Susan Sawin is a candidate for NC House of Representatives District 1. Her name will appear on the ballot on November 5, 2024.
Sawin is being challenged by Edward Goodwin, the incumbent, for the seat.
The first day of in-person early voting at your local registrar’s office in North Carolina is Oct. 17, 2024. NC voters can check their registration status using the Voter Search tool on the State Board of Elections website.
10 On Your Side reached out to all of the candidates running in this race, with a request for a bio and a list of questions to answer. If you do not see the candidate listed with a profile, we did not receive one.
Name: Susan Sawin
Age: 62
Race: NC House of Representatives District 1
Party: Democratic
Website: susansawin.com
Biography: Susan grew up in Dare County, is a double graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill (BA and Law School) and of North Carolina Central University (Library and Information Science). She has worked as a lawyer, a school administrator and a school librarian. She is now a small business owner. Susan is a single mother of four adult children (all graduates of Dare County Schools and NC colleges and universities) and a grandmother of two.
Susan has a life long commitment to public service, usually juggling full time work and parenting with service on nonprofit boards and hands-on public service work in the community.
Why are you running for office?
The legislature North Carolina is out of touch with the values and needs of North Carolinians. Rural communities, public schools, working families and children are not top priorities. If we are to thrive we need laws and programs that restore dignity and financial stability to working people, we need to re-invest in public schools and teachers and we need to protect women’s ability to make family planning choices without interference from politicians.
If you are elected, what will be your top priority in office?
My top priorities will be public school funding, protecting women’s family planning choices, and revitalizing rural communities.
What is the top challenge facing North Carolina, and how would you address it?
There is a political imbalance in our state. As a result of partisan gerrymandering and stacking the appellate courts, our legislators no longer feel they are accountable to us, the voters. This has resulted in laws that are not fully debated and that are too vague, leading to an atmosphere of fear in public schools and in women’s healthcare. It is critical to balance our legislative and congressional maps through instituting nonpartisan procedures for drawing district lines.
What is an issue in North Carolina you feel not enough people are talking about it? How would you use the power and influence you’d have in this position to address it?
So many of the critical challenges we face are the result of neglecting the needs of working families. Housing, access to quality medical care and child and elder care force too many out of the workforce. A strong economy is built through building up the middle class. All legislation must be considered through the lens of its impact on working families and small businesses.
How do you work with others you don’t agree with?
I always seek common ground and shared values. I take a thoughtful, well-researched people-first approach to solving problems.