Michael Garrett, candidate for NC Senate District 27
Name: Michael Garrett
Political party: Democrat
Age as of Nov. 8, 2022: 38
Campaign website: garrettfornc.com
Occupation: Marketing business owner/operator
Education: B.S. Business Administration from UNCG
Have you run for elected office before? Yes, I have run for NC Senate in 2016, 2018 and 2020.
Please list highlights of your civic involvement: I currently serve as a member of the North Carolina State Health Coordinating Council (SHCC). I previously served as Chair of the UNCG Board of Alumni, as a member of the United Way of Greater Greensboro’s Education Impact Council and have been an active participant in various causes and organizations in Guilford County.
What are the three issues that you see as most important to your district and what will you do to address them?
Priority one: expand Medicaid, right now. This would be a huge win for our health as well as our economy. We must fully fund our public schools, so every child has a world-class education. Finally, we must continue investing in our local economy so that families can prosper and want to stay in Guilford County.
At a time when costs are rising, state government has a surplus. How should it be used?
For the past decade, the N.C. General Assembly has repeatedly passed budgets which woefully underfund our public school systems. This includes failure to pass adequate pay raises for teachers and personnel, failure to pay the costs of upkeep on our school infrastructure and per-pupil spending well below the national average. Our state has a huge revenue surplus, and now is the perfect time to make up for past mistakes by investing in our public education system.
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?
The current legislative majority has gotten more wrong than right in recent years when it comes to our public schools. Chronic underfunding can be seen in the hemorrhaging of teachers and how outdated much of North Carolina’s school infrastructure has become. Ultimately, our children pay the price for these decisions.
Should North Carolina change its abortion laws? How?
There should be no restrictions on abortion.
Please add anything else voters should know about your position on the legality or availability of abortion in North Carolina.
I favor returning to the way things were before the U.S. Supreme Court decided to upend a half century of precedent to strip away the freedom of women to make decisions concerning their bodies. Now, doctors must consult teams of lawyers before providing emergency care. Recent months have made the fact crystal clear that the difficult and complex decision to end a pregnancy must be left to a woman and her doctor. The Dobbs decision leaves women less safe and less free than they were a year ago.
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?
I place far more trust in curriculum decisions made by professional educators than those made by a room full of politicians. As the adage goes, “Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it.” I believe that children should be taught a full accounting of our country’s history as well as to embrace those who are different from themselves. Politicians meddling in lesson plans is doomed to backfire on all of us.
Do you accept the results of the 2020 presidential election?
Yes.
