Name: Christine Kushner
Age: 63
Party affiliation: Democrat
Campaign website: https://christineforwake.com/
Occupation & employer: Policy Analyst/Writer–Self-Employed
Years lived in the area: 37
1. In your view, what are the three most pressing issues facing Wake County? If elected, what will you do to address these issues?
The three most pressing issues facing Wake County are 1) the unfunded mandates and lack of investments in local services by state and federal governments that put an undue burden on local property taxes; 2) the underfunding of our public schools; and 3) the increasing numbers of unhoused people. Federal and state leaders are making harmful and unsustainable policy choices that threaten the quality of life in Wake County. I will be an advocate for government services that help people thrive in our community. Using my experience as the former Chair of the Wake County Board of Education, I will be an advocate for our public schools, educators, and students – particularly focusing on the behavioral and mental health needs of our students as well as health and human services that help us take care of each other. I also will work to form coalitions with municipal and nonprofit leaders to address the increase in homelessness. The County can lead local efforts to increase affordable housing and find solutions to help families and residents have stable housing. Finally, I want to explore expanding property tax relief for residents on fixed incomes facing rising housing costs.
2. How would your experience―in politics or otherwise in your career―make you an asset to the county’s decision-making process?
I have 15 years of experience on important Wake County boards – 11 years on the Wake County Board of Education and four on the Wake County Health and Human Services Board, giving me extensive experience overseeing $2+ billion public budgets and countywide priorities. I have spent these years making complicated decisions that use tax dollars effectively, in ways that support people and expand their opportunities to receive education, supportive services, and needed local services. I have a broad understanding of the complexity of balancing competing priorities and working toward equitable decisions.
My professional experience working in health care policy and administration will help inform my decisions regarding the public health department and County social services. My work in politics has given me valuable perspective collaborating with local and state leaders, as well as leveraging community resources and good will. During my years representing Wake County as a public servant, I have sought and benefitted from community feedback, meeting with residents and attending diverse events in my community. This approach helps me understand people’s concerns and find better solutions for our community. I also know how to make difficult decisions, by working with colleagues on Boards to reach the best possible outcomes, while recognizing limited resources and diverse opinions.
In these difficult and strained budgetary times, experience and collaborative skills are important for having effective solutions in Wake County going into the future.
3. If you are a candidate for a district seat, please identify your priorities for your district. If you are an at-large candidate, please explain how you would approach decision-making with the entire county in mind.
As an At-Large candidate, I am eager to bring my extensive experience balancing fairness across Wake County, especially given the many challenges we face in a complex County that is growing by 66 people every day. I have been successful in community engagement and outreach, and I have a track record serving the entire County. The critical decisions made by Commissioners affect the entire County, including: setting, collecting, and distributing tax dollars; supporting schools across the county; managing water systems and protecting watershed areas; delivering health care, EMS, and social services; managing public safety; and making zoning decisions for unincorporated areas including environmental protection. I will use my at-large responsibilities to seek improved partnerships with the 12 municipalities. I am especially interested in seeking ways to collaborate with municipalities and adjacent counties to find strategies that recognize our interdependence, save tax dollars, improve the delivery of public services, and involve more residents in decision-making.
4. With Wake County’s rapid growth comes challenges related to suburban sprawl, transportation, and affordable housing. What have been the county’s successes in managing this growth in recent years? What about its failures? What would you do differently?
“Growth and development have strained Wake County for decades, and residents have experienced both the benefits and harmful effects of growth. I have witnessed both during my 37 years living in Wake County. Municipal and County leaders can claim many successes, including: attracting global businesses and sustaining our quality of life; supporting outstanding educational opportunities, from Pre-K to K-12 to universities and colleges; supporting a vibrant arts culture; establishing county parks and greenways and protecting open space; and approving a dedicated funding source to increase public transportation. But those successes have also been strained and harmed by growth – the cost of housing has spiked in recent years, roads are crowded, schools in high-growth areas are crowded, and too many people have been left out of the economic success story of Wake County.
