House District 49: Cynthia Ball

Name: Cynthia Jean Ball

Age: 72

Party affiliation: Democrat

Occupation & employer: Mediator and Legislator

Years lived in the area:All but 5 years of my life, I’ve lived in NC: 43 years in Wake County.

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?

I understand the needs of NC as a small rural town native as well as someone who has benefited from education in public schools and universities. I’m in my fifth term, and I’ve served in leadership positions in each term, currently as Deputy Leader of NC House Democrats. As a professional mediator, I hope we can find better ways to work together finding common ground. I’m proud to have been recognized for my commitment to constituent services and for my work to address public education needs.

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?

Funding basic state operations with the dramatic tax cuts in place, shifting costs to counties/municipalities; 2) not having funds to address huge needs in our public schools, healthcare and general affordability; 3) misplaced priorities that favor the wealthy and place increasing burdens on working families.

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?

We must find critical funding for Medicaid shortfalls and to keep hundreds of thousands North Carolinians on healthcare. If we don’t, our overall healthcare costs will increase with more services being provided in the ER’s of the state.

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?

No, we should not be putting these changes into the Constitution rather than considering ways to address them through revised statutes.

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

We can build partnerships with businesses, organizations, non-profits and local municipalities. The tax cuts already in place and those proposed in the Constitutional amendments leave the state with inadequate revenue to provide basic services. Our policies are favoring the wealthy and corporations over the regular citizens, and we should make the wealthy and corporations pay their fair share.

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?

Work with municipalities on zoning guidelines, collect more taxes from the wealthy to bring our general fund up, and make thoughtful decisions about environmental protection.

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?

The mid-decade redistricting was purely a political power move at the request of the President who is desperate to keep his favorable majority in the US House. I have sponsored bills and I continue to support an independent redistricting process.

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?

We have had 15 years of budgets that have given hundreds of millions of dollars to taxpayer funded vouchers to private schools while neglecting teacher pay and school funding per student. I am optimistic that we will elect more like-minded legislators in November who will support a budget that significantly increases educator pays for ALL teachers and allocates much more funding for our schools.

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?

I will not support further restrictions, and I believe that the current ban is too restrictive and can keep a woman from seeking a necessary abortion until it may be too late. The decision should be a personal one between a woman and her doctor.

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?

I support regulation to place some necessary controls, but not to the extent that the Federal legislation or the proposed NC legislation does that threatens an industry that we basically approved just a few cycles ago.

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?

I am opposed to the death penalty. We need criminal justice reforms that provide for mental health evaluations and treatment.

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?

We should pause approval for any data center and require a thorough consideration of experts, data, environmental impacts and community concerns to develop regulations, protections and guardrails.

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.

After receiving input from various stakeholders, I am somewhat more likely to consider voting for some types of regulated sports betting.

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

There are Rules in the NCGA that should be changed to provide more transparency to the public of legislation as it is moving forward.