Name as it appears on the ballot: Evonne S. Hopkins 

Age: 48 

Party affiliation: Democrat 

Campaign website: www.HopkinsForHouse.com 

Occupation & employer: Family Law Attorney and Small Business Owner- Raleigh Law Center 

Years lived in North Carolina: 20 

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? 

a. I intend to fight and advocate for North Carolina’s families and children in the General Assembly just as I have throughout my 21 year legal career. North Carolinians deserve to be put first by their elected officials and, for too long, the supermajority has not done that. Being raised in a family business and now owning my own, I deeply understand the challenges

that come with owning and operating a small business while raising a family. North Carolinians deserve an advocate who understands their day-to-day issues. I am here to put them first, not special interests, and serve our citizens. 

i. In 2023, I was named Legal Aid’s Pro-Bono Hero of the Year for my work with The Child’s Advocate, “TCA,” a project of Legal Aid. 

Through my work with TCA, I represented children in high-conflict custody cases where they were the only witnesses to important 

and critical evidence, for example, evidence of sexual, physical or mental abuse, domestic violence, mental illness, criminal activity, or substance abuse. These children and their testimony were 

necessary, and critical for the Court to make decisions about the children’s best interests. Without this testimony, the Court would not be able to understand the situation in which these children were being subjected and could have potentially placed them back into a traumatic environment. I am very proud of my work 

supporting, advising, and advocating for these children especially when they had to recount and relive traumatic events. 

ii. In 2015, I became a North Carolina Board Certified Family Law Specialist, a distinction held by only approximately 1% of North 

Carolina’s licensed attorneys. In order to even qualify to take the specialist exam, ten of my peers had to recommend me. 

iii. During my entire career, I am really proud of the work that I have done helping people recover from abusive relationships. So many of the families that I have worked with have been traumatized, 

abused and psychologically damaged/manipulated. Nothing 

makes me prouder than seeing a family recover, getting the help and treatment that they desperately needed, and achieving the results in Court that they deserve. 

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? 

a. My top priority in the General Assembly is to represent House District 35 and the growing, evolving needs of our community.

i. Infrastructure: One of the most pressing issues in HD35 is infrastructure, specifically finding ways to address the rapid growth of Wake County. Traffic is a nuisance and the quality of our roads are struggling. We need to ensure that the Department of Transportation (DOT) gets the funding it needs to address these issues. Currently, the DOT receives its funding solely from the gas tax. We need to ensure that DOT has adequate funding to address vital projects, like the Capital Blvd. and Rogers Rd. expansions in Northern Wake County. It is reckless for us to continue to grow at these exponential rates without addressing infrastructure. 

ii. Women’s Reproductive Freedom: Women’s reproductive rights are vital to every aspect of one’s life, influencing economic opportunity, education, and civil and equal rights. They are under attack in North Carolina and, if Republicans maintain the supermajority, they will continue to threaten abortion access, IVF and birth control. Women’s reproductive freedom should be between a woman, her family, and her doctor- not lawmakers. In the General Assembly, I would fight to restore access to abortion beyond 12 weeks, restore previous standards, remove unnecessary restrictions to abortion access, and fight against any additional attacks on reproductive rights. 

iii. Affordable Housing: Wake County is facing an affordable housing crisis, and we need a smart, multi-faceted approach to solve it. We should incentivize affordable housing development through public/private partnerships, mixed use development, low interest loans and down payment incentives for first-time homebuyers. At the same time, it’s essential that we develop housing in a way that ensures our infrastructure—like schools, roads, and public transportation—keeps pace with growth, creating sustainable communities. Together, these efforts can ensure that everyone in Wake County has access to safe, affordable housing.