There is plenty of room for improvement. The County, as a creature of the State, has limited tools to address the many problems that affect us all. I will propose that County leaders work cooperatively with leaders in the 12 municipalities as well as regionally to leverage resources and garner diverse ideas. Wake County Commissioners also must work collaboratively with State leaders to address traffic congestion and the underfunding of public education. Furthermore, environmental health issues and public health measures that prevent illness and disease should be expanded so that we stay healthy and are able to take advantage of the opportunities our vibrant County and its economy offer. I also will push for more county services to be offered in its five Regional Centers, so that residents can access needed services – from getting marriage licenses to getting medical care – closer to their homes or worksites.”
5. What should be the county’s role in addressing issues of economic inequality, such as gentrification, affordable housing, and homelessness? Do you believe the board is doing enough to help its municipalities manage Wake County’s growth in order to prevent current residents from being priced out?
Growth pressures have pushed up costs for all residents, and in particular, gentrification in older neighborhoods is pushing people out of places where they have lived for generations. Addressing such market forces will be important work for Wake County government. I applaud the County Housing Department’s focus on homelessness and helping people in crisis, as well as its work collaborating with non-profits to expand housing opportunities and social supports. I think the County leaders should work cooperatively with municipalities to preserve existing housing – the fastest choice for sustaining affordable housing – as well as find innovative solutions to increase housing supply. I also support working across the County on effective transit solutions so that more residents can access stable jobs with thriving wages, helping residents achieve the economic stability they seek for themselves and their families.
Economic inequality is a major factor in undermining stable housing for many residents. The County needs to support high quality, higher wage jobs that can lead to better standards of living for Wake residents. The County should work to connect transit systems to jobs and school, including workforce development.
Housing stability is key for our residents. Housing stability supports public safety. Housing stability creates opportunities for educational and employment success. In many of its community surveys, housing and development are key concerns of Wake residents, and it will remain a focus of my work as a Commissioner.
6. Property values have risen significantly in recent years and many Wake County residents are worried about their ability to continue to afford to pay taxes on their homes. What do you believe the county commission should do to make living here more affordable? Should the county consider lowering taxes or creating new tax assistance programs? If you support cutting taxes, where would you reduce government spending?
“I support creating new tax assistance programs that are means-tested – targeting vulnerable households with fixed or limited incomes – that help people maintain the generational wealth that is in their homes. Such programs currently exist in Wake County but are limited, and I believe they should be expanded. Wake County has an extraordinary real estate market, and residential homes have provided many in our community with an important asset for their financial security. But, too often, people are priced out or pushed out of those opportunities. Wake County leadership can find win-win solutions that help residents stay in their homes while also sustaining our vibrant housing and real estate market. With property valuations rising, there should be enough capital and wealth for all of us. The old adage was that “growth pays for itself.” While that does not truly hold, growth does bring value and wealth, and the County can find ways to balance needs and opportunities. I intend to work toward solutions that benefit the most people, in sustainable and equitable ways, and that do not concentrate wealth any further.
I also want to learn more about how the property evaluation system can be improved to make sure that there are equitable evaluations. Commercial properties should pay their fair share of taxes and have fair evaluations that reflect commercial property values.”
7. Where do you stand on the proposed amendment to the state constitution that would allow the legislature to limit local governments’ taxing authority?
I oppose the proposed Constitutional amendment to enact a property tax levy limit because it limits local government’s taxing authority and makes future budgeting more difficult and less transparent. State statute already includes a property tax rate limit, one that is much higher than Wake County’s current tax rate. State lawmakers are currently forcing NC towns, cities, and counties to do more with less — the State and Federal governments are failing to fairly fund public education, public safety and detention centers, the foster care system, roads and transit, health care, nutrition assistance, and many other core local services. The proposed amendment to limit property taxes (with no specifics) will make it harder to have sound fiscal policies in the future. Local governments are standing in the gaps, because people still deserve and need these essential local services.
