North Carolina State Senate District 18
Mary Wills Bode
Are you an incumbent
No
1. Do you support the City of Raleigh’s $275 million parks bond on the ballot this November?
Yes
2. Do you support the $353.2 million Wake Tech bond on the ballot this November
Yes
3. Do you support the $530.7 million Wake County schools bond on the ballot this November?
Yes
4. Do you support the use of incentives for the attraction and retention of employers?
Yes, I support the use of strategic incentives for the attraction and retention of employers as a tool for economic growth. Offering incentive packages to prospective companies that want to call North Carolina home is one of many ways we can attract businesses and talent to our state to ensure that we have diversified economic opportunities that provide pathways to posterity for our citizens throughout North Carolina.
5. Do you support the use of incentives for the attraction and retention of employers? Why or why not?
6. Do you support Medicaid expansion
Yes
Do you support Medicaid expansion? Why or why not?
Currently, our North Carolina federal tax dollars are being sent to other states to make them healthier, more prosperous, and better positioned for the future. We must expand Medicaid and ensure North Carolina dollars are invested in North Carolina. Medicaid expansion will lower all of our healthcare costs, provide health insurance for over 500,000 hard-working North Carolinians, as well as give our communities the financial resources they desperately need for mental health and addiction treatment services.
7. How do you intend to collaborate with your partners at the municipal and county level to create a better environment for our region?
Commitment to working with municipal and county level leaders is not just a talking point for me, it’s an action item. I am the only candidate in my race who has met with each mayor, members from each town council, and each county commissioner in Senate District 18–regardless of political affiliation.
If Senate District 18 is going to maximize all of the opportunities that are currently in our district and continuing to come, we’re all going to have to work together. I am committed to working alongside our local leaders in order to build a better future.
8. How will you work to support Wake County’s public education needs, including our public schools, community colleges and public universities?
We need folks in the General Assembly who genuinely want to work across the aisle to ensure we can deliver for our children and their future. That means we need to invest in early childhood education, fully fund our schools with the resources they need, and create strong public private partnerships between our community colleges and businesses so we can match our skills-based curriculums with local employment opportunities. I look forward to being part of the bipartisan coalition that enacts sound education policy to ensure each one of our students has the resources they need to have a productive future.
9. How will you help North Carolina to be more competitive regionally, nationally, and internationally?
North Carolina needs to maintain its status as a wonderful place to do business and raise a family. To stay competitive, that means we need to make sure that healthcare is affordable and accessible throughout our state, our infrastructure can sustain our area’s rapid growth, and our education system has the resources it needs to ensure every child can reach their full potential. All of these things combined make North Carolina an even more attractive place to live, which is what companies are looking for as they recruit and retain talent.
Transportation/Transit – Continue to promote and implement an effective transit plan to optimize service delivery and position the state for ongoing growth.
It’s important to make sure that our high growth areas are cohesively connected to our more rural areas in order to ensure that there are opportunities for all North Carolinians to thrive.
Economic Strength - Create a business-friendly environment to attract, retain and grow business, diversify the economic base, and create job opportunities for all citizens.
North Carolina has had visionary leadership that created an incredibly diversified economy–especially around technology, healthcare, and finance. We need to continue to diversify our opportunities, including bringing our manufacturing jobs back to North Carolina, so that more products could be made here at home instead of overseas.
Affordable Housing – Develop an effective affordable housing plan through collaboration with the government, the private sector, the community, and individuals.
Homeownership is foundational to the American Dream. As a North Carolinian, I have known my whole life what others across our country are now discovering: our state is a great place for people to come and chase that dream. Given my service on the North Carolina Real Estate Commission, I understand the issues and challenges around growth and development in our state. We need more people in elected office to not only care and understand these issues, but who also want to work to make sure we are growing thoughtfully while we reach our area's full potential and optimize the opportunities in front of us.
Great Government - Promote a vision of a city government that partners with all levels of government to empower, protect and serve its citizens through a culture of respect, collaboration, and innovation
Change can only happen as quickly as trust is built. I look forward to being part of the coalition that builds trust throughout each level of government, regardless of political affiliation.
Growth and Sustainability - Establish a deliberate and realistic approach to address growth and mobility while preserving our environment and healthy communities.
More and more people are learning what an amazing place North Carolina is to live, work, and raise a family. We need to make sure that we are being thoughtful about our growth so that we are able to maintain the character that makes our communities feel like home. We also need to make sure our communities have the infrastructure in place to keep up with the rapid growth that is occurring.
Public Safety - Provide a safe, secure, and healthy community through coordinated, efficient, and effective public safety services.
I have received the endorsement of the Police Benevolent Association in North Carolina, and I look forward to working in partnership with our law enforcement officers to ensure they have resources and support they need to keep our communities safe.
Social and Economic Vitality - Improve economic and social opportunities in vulnerable communities through strategic partnerships.
Strategic public/private partnerships can be a very effective tool to provide opportunities to our underserved and overlooked communities. Each community's challenges are different, so finding great community partners that want to invest in locally tailored solutions is a critical part of making sustainable change.