3. To what extent do you support municipalities exerting local control over issues such as regulating greenhouse gas emissions, criminal justice reforms and police oversight, and passing development-regulating ordinances? 

a. In North Carolina, our cities and towns face unique challenges, but their hands are often tied by Dillon’s Rule, which limits the power of 

municipalities to make decisions that best serve their residents. While I support responsible housing expansion, local governments should have the flexibility to craft regulations that reflect their community’s character. Unfortunately, current laws often strip municipalities of this control. For example, legislation like House Bill 582 restricts the ability of cities to implement local ordinances on zoning and development, pushing one-size-fits-all regulations that cater to developers rather than residents. This approach stifles the ability of towns like Wake Forest to address housing needs in a way that preserves their suburban character, while places like Raleigh face entirely different challenges with urban density. We need to return decision-making power to local governments, allowing them to implement common-sense regulations that promote growth without sacrificing what makes their communities unique. I’m advocating for a vision where municipalities are empowered to take the lead on issues like greenhouse gas emissions, criminal justice reform, and local 

development. These aren’t just buzzwords; they’re the building blocks of thriving communities. If we truly want to create towns where people want to live, work, and raise families, we need to give local governments the tools and the freedom to shape their future. The bottom line is this: smart, locally-tailored policies make sense. They ensure growth is sustainable, equitable, and aligned with the community’s values. I’m committed to working for a future where our towns can grow responsibly, without losing what makes them special. 

4. Do you support raising North Carolina’s minimum wage, and if so, by how much? a. North Carolina hasn’t raised its minimum wage since 2008 and I think everyone can agree that the economy has grown in the last 16 years. In addition to economic growth, the cost of living has increased, meaning that the minimum wage does not go as far as for workers financially as it did 16 years ago. We are past due for an adjustment, but we have to keep our small business owners in mind and make sure to not overburden them unnecessarily. 

5. What, if anything, should the state legislature do to address the growing affordability crisis and support low-income families in North Carolina?

a. The affordability crisis in North Carolina requires immediate action from the General Assembly to support families and stabilize the cost of living. With the rapid growth of the Triangle and North Carolina as a whole, housing costs are soaring. Incentivizing the development of affordable housing is critical. The legislature should expedite the approval process for affordable housing projects, allowing communities to meet demand more swiftly. First-time homebuyers meeting specific criteria should receive targeted down payment incentives, and low interest mortgages, which will help them establish home ownership, and contribute to their local communities and the broader economy. Furthermore, to address the rising costs of goods, strong measures are needed to combat price gouging. Corporate profit margins must not be allowed to grow at the expense of struggling, hardworking families. The legislature should implement stricter regulations to prevent price exploitation and ensure that essential goods remain accessible and affordable to all North Carolinians. 

6. What is your vision for transit in North Carolina? What kind of regional transit systems should the state work to implement and what kind of transit legislation would you support? 

a. We’ve seen how successful the DOT’s NC By Train program has been and how ridership numbers continue to grow, so I am encouraged by that. The upcoming high-speed rail link between Raleigh and Richmond, with the first leg of the S-Line installation going between Raleigh and Wake Forest, is exciting. I believe there is an appetite in North Carolina for public transit, but we need to catch up with similarly-sized states and cities. As suburban sprawl increases in Wake County, the need for reliable, efficient public transport is becoming even more urgent. Many jobs are out of reach for people without dependable transportation, and expanding public transit would not only ease traffic and improve infrastructure but also open up employment opportunities by making commuting more accessible for everyone as well as allowing our seniors and the disabled to move more freely within our community.

7. Would you support an independent process for drawing new legislative and congressional districts? 

a. Yes. House District 35 is a victim of partisan gerrymandering. Our democracy is about a fair, competitive fight until and on election day. No party should be allowed to distort electoral boundaries or establish barriers to voting in order to win elections. An independent redistricting committee is the best solution to stop partisan gerrymandering and have fair elections. 

8. Do you support expanding funding for Opportunity Scholarships? Do you believe the legislature has a role in ensuring that private schools don’t further raise tuition on families and taxpayers with the infusion of hundreds of millions of dollars into the private school economy? Please explain your answer. 

a. No, I do not support the expansion of the Opportunity Scholarship. Hard earned taxpayer dollars should not be funneled into private schools with no accountability or standards for education, especially when our public schools are underfunded. Families have every right to choose to send their children to private schools, but that does not mean that taxpayers should pay for it. When children whose parents were already paying for a private education are now being given money to continue their education at a private school, the goal of the Opportunity Scholarship is not being met. The Republican Supermajority is using the Opportunity Scholarship to defund our public schools and then point a finger at our public school system, saying they are not serving the needs of our children. If our public school system was properly funded, our children’s educational needs would be met, if not exceeded. When our public schools lack nurses, school counselors, school resource officers, guidance counselors and our teacher pay is $13,000 below the national average, the hundreds of millions of dollars in tax payer money being sent to private schools needs to be reallocated. 

b. In addition, the voucher system has allowed private schools to raise their already costly tuition, using it as an opportunity to make more profit. If the Opportunity Scholarship is to continue, the Legislature has a duty to ensure that tuition is not raised further, the families that truly need the vouchers receive it, that private schools account for the taxpayer money that they are accepting and are held to educational performance metrics to demonstrate that our children are being educated. 

