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Ballotpedia, James Mercer

James holds a bachelor's degree in behavioral sciences from Shaw University and a master's degree in nonprofit management from Grace College and Seminary. 

James works as the director of military studies and an adjunct professor of military history at North Carolina Wesleyan University. He also works as the president and CEO of a non-profit organization, The Mercer Foundation, Inc. He served as a Lieutenant Colonel in the US Army Reserves. 

James Mercer's campaign for state senator in District 11 is his first fun for public office.

DLLC, James Mercer

Advocates for supporting small businesses.

Wants to work towards reducing employment rates and enhancing job opportunities.

Supports partnerships between local businesses and schools to help students  develop practical skills.

Wants to focus on addressing local infrastructure needs, such as roads, bridges, public transit and utilities.

- Plans to advocate for access to housing.
- Advocates for supporting small businesses.
- Wants to work towards reducing employment rates and enhancing job opportunities.
- Supports partnerships between local businesses and schools to help students  develop practical skills.
- Wants to focus on addressing local infrastructure needs, such as roads, bridges, public transit and utilities.

Economy

Wants to create plans for implementing strong and sustainable infrastructure to address environmental concerns.

- Wants to create plans for implementing strong and sustainable infrastructure to address environmental concerns.

Energy & the Environment

As of June 14, 2024, James Mercer’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Healthcare

Voting & Elections

Supports law enforcement, but advocates for community policing and officer accountability.

Wants to establish community programs and initiatives as crime prevention measures.

Wants to work towards forming strong relationships between the police force and the greater community.

- Supports law enforcement, but advocates for community policing and officer accountability.
- Wants to establish community programs and initiatives as crime prevention measures.
- Wants to work towards forming strong relationships between the police force and the greater community.

Public Safety

Plans to advocate for public school funding.

Supports more funding for local schools and educational programs.

Supports policies aimed to improve the quality of education and address issues of class sizes and teacher pay.

- Plans to advocate for public school funding.
- Supports more funding for local schools and educational programs.
- Supports policies aimed to improve the quality of education and address issues of class sizes and teacher pay.

Education

Foreign Policy and Immigration

Twitter

Instagram

Facebook

James Mercer

As of July 15, 2024, James Mercer’s website did not contain information on this issue.

James Mercer is the Director of Military Studies and an Adjunct Professor of Military History at North Carolina Wesleyan University. He has also founded a non-profit organization aimed at supporting children and veterans in his community by connecting veterans with dignified support services and providing kids with healthy meals and educational programs.

Supports increasing the minimum wage to address inflation and improve economic conditions for workers.

Supports workers' rights and increasing wages to keep up with inflation.

Supports legislation requiring paid sick leave for workers, viewing it as essential for combating pandemics.

Supports aiding small businesses, including restaurants and bars, to recover from the pandemic's effects.

The candidate's website says, "WASHINGTON — During its first 100 days, the Biden administration has turned around the country’s pandemic response and passed a historic economic relief bill. But Democrats’ leadership on America’s recovery isn’t limited to Washington — Democratic state legislative leaders are stepping up for their communities and fighting for a brighter future. While Republicans are focused on attacking the transgender community and voter suppression, Democrats are making progress on the kitchen table issues that will improve Americans’ lives."

Believes Democrats fight to strengthen the middle class and support working families, while Republicans prioritize billionaires, polluters, and MAGA extremists.

Believes the Biden-Harris administration has effectively stimulated the economy and managed the pandemic, gaining widespread support. Plans to address future challenges with competence and readiness.

As Virginia legislators, Democrats passed the Clean Economy Act to achieve 100% renewable energy by expanding solar power, offshore wind generation, and energy storage.

Supports Virginia's participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and opposes efforts to withdraw from it, believing it advances green policies.

Believes climate change is an existential threat and supports the Biden Administration's clean energy commitment. Said tackling climate change requires "an all out effort," highlighting state Democrats' leadership in the absence of federal action.

Believes Virginia had no significant climate laws before Democrats took control. As legislators, Democrats passed the Virginia Clean Economy Act to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Opposes emission restrictions and refuses to confront climate change. Supports deregulating environmental policies with no focus on sustainability.

Supports setting a net-zero carbon emissions target for 2050.

Supports environmental justice legislation and building on the 2019 climate law.

Supports increasing clean energy jobs, especially in underrepresented communities.

Supports allowing New Mexico to set stricter environmental regulations than the federal government.

As mayor, successfully led the charge to recover from a local environmental disaster.

Believes Republican-controlled legislatures' abortion bans have disrupted pregnancy care, causing maternity ward closures and OBGYNs to leave states.

Believes poor health outcomes in the South are due to policy makers not providing access to health care. Said, "there are hundreds of thousands of Georgians who would be eligible for Medicaid that are going without insurance."

Believes in overhauling healthcare to address geographic disparities, subsidize young adults' insurance, improve telehealth, and extend Medicaid for new mothers.

Opposes gender-affirming care bans for minors and adults, citing risks to vulnerable kids and violations of privacy and bodily autonomy.

Believes access to health insurance is critical, especially for those giving birth. Criticizes Republican obstruction for Georgia's lack of Medicaid expansion.

Believes that avoiding medical care due to fear of costs leads to poorer health outcomes and higher expenses. Supports early intervention to prevent health issues and reduce financial burdens.

Believes maternal and infant mortality rates among women of color are a significant issue that needs addressing. Plans to reintroduce legislation to confront this problem until it is acknowledged and acted upon.

