Much of Vice President Kamala Harris’ experience as a prosecutor was focused on reducing gun violence and holding accountable those responsible for gun crimes. North Carolina advocates believe she will continue these efforts if elected president.
Nearly 500,000 North Carolinians have enrolled in the state’s Medicaid expansion program, nearly 40% of whom live in rural communities. The five counties that have seen the highest enrollment rates are also rural, with enrollment rates nearly double the state average.
Harris has vowed to restore abortion rights nationwide, if elected, and has been a staunch defender of reproductive freedom, and her commitment to those positions is gaining praise in North Carolina.
We spoke with Jeff Jackson, the Democratic candidate for NC attorney general, about his opponent, Dan Bishop. Jackson didn't mince words.
Jackson says that if elected as attorney general, Bishop could work with the Republican-dominated legislature and state Supreme Court to further erode reproductive rights in the state.
Cardinal & Pine recently sat down with Jackson for an interview to get a better sense of why he’s running, what he would focus on as AG, and why the stakes of this particular election are so high. The interview covered a range of topics, including reproductive rights, the fentanyl crisis, corporate accountability, and his opponent’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results.
Bishop’s record of hostility towards LGBTQ people goes beyond HB 2 and his comments comparing them to the Taliban. As a member of the Mecklenburg County Commission in 2012, Bishop opposed a non-discrimination proposal for LGBTQ people, saying it was “either a political stunt or a serious dagger at the heart of marriage.”
While Bishop has often voted in ways that benefit his donors, there is no direct proof that he voted how he did specifically because of those donations. However, there is evidence to suggest that lawmakers in general are, at minimum, more focused on issues that matter to high-dollar special interests.
“Juneteenth is about celebrating freedom. And the one thing that we know is, the price of freedom is not free. There was a lot of hard work, a lot of blood, sweat, tears, and even lives that were given up in order to get African-Americans their freedom,” he said.
Batch said that in enacting these changes just five months before the election, Republicans are attempting to help donors conceal their identities because Robinson is struggling to get donors to support his candidacy on the record.
