Mary Wills Bode, candidate for NC Senate District 18

Name: Mary Wills Bode

Political party: Democrat

Age as of Nov. 8, 2022: 35

Campaign website: www.bode4senate.com

Occupation: Attorney

Education: Wake Forest University, B.A., Economics and Psychology, 2010; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law, J.D., 2015

Have you run for elected office before? No

Please list highlights of your civic involvement: Commissioner, North Carolina Real Estate Commission. Board member, North Carolinians for Redistricting Reform. Board member, New Republic Partners Advisory Board. Former board member, New North Carolina Project.

What are the three issues that you see as most important to your district and what will you do to address them?

Lowering costs by cutting taxes for our working families, making more products here in North Carolina — not Mexico and China — and expanding Medicaid to lower health care costs. Investing in early childhood education, fully funding our K-12 education system, as well as investing in our local community colleges to ensure that our skills curriculum matches the needs of employers. Maintaining our status as a state that values women’s health by ensuring access to reproductive healthcare is not banned.

At a time when costs are rising, state government has a surplus. How should it be used?

I support a healthy rainy-day fund. However, in order to build a stronger North Carolina, the excess surplus, consisting of our citizen’s hard-earned money paid in taxes, should not be hoarded, but rather wisely invested in job creation initiatives to continue to grow our economy, infrastructure to support our rapidly growing state, and our education system so every child is prepared for a productive and purposeful career.

Will you vote for Medicaid expansion in North Carolina?

Yes.

What has the legislature gotten right, and what has it gotten wrong, about public education in North Carolina?

N.C. Promise has made college more affordable and accessible for students by eliminating financial barriers and reducing student debt, while also growing the state’s economy. Our state has a legacy of implementing groundbreaking early childhood policies, like Smart Start, but we’ve failed to properly invest in these initiatives to keep that legacy alive. The evidence is clear on how critical early childhood education is for the future success of students and the General Assembly should prioritize funding it.

Should North Carolina change its abortion laws? How?

The current state law banning abortion after 20 weeks should remain.

Please add anything else voters should know about your position on the legality or availability of abortion in North Carolina.

I support the legal standard outlined in Roe and Casey, which was the law for nearly 50 years. I will work tirelessly to ensure access to reproductive healthcare is not banned in our state.

Should medical marijuana be legalized in North Carolina?

Yes.

What, if anything, should the legislature do to shape curriculum dealing with topics of race, sexuality and gender?

Curriculum decisions should be left in the hands of educators and parents, not politicians.

Do you accept the results of the 2020 presidential election?

Yes.