N.C. House District 35: Michele Joyner-Dinwiddie

Name: Michele Joyner-Dinwiddie

Age: 54

Party affiliation: Republican

Campaign website: Joyner-for-nchouse-35.squarespace.com

Occupation and employer: Teacher at WCPSS

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

I am from this great state and a product of our public education system. I know teach for our public schools and feel this qualifies me to represent my people of NC. My biggest career accomplishment will always be having the opportunity to shape young minds as a teacher.

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?

The first is our public schools need a budget approved asap! Teachers deserve to be paid their increases, especially with health care prices inflated, which is the second issue that must be addressed to ensure access for all citizens. And thirdly, we must establish an infrastructure to support economic growth with public safety as a main concern.

3. North Carolina expanded Medicaid two years ago. However, federal budget cuts now threaten the program due to a state “trigger law” that ends expansion if federal support drops below 90%. How would you address Medicaid funding to maintain coverage for the millions of North Carolinians enrolled?

We cannot make a promise and then not keep it! Budget needs to be reviewed to see where the best reductions can be made to impact the least amount of citizens. Then we can reallocate those funds to provide what we promised.

4. The General Assembly has recently passed legislation limiting local control over zoning and development standards to address housing shortages. Do you support the legislature’s approach of limiting local zoning authority to increase housing supply, or should municipalities retain greater autonomy over land use decisions?

We need to protect our entire state for growing bigger than we can afford. Municipalities often make decisions for their good that oftentimes put structural pressures on surrounding cities. Limiting local control allows the greater good to be accomplished while still keeping a handle on growth throughout the state.

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

We have tons of companies that look to NC to grow their businesses, but do little to nothing to help our communities. We need to ask these companies that fought to bring their businesses to NC to give more back to help with the rising costs of housing, child care, and basic necessities. Most of these companies receive tax write-off’s for such things and we should be putting them to good use in our state for our communities.

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?

We need to build with integrity and the environment in mind. Using products that are environmentally friendly and composed of natural products can help us build quicker and more efficiently to withstand disaster and build climate resilience.

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? 

Redistricting doesn’t just affect the areas being redistricted, so power should be retained by legislature so other areas aren’t negatively effected by any changes. All entities must be considered, on a state level, to ensure progress and growth for all areas of the state.

8. The General Assembly failed to pass a 2025–27 budget, leaving teachers without raises. North Carolina ranks 43rd nationally in teacher pay. How would you address teacher compensation, and what will you do to ensure a budget passes that adequately funds education?

We need to approve the budget and find whatever avenues we need to make it work. Any funds going to private schools can be moved back over into public school funding as private schools have their own funding separate from the state. We cannot allow public schooling to suffer any longer.

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, do you believe access should be expanded, or would you support further restrictions?

I support the current ban, with certain exceptions and do no feel any further restrictions or expansions are needed.

10. Federal legislation will ban most hemp-derived THC products, like delta-8, by November 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 how would you address the upcoming federal ban, if at all?

Sometimes the only way to stop the illegal acts are to make some of them legal. If we make medical marijuana legal and put strict guidelines in place, hopefully the illegal use of marijuana will lessen. 

11. Gov. Josh Stein recently signed “Iryna’s Law,” which 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 changes made by the law?

If you took someone else’s life without reason, then I believe strongly in an eye for an eye. If someone is currently on a death sentence, then we need to ensure that sentence is served.

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

We need to become a green state and have those data centers meet strict requirements to ensure they are green as well.

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.

When working for an environmental organization, I visited a school that was not quite ready to go full green as needed, so we crafted a more suitable buy-in approach to get them fully green within a few years.

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