Campaign images for Barbara Yates-Lockamy (above) and Senator Danny Britt (below). Image/Barbara Yates-Lockamy’s website and the NC State Senate’s website.
The state senate race for District 13 of North Carolina is between incumbent Danny Britt, Republican and challenger Barbara Yates-Lockamy, Democrat. District 13 includes both Columbus and Robeson County. Britt is currently a lieutenant colonel in the Army National Guard and a defense attorney. Yates-Lockamy is a retired educator of the public-school system. Her experience spans from teaching, counseling, Vocational Competency Achievement Tracking System Achievement Tracking System (VOCATS) coordinator and human resources.
Both candidates emphasized the importance of college age voters exercising their civic duty, with the end goal to make the voting experience more inclusive.
“It’s not about one age group against another, it’s about all people,” Yates-Lockamy said.
“It is critical that we have the perspective of everybody at different stations in their life,” Britt said.
Their positions on the economy are starkly different. Yates-Lockamy said that Britt favors large corporations, as opposed to his constituents. If elected, Yates hopes to deliver a raise in the minimum wage to $15 an hour.
Senator Britt has pushed to cut regulations for large businesses. North Carolina has been listed as the top-ranked place to do business according to Forbes’ website.
“That [NC’s Forbes’ ranking] is because of a lot of the deregulation that we did, attempting to reduce corporate income taxes,” said Britt. With more businesses being lured to North Carolina, Britt believes this will increase jobs and, therefore citizens’ quality of life.
Despite a large discrepancy in funding, in favor of Britt, Yates-Lockamy believes that dollars do not equate to votes.
“I have a heart for the people. I want to see more industry in Columbus and Robeson County. The companies that come will have good living wages,” Yates-Lockamy said.
Yates-Lockamy has been endorsed by the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, the Sierra Club and the NC State AFL-CIO. Britt has been endorsed by Americans for Prosperity and the North Carolina Association of Educators.
During his three terms in office, Britt has been instrumental in pivotal pieces of legislation. Two that he is proud of would be NC Promise and The Second Chance Act. NC Promise lowered tuition to $500 for three public universities, including UNCP. The Second Chance Act allows residents with non-violent felonies to be reintegrated into the workforce.
Additionally, due to this bill an individual is now able to receive an unlimited amount of dismissals or not guilty verdicts be expunged.
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