9. North Carolina is one of the lowest-paying states for teachers in the nation. Schools across the state are facing shortages of educators, support staff, and other key personnel. By what percentage should the next budget raise wages for teachers and school employees? What else can the General Assembly do to improve working conditions for teachers and make the teaching profession more attractive to potential future educators? 

a. Teachers must be paid as the professionals they are. The fact that we expect our teachers to pay out of pocket for necessary school supplies so their students have the tools they need to thrive is abhorrent. I support Governor Cooper’s 2024-25 budget proposal of increasing teacher and school staff pay by 8.5%. We also need to provide retention bonuses for teachers. In doing this, the working conditions of teachers and school employees would improve and they would have a reason to stay in the North Carolina public school system and the profession. 

10. North Carolina bans abortion after 12 weeks’ gestation. Do you think abortion access in North Carolina should be expanded or further restricted, or do you support the current law? 

a. Abortion access in North Carolina needs to be extended and a reinstatement of the previous law is necessary to care for the women and families of North Carolina. We are losing qualified doctors and OBGYNs due to the current bans and are putting women’s lives at risk. I have spoken with men while canvassing who say that women’s reproductive freedoms are the most important issue to them this election because they are worried about something going wrong with their partner’s pregnancy. This is not just a women’s issue. If Republicans keep the supermajority, they will not stop at further limiting access to abortion- they will attack access to IVF and birth control too. North Carolina’s women and families deserve leaders who will protect their healthcare, not put it in jeopardy. 

11. Do you support reforming North Carolina’s marijuana laws? Do you support full legalization? Please explain your position. 

a. We should legalize and regulate medical and recreational marijuana in North Carolina. Marijuana has medicinal benefits for patients with chronic illnesses, like seizures, PSD, nausea, nerve pain, and cancer treatment side effects. It offers a much safer alternative to opiates in pain management, helping address the opioid epidemic we are facing. Marijuana legalization has been succeeded in the 38 states that legalized medical use and in the 23 states and DC that legalized recreational use. Revenue from marijuana sales would stimulate economic growth and the tax revenue from sales, if legalized, should be used for education, infrastructure projects, state employee pay raises, and mental health services. It would be vital, if legalized, to enhance the state’s research into the effects of marijuana and offer enhanced substance abuse support and prevention. When giving out contracts for marijuana farming, local, small family farms should have fair access to the market, therefore further supporting and growing our economy. Legalizing marijuana also would help alleviate the burdens currently placed on our criminal justice system through overcrowding due to non-violent marijuana incarcerations, reducing the number of people incarcerated. 

12. Do you support strengthening gun safety regulations such as expanding background checks, banning bump stocks, and raising the age to buy or otherwise regulating the sales of assault-style weapons? Please explain. 

a. As a gun owner, I understand the balance of protecting 2nd Amendment rights and the importance of gun safety and common sense gun regulation. Our children and communities deserve to feel safe and not to live in fear of gun violence. Safe gun ownership and storage needs to be taught and implemented. I support common sense gun safety laws to try and keep guns out of the hands of children and those who wish to do harm. We can raise the minimum age to purchase assault style weapons. Presently, you have to be twenty one years old (21) to purchase a handgun, such a revolver, but you only have to be eighteen (18) years old to purchase an assault-style weapon such as an AR-15. 

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

a. Expanding Medicaid was a critical step, but we need to do more to ensure access to healthcare, especially mental health services. One way to address this is through expanding broadband access to support telehealth. Many North Carolinians, particularly in rural areas, still lack high-speed internet, making it hard to access mental health care. By improving broadband infrastructure, we can connect more people to telehealth services, offering critical mental health support and reducing the burden on our healthcare system. Access to affordable, timely care shouldn’t depend on where you live.