(WGHP) -- Cheri Beasley’s mother taught her, at an early age, that there is no such thing as a closed door.
Beasley has earned her way through many, high-accomplishment doors.
“I served as a judge for 22 years and as chief justice of the Supreme Court of the state of North Carolina and understand the impact of laws that are made in Washington,” said Beasley, about why she’s running for the US Senate seat that is being vacated by the retiring Richard Burr. “I know so many [laws made in Washington] have really failed the people of North Carolina. I’ve worked hard understanding and uplifting rights and people and understanding problems that folks have and understand that it’s really important that laws apply to all people, fairly.”
Although whichever Democrat wins the nomination won’t have to face an incumbent, this race has been difficult for Beasley’s party recently. Republicans have won the last four US Senate elections in North Carolina and six of the last seven.
“You know, this is about experience and it’s also about being able to be successful,” Beasley said. “That’s why it’s really important to have a candidate who understands the people of North Carolina. I’ve been a statewide elected official for over a decade. I’ve been so fortunate to be able to travel this state in my car with signs from Murphy to Manteo, I’ve got deep relationships. So, it matters when you have those relationships – people are seeking me out to talk about really important issues that impact their daily lives.”
Foremost among those, she says, is getting the economy back on track, but she says to do that, people need support.
“The economy really must thrive and so many of the issues that I talk about are really about how we support families,” Beasley said. “When women can get back to work – I mean, if you into a store, right now, you can’t find anybody to help you because there’s a shortage of workers. We have to pay a livable wage and people do want to get back to work, they do want to support their families. So, it really is important that as we do boost the economy, we balance those services we provide versus how we pay for those.”
But there are other issues Beasley says are also essential.
“Climate change is a huge issue,” Beasley said. “I know President Biden has made a goal of cutting carbon emissions in half by 2030 but we’ve got to be thinking about what’s happening right here in North Carolina, as well. We know in coastal communities that hurricane season gets longer and we know the impact of hurricanes on the people of North Carolina. So many people are still recovering from Hurricanes Florence and Matthew. So, climate change is real, here in North Carolina. Health care is real. So many folks in rural communities are traveling an hour, hour-and-a-half away – I don’t even want to say basic health care because having a baby is not basic health care when people have to drive an hour and a half down the mountain in Mitchell County for that kind of health care. We’ve got to do better. And access is deeply important and when we think about access, we’re talking about not just not proximity, but cost.”
See more from Beasley – including how voters assess her – in this edition of the Buckley Report.
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