NC Senate District 14: Dan Blue

Name as it appears on the ballot: Dan Blue

Age: 74

Party affiliation: Democrat

Campaign website: Danblueforsenate.org

Occupation & employer: Attorney, Blue LLP

Years lived in North Carolina: 74

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 have been involved in state government and politics since 1980, representing Wake County in the House for 13 terms, and in the Senate since 2009. Wake County is my home, and I understand this community’s needs and potential. 

Throughout my career, I am most proud of: 

• Serving as Speaker of the House from 1991-95.
• Serving three times as President of the National Conference of State Legislatures.
• Serving as Chairman of the Duke University Board of Trustees.

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?

• Supporting our public schools first: we need to stop the expansion of private school vouchers until every public school has adequate resources and staff to meet our constitutional obligation to provide every student with a sound basic education. 
• Defending our democracy: after over a decade of assaults on our democratic institutions by Republican lawmakers, we are moving further away from a representative government. We need to push for independent redistricting, restore voting rights for the formerly incarcerated, adequately fund our local boards of elections, and make it easier to vote. 
• Public safety: we need to make our communities safer, and healthier by implementing common sense gun safety reforms, law enforcement training for mental health crises, and increased mental health services for kids and adults. 

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?

The old adage, “think globally, act locally,” applies here. Efforts need to be made at every level of government to protect our natural resources, furthering criminal justice reforms, and shaping forward-thinking development regulations. Every community is unique in its needs and abilities to address these issues, and I believe that local governments that are closest to the problem have a unique understanding to find solutions. 

4. Do you support raising North Carolina’s minimum wage, and if so, by how much? 

I support a living wage for every North Carolinian. We worked hard in the legislature to ensure that every state employee makes at least $15 an hour, and it’s time to extend that to every worker, regardless of where they are employed. I also support putting an end to tipping culture as a means of allowing employers to pay sub-minimum wages. It equates to wage theft in some cases, and these workers deserve better. 

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

We need to start by reforming our tax structure so that we provide targeted relief to working families instead of the wealthy and to corporations. Two-thirds of the Republican tax breaks go to the top 20 percent of earners in our state. We can redirect those tax breaks to quality public schools in every zip code. The legislature should also replenish the state’s Housing Trust Fund, and work with local governments to develop local and regional housing strategy plans that address the urgent need for affordable housing. 

6. Do you believe that the state government has an obligation to prevent the impacts of climate change? If so, please state three specific policies you support to address climate change.  

State and local governments can step up to address the devastating impacts of climate change. North Carolina has been fortunate to have a governor that believes in science, and has implemented progressive climate policies that protect our natural resources, and will help grow our economy. 

• I support Governor Cooper’s goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. 
• I support policies and utility reforms that will bring us to our goal of carbon-neutrality by 2050. 
• I support the expansion of offshore wind energy that will help reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. 

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

I fully support redistricting reforms that take politicians out of the map-drawing process. I also support restoring transparency and accountability to the redistricting process. 

8. Does the General Assembly have a constitutional obligation to comply with the state Supreme Court order in the Leandro case to fully fund public schools and give every child in North Carolina a sound basic education? What else should state lawmakers do to improve North Carolina’s public schools? 

The General Assembly is not above the law, and yet Republicans have continued to ignore court decisions, and disrespect our students’ constitutional right to a sound basic education. 

The Leandro funding plan clearly outlines where our school districts are falling behind, and how we can bring public schools back to constitutional compliance. We have the funds to fulfill the court order, but the Republican supermajority has decided that complying with the state constitution is not a priority. 

In addition to giving schools funding for teachers, support staff, technology, and supplies, we need to restore respect for our educators. That means we should bring back Master’s pay, raise pay to the national average, restore tenure, and stop expecting teachers to pay for classroom supplies out of their own pockets. 

9. When it comes to teacher pay, North Carolina is one of the lowest-paying states in the nation. Schools across the state are facing shortages of educators, support staff, and other key personnel. Do you support raising teacher pay to at least the national average? What else can the General Assembly do to improve working conditions for teachers and make the teaching profession more attractive to potential future educators?

North Carolina should — and absolutely can — raise teacher pay to at least the national average. We need to restore many of the additional benefits to teachers that Republicans stripped from them, including: Master’s pay, tenure, and health insurance for state retirees hired after 2020. 

We also need to give teachers the appropriate support staff to address students’ comprehensive needs: school psychologists, nurses, social workers, specialists, and teacher assistants. 

10. Last year, following the overturn of Roe v. Wade, North Carolina lawmakers banned 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? As a state lawmaker, would you support legislation that further limits or prohibits abortion in North Carolina, or punishes/criminalizes abortion providers or patients?

I firmly believe that abortion is healthcare, and Republicans need to stop making this personal medical decision a political flash point. North Carolinians now have fewer rights than their mothers and grandmothers had 50 years ago. 

We need to restore and protect people’s right to privacy and bodily autonomy by codifying the tenants of Roe v Wade into state law. 

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

It’s time for North Carolina to take steps to legalize marijuana for medicinal and recreational purposes. Marijuana has medical benefits, it has become a welcome source of revenue for other states, and legalization has lessened the burden on our justice system. 

We need to take a thoughtful approach to this, expunging past criminal records for possession, and inclusive policies that keep North Carolina farmers and local businesses at the forefront of production and sales. 

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. 

We need stronger gun safety reforms. We do not need to continue deregulating guns, as this carries a greater risk for the public with the increased likelihood that guns will get into the wrong hands.  

I support universal background checks, red flag laws, and other common sense gun safety measures that will keep our communities safe. 

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

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