Keshia Sandidge, candidate for NC Senate District 34
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Candidates for NC Senate District 34
Democrat Keshia Sandidge is running against Republican incumbent Paul Newton. District 34 covers Cabarrus County. Get to know the candidates with our NC 2022 Voter Guide.
Name: Keshia Sandidge
Political party: Democrat
Age as of Nov. 8, 2022: 44
Campaign website: keshia4senate34.com
Occupation: Social worker
Education: Master of Social Work, University of South Carolina
Have you run for elected office before? 2020, Board of Education
Please list highlights of your civic involvement: Member of the Cabarrus County Board of Education, founder and Chair of the Schools-Community Engagement Committee
What are the three issues that you see as most important to your district and what will you do to address them?
1. Rising cost of living: cut taxes across the board for working and middle-class families, expand Medicaid, bring down the cost of universities.
2. Better business environment: cut red tape and implement a common-sense, evidence-based regulation policy.
3. Education: raising teacher pay, equitable reform of licensure policy, and getting the politics out of curriculum.
At a time when costs are rising, state government has a surplus. How should it be used?
I believe in fiscal responsibility, and it is simply not fiscally responsible to run up a surplus at the expense of our state services and employees. We should remain committed to balancing our budgets while also using the funds we pay in taxes to properly fund our schools, state services like the DMV, and pay our employees, such as teachers, a living wage.
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?
There are many improvements in the most recent licensure proposal, such as teacher pay raises and some good ideas for advancement. However, there is still a lack of meaningful engagement with educators, leading to poor policies included in the package. North Carolina still ranks very poorly nationwide in education quality, and our per-pupil spending correlates with that. We need to engage more with educators and raise per-pupil spending on critical resources.
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 want to evaluate proposals on abortion on a case-by-case bases in consultation with my constituents. I understand that there are strong views on both sides, and I want to respect everyone’s voice and opinion. I think we can protect women’s right to health care decisions while also putting reasonable restrictions in late-term stages that honor our obligation to life.
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?
Rational policymaking on this issue is difficult at present because of the inflammatory politics around this issue. Because of we all carry biases, we need to have a collective conversation that includes policymakers, parents, educators, and staff to make nonpartisan, reasonable reforms to our curriculum. We need guidance on how to navigate these issues so that educators are not blindsided, but it should be based on support and accountability to parents rather than targeting.
Do you accept the results of the 2020 presidential election?
Yes.
