Vickie Sawyer, Republican NC Senate District 37 candidate, answers our questions
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NC Senate District 37
Democrat Kate Barr is challenging Republican Vickie Sawyer in NC Senate District 37, which includes Iredell and some of Mecklenburg County.
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To help inform voters in the Nov. 5, 2024, election, this candidate questionnaire is available to be republished by local publications in North Carolina without any cost. Please consider subscribing to The Charlotte Observer to help make this coverage possible.
Name: Vickie Sawyer
Birth date (month, day and year): Aug. 8, 1975
Campaign website or social media page: sawyernc.com
Occupation: Family business owner and senator
Education: UNC Charlotte - Education
Have you run for elected office before? (Please list previous offices sought or held)
NC Senate - 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2024
Please list your highlights of civic involvement
2014 - Our Schools First School Bond Referendum, 2005-2010 - PTO President and Board Member, 2010-2018 Girls and Women’s Coach for Sports, 2014-2018 Iredell Co Republican Board Member, 2018-today Fraternal Order of Police Member, 2023-2024 Chair of Republican Women’s Caucus, 2022-2024 CoChair of Joint Women’s Caucus, 2020-today CoChair of Arts Caucus
Charlotte, Mecklenburg County and most of the county’s towns are on board with draft legislation to get permission from the legislature for a sales tax referendum to pay for public transit and other transportation. If elected, would you support a bill that allows the sales tax increase to appear on the ballot? Why or why not?*
As the co-chair of Senate Transportation, Charlotte elected leadership and business community have communicated with me on their proposed legislation. Increasing transportation funding is a cornerstone of my service in the NCGA as evidenced by my work leading the NC Ten Commission. During my service as transportation chair, the NCGA has increased the annual investment for transportation by 700 Million annually. I am committed to finding more solutions to solve our transportation infrastructure.
In North Carolina, abortion is banned after 12 weeks. State politicians, including gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson, have said they want to restrict abortion even further. Do you support the state’s current abortion restrictions, and what is your approach to legislating issues related to reproductive health?
As one of the main collaborators on SB20, I worked to ensure that women’s rights were protected with expanding the state’s exceptions for abortions, funding family leave for state employees, and provided additional resources for foster care and adoption. The current legislation is a common sense approach that allows women choice, provides options for difficult situations during pregnancy and supports women and children.
What would you say is the biggest issue facing your constituents, and what would you do to address it if elected?
Investment in transportation infrastructure and Hurricane Helene recovery for our neighbors in Western NC.
While violent crime rates are decreasing nationwide they are growing in large North Carolina cities like Charlotte and Raleigh. How would you tackle the issue of rising violent crime rates and what do you believe is the legislature’s role when it comes to public safety?
The NCGA has enacted laws to protect our citizens. A law is only as good as the enforcement agency. It is the duty of local governments to fully fund and support our City Police and Sherriff’s Offices so they have the tools necessary to keep our communities safe.
While inflation has slowed, rising prices continue to concern North Carolina residents. How will you ensure your constituents are able to afford basic necessities like health care, food and housing?
Increasing taxes on families that are already financially burdened by inflation is problematic. The General Assembly has gradually decreased personal income tax to 3.99 starting in 2026. Also, we increased the deduction amount to 25,500. We also continue to cut burdensome regulations that are punitive to small business owners and stifle the economy. Cutting red tape and leaving more money in family’s pockets is the best medicine for inflation.
Is there any policy by your party that you disagree with?
The beauty of our system of government is that we can openly disagree about policy and come to a compromise. In that regard, the Republican Party is no different. Instead of drawing attention to areas of disagreement, my focus is on creating solutions and finding common ground.
This story was originally published October 14, 2024 at 1:04 PM.