I also oppose using the constitution to make specific policy – the NC Constitution should be reserved for broad value statements and enshrined rights.
8. County commissioners voted this year to increase funding for the Wake County Public School System budget by $25.3 million—the amount the district asked for, but less than they would have needed to avoid making budget cuts. Was this the right move? What is the county’s responsibility to public schools in an increasingly tight budget environment?
The Wake School Board and County Commission both made difficult budget decisions this year. The State’s intentional underfunding of K-12 public education and its unsustainable wasteful spending on private school vouchers are partially at fault for increased pressures on local budgets. The State is not doing its constitutional duty to fund public schools. The Wake County Board of Education was forced to cut vital services to staff and students in its current 2026-27 budget; after those cuts, the County was able to fund part of the gap left by the underfunding from State leaders. Given that the State was two years overdue in passing a budget, the decisions made by the County Commission to support Wake County schools looms even larger as a life-line to the 160,000 students and 20,000 employees of WCPSS. The failure is entirely on the State; and now with the US Department of Education in shambles, County funds for our public schools, including special education and services for our most vulnerable students, are even more important. While Wake County has used local revenues to supplement school operating expenses and teacher salaries, it clearly places pressure on the County’s ability to fund all county services.
Wake County residents should be proud of their support over the decades of our excellent public school system – they have supported bond referendums as well as increased operational funding that gives our educators and school staff higher wages. Wake County public schools have been foundational to our economic and social success, and they are one of the main reasons 66 people move to Wake County every day. Our thriving and successful public schools, their educators and students, deserve the County’s continued support. I support the work of the County Commission and School Board during this difficult budget season, and the State should do far more.
9. Do you support WakeMed’s combination with Atrium Health given that the terms of the deal substantially weaken local control over the county’s nonprofit “safety net” hospital system? Why or why not?
I oppose the changes made to the Articles of Incorporation and governance structure approved by the Commissioners in September 2026 because it cedes too much local control to Atrium Health, specifically in the appointments of members of the WakeMed Board of Directors. I recognize that WakeMed, our community’s essential hospital system, needs strategic partnerships to be viable in the decades to come. The WakeMed Board and leadership are charged with making important decisions for the future of WakeMed, and they need to improve their plan to strengthen WakeMed’s future with transparency and more effective strategy. The Commission and WakeMed Board must respond to community concerns that the Atrium/WakeMed partnership will lead to higher health care and hospital costs. I also think WakeMed should have considered a broader choice of potential partners and providers. There are numerous other providers who could partner with WakeMed for expanded and improved healthcare services in our community.
10. North Carolina is a “Dillon Rule” state, meaning that the only powers municipal and county governments have are the ones granted to them by the legislature. Would you like to see this changed? How would you work with state legislators from Wake County, as well as mayors and council members from the city’s municipalities, to ensure that Wake County, its municipalities, and the state are on the same page regarding policies that affect residents of Wake?
I am honored to have many state, local, and community leaders endorse me in this campaign – the trust they have in me will be foundational to working with our Wake delegation in the NC General Assembly to find fair solutions to many of our funding and programmatic challenges. I have already given examples where working with municipal and local leaders will be essential – in education, housing, transportation, development, and the arts. I have the experience and trust to do this important work, which is more crucial than ever before. Our communities are interconnected and interdependent – collaborative leadership will be necessary.
I support more local control for counties to allow for greater innovation and allow County leadership to respond to their local residents more effectively. I also believe that innovation is needed for counties to work together regionally to solve our interconnected problems and acknowledge our shared goals. This is where State leadership and better state tax policies are especially needed, to solve regional and statewide issues with fairness and efficiencies. Rural and urban communities are connected, and the State’s divestments in local and statewide public services are hurting all of our communities.