Are you an incumbent
No
1. Do you support the City of Raleigh’s $275 million parks bond on the ballot this November?
Yes
2. Do you support the $353.2 million Wake Tech bond on the ballot this November
Yes
3. Do you support the $530.7 million Wake County schools bond on the ballot this November?
Yes
4. Do you support the use of incentives for the attraction and retention of employers?
Yes, I support the use of strategic incentives for the attraction and retention of employers as a tool for economic growth. Offering incentive packages to prospective companies that want to call North Carolina home is one of many ways we can attract businesses and talent to our state to ensure that we have diversified economic opportunities that provide pathways to posterity for our citizens throughout North Carolina.
5. Do you support the use of incentives for the attraction and retention of employers? Why or why not?
6. Do you support Medicaid expansion
Yes
Do you support Medicaid expansion? Why or why not?
Currently, our North Carolina federal tax dollars are being sent to other states to make them healthier, more prosperous, and better positioned for the future. We must expand Medicaid and ensure North Carolina dollars are invested in North Carolina. Medicaid expansion will lower all of our healthcare costs, provide health insurance for over 500,000 hard-working North Carolinians, as well as give our communities the financial resources they desperately need for mental health and addiction treatment services.
7. How do you intend to collaborate with your partners at the municipal and county level to create a better environment for our region?
Commitment to working with municipal and county level leaders is not just a talking point for me, it’s an action item. I am the only candidate in my race who has met with each mayor, members from each town council, and each county commissioner in Senate District 18–regardless of political affiliation.
If Senate District 18 is going to maximize all of the opportunities that are currently in our district and continuing to come, we’re all going to have to work together. I am committed to working alongside our local leaders in order to build a better future.
8. How will you work to support Wake County’s public education needs, including our public schools, community colleges and public universities?
We need folks in the General Assembly who genuinely want to work across the aisle to ensure we can deliver for our children and their future. That means we need to invest in early childhood education, fully fund our schools with the resources they need, and create strong public private partnerships between our community colleges and businesses so we can match our skills-based curriculums with local employment opportunities. I look forward to being part of the bipartisan coalition that enacts sound education policy to ensure each one of our students has the resources they need to have a productive future.
9. How will you help North Carolina to be more competitive regionally, nationally, and internationally?
North Carolina needs to maintain its status as a wonderful place to do business and raise a family. To stay competitive, that means we need to make sure that healthcare is affordable and accessible throughout our state, our infrastructure can sustain our area’s rapid growth, and our education system has the resources it needs to ensure every child can reach their full potential. All of these things combined make North Carolina an even more attractive place to live, which is what companies are looking for as they recruit and retain talent.
Transportation/Transit – Continue to promote and implement an effective transit plan to optimize service delivery and position the state for ongoing growth.
It’s important to make sure that our high growth areas are cohesively connected to our more rural areas in order to ensure that there are opportunities for all North Carolinians to thrive.
Economic Strength - Create a business-friendly environment to attract, retain and grow business, diversify the economic base, and create job opportunities for all citizens.
North Carolina has had visionary leadership that created an incredibly diversified economy–especially around technology, healthcare, and finance. We need to continue to diversify our opportunities, including bringing our manufacturing jobs back to North Carolina, so that more products could be made here at home instead of overseas.
Affordable Housing – Develop an effective affordable housing plan through collaboration with the government, the private sector, the community, and individuals.
Homeownership is foundational to the American Dream. As a North Carolinian, I have known my whole life what others across our country are now discovering: our state is a great place for people to come and chase that dream. Given my service on the North Carolina Real Estate Commission, I understand the issues and challenges around growth and development in our state. We need more people in elected office to not only care and understand these issues, but who also want to work to make sure we are growing thoughtfully while we reach our area's full potential and optimize the opportunities in front of us.
Great Government - Promote a vision of a city government that partners with all levels of government to empower, protect and serve its citizens through a culture of respect, collaboration, and innovation
Change can only happen as quickly as trust is built. I look forward to being part of the coalition that builds trust throughout each level of government, regardless of political affiliation.
Growth and Sustainability - Establish a deliberate and realistic approach to address growth and mobility while preserving our environment and healthy communities.
More and more people are learning what an amazing place North Carolina is to live, work, and raise a family. We need to make sure that we are being thoughtful about our growth so that we are able to maintain the character that makes our communities feel like home. We also need to make sure our communities have the infrastructure in place to keep up with the rapid growth that is occurring.
Public Safety - Provide a safe, secure, and healthy community through coordinated, efficient, and effective public safety services.
I have received the endorsement of the Police Benevolent Association in North Carolina, and I look forward to working in partnership with our law enforcement officers to ensure they have resources and support they need to keep our communities safe.
Social and Economic Vitality - Improve economic and social opportunities in vulnerable communities through strategic partnerships.
Strategic public/private partnerships can be a very effective tool to provide opportunities to our underserved and overlooked communities. Each community's challenges are different, so finding great community partners that want to invest in locally tailored solutions is a critical part of making sustainable change.