Believes in protecting nurses and patients by requiring adequate staffing ratios. Supports commonsense healthcare legislation like The Patient Safety Act.

Believes no American should go bankrupt accessing health care.

Believes COVID-19 has severely impacted vulnerable communities lacking healthcare and economic stability.

Supports removing barriers to voting and enacting comprehensive voting rights legislation. As state legislators, Democrats implemented early voting, same-day registration, a permanent absentee ballot list, made Election Day a state holiday, and repealed a voter ID law.

Believes Republicans have manipulated Wisconsin's legislative maps to maintain control despite losing the popular vote. Cites 2012 and 2018 elections where Democrats won the popular vote but secured significantly fewer Assembly seats.

Opposes the Independent State Legislature (ISL) Theory, which would give state legislatures unchecked authority over federal elections.

Supports codifying voting rights protections by repealing voter ID laws, expanding absentee voting, and implementing same-day voter registration.

Believes Republican officials are undermining democracy by spreading misinformation and passing extreme voter suppression laws. Said, "we cannot ignore the authoritarian legislation swiftly moving through our state capitols."

Believes in protecting voting rights and fair election administration. Supports addressing gerrymandering to ensure fair representation in the legislature.

Believes building Democratic majorities in states is crucial to counteract efforts to restrict reproductive freedom and voting access. Said, "our democracy is on the line – and the fight for our future is happening in the states."

Believes "democracy and fundamental freedoms" are at risk and supports investing in state-level infrastructure to counter Republican efforts and prevent Donald Trump from returning to the White House.

Believes the involvement of Republicans in the January 6 insurrection and spreading 2020 election conspiracies highlights ongoing threats to election integrity. Said, "Virginians heard our warning loud and clear" about the dangers of election misinformation.

Believes Democrats have made voting easier and passed policies to support families, reproductive rights, environmental protection, racial justice, and gun violence reduction. Said, "When Democrats win, we help our communities and move the country forward — one bill at a time."

Opposes "common-sense gun control measures like red-flag laws and universal background checks" and other popular policies.

Supports commonsense gun reforms and opposes Republican efforts to expel legislators advocating for gun control.

As State Senators, Democrats broke the gridlock on gun safety by implementing mandatory background checks, limiting handgun purchases, and enacting red flag laws.

Believes children deserve a safe community to grow up in, not more drills for unsafe environments.

Believes it is urgent to elect "gun safety champions" to state legislatures. Supports launching a slate of 12 Democratic state legislative candidates focused on gun safety.

Supports passing gun safety legislation as a survivor of the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival mass shooting.

The candidate's website says, "Every state with a Democratic-controlled legislature has used its power to protect constituents, including protecting the right to an abortion, acting on gun safety, expanding Medicaid, and raising the minimum wage. Here are just a few examples of this tremendous work:"

Believes Democratic state legislators are crucial in advancing progressive policies on public safety. Supports protecting reproductive freedom, expanding voting rights, fighting book bans, securing LGBTQ+ rights, banning assault weapons, increasing minimum wages, and ensuring access to birth control.

Believes state legislators are leading efforts on gun safety reform.

Supports the Safer Rails, Safer Communities Act to prevent disasters like the East Palestine derailment in 2023.

Believes the GOP’s education policies are “way out of whack” and supports fully funding schools, teaching accurate science and history, and creating a welcoming environment for vulnerable children.

Supports improving public education, reducing class sizes, and increasing teacher pay. Plans to champion working families and flip her district blue.

Believes every child deserves access to quality education and resources, regardless of zip code. Supports educators and farmers to build a brighter and fairer South Carolina.

Believes in protecting school library books from censorship. Supports legislation to safeguard educational materials in Minnesota.

Believes in addressing pandemic-related learning loss by funding summer school and child care programs.

Opposes bills attacking the civil rights of trans people and policies requiring school staff to out students to their parents. Supports blocking harmful legislation against transgender individuals.

Supports funding for youth mental health, early childhood education, and childcare due to the state legislature's female majority.

Believes that including women's voices in education policy discussions brings diverse perspectives, especially from mothers. Supports policies that consider the impact on all parents, not just wealthy homeowners.

Believes in increasing access to child care through stimulus funds and expanding state subsidy programs.

The candidate's website says, "In Washington’s new budget, lawmakers used stimulus money to fund $1 billion for vaccine distribution, $1 billion for housing assistance, and $3.3 billion on K-12 education."

The candidate's website says, "WASHINGTON — Arizona House Republicans just passed a controversial anti-immigrant ballot measure proposal, giving final approval for the measure to appear on the 2024 ballot, which bypasses ..."

The candidate's website says, "BREAKING: Anti-Immigrant Texas SB 4 Copycat Measure to Appear on 2024 Arizona Statewide Ballot Thanks to the GOP-Controlled Legislature"

- Your State Senator participates in the legislative process at the state level. They are one of 50 members of the North Carolina Senate. The North Carolina Senate is the upper house of the North Carolina General Assembly (the state's lawmaking body).
- Your State Senator drafts laws, approves budgets, has oversight of the state executive branch, and debates and votes on proposed laws.
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- Your State Senator is responsible for representing your interests. They also are responsible for helping you navigate the state's services and bringing back resources to your district.
- The State Senator is elected to a 2-year term. There is no term limit.

Your representative and state lawmaker in North Carolina Senate.

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Supports workers' rights and increasing their salaries to keep up with inflation.