More important than the Dillon Rule structure, if the State is able to achieve fair election maps, our State legislature would be more likely to fund policies and programs that lead to equity across the state for rural and urban communities. The current funding structure actually makes it even more imperative that we all work to have fair election maps in North Carolina and fight against gerrymandering. While the County Commission does not have jurisdiction over state maps, all public officials should abandon gerrymandering in any form and fight for fair and free elections for our voters.
11. Is the county doing enough to protect, preserve, and maintain its natural resources, including parks, waterways, and green spaces?
Wake County government has long focused on the natural beauty of our landscapes, and there are many successes to applaud and support. The County staff and leadership have expanded parks and outdoor spaces, protected and preserved farmland, developed an extensive study of water resources in the County, and developed a strategic plan that incentivizes density and pushes development to municipalities and neighborhoods with existing infrastructure. This work has preserved vital open and green spaces and combats sprawl, which is unsustainable and damaging to our environment.
The preservation of our environment – of open space, clean water, and a balanced ecosystem – is essential to protect public health and our community’s future. Air, water, and land resources are interconnected, and every decision should recognize the needs for safeguarding our natural resources. One need is to focus on extending the lifespan of the Wake County landfill, which is set to be full in 15 to 20 years. Municipal collaboration and innovation are needed so that we can minimize outsourcing solid waste services. This is an important issue that I will focus on as Commissioner.
12. Identify and explain one principled stand you would be willing to take if elected that you suspect might cost you some points with voters.
As a School Board member for 11 years, I worked with colleagues on several student enrollment plans. These plans were needed to address overcrowded classrooms in overcrowded schools by constructing new schools. Population growth and development strain school enrollments, especially in fast growing parts of Wake County. When I was on the Board, opening new schools and reassigning students to different schools was an emotional experience – I deeply believe in the power of school communities, and reassignment plans essentially fracture school communities in order to form new ones that were not overcrowded and were more sustainable. These were always difficult decisions. During my time on the Board, we developed more interactive ways of getting feedback from families and taxpayers. We held forums and sessions, and we took the feedback seriously. Staff would make initial recommendations, and there were several public sessions and input opportunities. My colleagues and I frequently changed the plan based on community feedback. We were not always able to – many times overcrowding conditions forced us to make changes that those impacted opposed. But often, the Board did make changes that worked out to be acceptable and sustainable. Receiving community feedback is key; clearly explaining why decisions are made is difficult but necessary public work. Public decision-making is more successful when it is transparent, forthright, and honest. I bring deep experience and skills in interactive public decision-making, and it will continue to be my leadership style if elected.
13. If there is anything else you would like to address, please do so here.
Like many, I have been appalled by the recent actions of both our State and Federal government. County government is where we have the leverage to get things done, and I know my experience successfully fighting for our values on the County level can make a difference now and in the years ahead. That’s why I am running for Commissioner.
Since spring 2025, I have talked with voters, participated in community forums and events, talked with nonprofit leaders, and learned more about the operations of our county government. I have met with staff and elected officials at all levels of government in order to become a well-informed candidate and, hopefully, a better elected official. I have reached out to nonprofit partners of the county to learn more about their work and how they contribute to the county’s priorities. I have made myself available in countless community events and neighborhood gatherings in my work to listen and learn from our residents. My goal in all of this work has been to be better informed and prepared to serve if voters give me this opportunity.
My educational background includes a Bachelor’s Degree in journalism and political science, as a Morehead Scholar, from UNC-Chapel Hill; and a Master’s degree in Public Affairs from Princeton University. I am a William C. Friday Fellow for Human Relations, part of the Wildacres Leadership Initiative. In 2023, I was appointed by then Governor Roy Cooper to represent North Carolina on the Southern Regional Education Board.
As the daughter of immigrants and a native of North Carolina, I learned at an early age the value of family and community and the value of caring about the welfare of others. I have spent decades working for nonprofits – both as staff and on boards – and I have been an advocate for human services and policies that help us care for one another. Serving as an at-large Commissioner will allow me to continue this public service in Wake County – a great place to live, work, play, raise a family, and find community.
Website: christineforwake.com
