It was disturbing what had been put in statute through this legislation regarding capital punishment, for it opened the possibility of using execution techniques that people thought North Carolina had long ago left behind and which raised serious questions as to whether North Carolina should resurrect procedures from some of the worst periods of our history.

12. Tech companies are investing heavily in North Carolina data centers, bringing tax revenue but also consuming significant electricity and water resources. How should the state balance data center investment with environmental protection and community concerns?

The economic development that takes place needs to be in favor of the community members, not have those living in the area made to foot the bill for such development. This is the approach that I have adopted in regard to data center legislation. House Bill 1180 is a bill that is primary sponsored with Representatives Logan and Budd and concerns large-load data centers and utility and tax policy.

The State of North Carolina must have proper community approval received, water sources protected, and promotion of closed-loop cooling and water reuse occurs. There should be an assessment of watershed impact, and disclosure of electricity and water use. There should be responsibility of large load customers to cover the infrastructure costs that they may require in their project without making residential or small businesses subsidize them.

There is a need for the state to evaluate the effectiveness of tax breaks on account of employment created, taxes collected, infrastructure costs, environmental impacts, and opportunity cost. In view of the very limited permanent employment created by data centers compared to their huge power and water needs, it becomes important to cast doubt on these projects.

North Carolina does not have to choose between economic development and regulations. They must be part of the same policy process.

13. Give an example of an opinion, policy, vote or action you changed based on constituent feedback. If you have not yet held elected office, describe a time when you changed your position on an issue after listening to those affected by it.

One of the most important lessons from serving in local government and the General Assembly is that listening should change policy, not simply validate a decision that has already been made.

A key lesson from my service in local government and the North Carolina General Assembly is that listening needs to change policy, not just endorse a policy that has already been decided.

Property taxes were one example where the process helped me form my ideas. Hearing from homeowners, especially senior citizens and fixed-income individuals, about the problems rising property values could bring to people after living in a home for decades gave me clearer insight into the issue. My experience as a county commissioner also revealed the consequence of local governments losing money to deliver the basics: police, fire, EMS, schools, and all other necessary services.

In response, I found myself taking the position of trying to look at and solve this problem from all angles, finding solutions we may not have heard before, instead of justifying the existing system. This included looking at ordinances, policies, and laws outside my level of government. It resulted in homestead relief and other solutions that could avoid taxing people out of their homes while still providing essential services in communities. It is reflected in the legislation put forward in this year’s property tax law, and in the concerns raised about the constitutional amendment. 

Good representative democracy requires a willingness to change course in response to feedback from the people that a policy is flawed. Constituent input must actually shape the resulting policy, not just be considered at some public hearing. In my position and my level of government, voters put their trust in me to be their Representative; I take that trust and responsibility with me every moment in service to North Carolina.

14. Are there any issues this questionnaire has not addressed that you would like to address?