Candidate says cancer won’t stop campaign
Democratic legislative candidate Mary Belk underwent surgery Tuesday, a day after announcing she had been diagnosed with breast cancer.
A campaign official says Belk, 59, will continue in her bid to unseat Republican state Rep. Rob Bryan. He represents District 88 in southeast Charlotte.
Belk was diagnosed last week with what she described as early-stage breast cancer.
“I was fortunate to have had this detected early, and both my doctors and I are confident of a full recovery,” she said in a statement. “Because of the confidence in a positive outcome, I am continuing my campaign for North Carolina House.
“My diagnosis has made my priorities even clearer to me. … I am committed to work for the health and well-being of all my fellow North Carolinians – including women and their families who don’t have access to the medical care they deserve.”
Belk said she expects to start a regime of chemotherapy followed by radiation.
Bryan is finishing his second term in the Republican-leaning district. However, Democrats have been buoyed by surveys that show the race is winnable. This month Politico cited a Republican polling memo that said Bryan is in a “dire situation.”
Jim Morrill: 704-358-5059, @jimmorrill
This story was originally published September 27, 2016 at 3:54 PM with the headline "Candidate says cancer won’t stop campaign."