LinkedIn

Deanna Ballard grew up in Lincoln County, North Carolina. She has a bachelor's in business administration from Belmont University

Deanna is currently the principal at Evergreen Management Consulting LLC. She has previously worked at the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the White House.

Deanna Ballard was previously state senator for North Carolina District 45 for six terms from 2016 to 2022. She was co-chairwoman of the Senate's education appropriations and education policy committees. She ran for state senator again in 2022, but did not win. 

Candidate website

The candidate's website says, "In the state legislature, Sen. Ballard LOWERED taxes on families and businesses. She passed bills expanding career and technical training, so students don’t need to take on debt at woke universities for a path to decent, good-paying jobs."

As State Senator, she helped lower taxes on families and businesses. 

The candidate's website says, "It isn’t enough that manufacturing jobs are made available for North Carolinians... These jobs require an upskilled and reskilled workforce as well... from postsecondary education opportunities to in-demand, good paying careers, which are available in manufacturing."

Said, "It isn’t enough that manufacturing jobs are made available for North Carolinians... These jobs require an upskilled and reskilled workforce as well... from postsecondary education opportunities to in-demand, good paying careers, which are available in manufacturing."

Said, "I’ve dedicated my life to fighting for our children and serving working families – the backbone of North Carolina," ... "They’ve been stretched thin by inflation, ..."

- As State Senator, she helped lower taxes on families and businesses. 
- Said, "It isn’t enough that manufacturing jobs are made available for North Carolinians... These jobs require an upskilled and reskilled workforce as well... from postsecondary education opportunities to in-demand, good paying careers, which are available in manufacturing."
- Said, "I’ve dedicated my life to fighting for our children and serving working families – the backbone of North Carolina," ... "They’ve been stretched thin by inflation, ..."
- Supports small business job creation.

Economy

As of January 31, 2024, Deanna Ballard’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Energy & the Environment

Believes "every unborn life is precious and deserves protection."

- Believes "every unborn life is precious and deserves protection."

Healthcare

The candidate's website says, "The sanctity of the ballot box is the bedrock of self-government. ... In 2018, she supported a state constitutional amendment to require voter ID, and North Carolinians overwhelmingly voted to adopt that amendment."

Supported a state constitutional amendment to require voter ID, and North Carolinians voted to adopt that amendment.

The candidate's website says, "As Lt. Governor, Deanna will fight for election integrity efforts that eliminate voter fraud and ensure one person, one vote."

Said she "will fight for election integrity efforts that eliminate voter fraud and ensure one person, one vote."

- Supported a state constitutional amendment to require voter ID, and North Carolinians voted to adopt that amendment.
- Said she "will fight for election integrity efforts that eliminate voter fraud and ensure one person, one vote."

Voting & Elections

The candidate's website says, "• We all have a right to gun ownership and to defend ourselves and our families."

Said, "we all have a right to gun ownership and to defend ourselves and our families."

The candidate's website says, "• The police need to be DEFENDED, not defunded."

Believes the police need to be "defended, not defunded."

- Said, "we all have a right to gun ownership and to defend ourselves and our families."
- Believes the police need to be "defended, not defunded."

Public Safety

Supports reopening public schools during COVID, opposed prolonged closures, and advocated for in-person learning, confronting state leadership and unions to pass legislation mandating school reopening.

Supported reopening public schools during COVID, opposed prolonged closures, and advocated for in-person learning.

Opposes bureaucratic barriers to school choice, supports parental control over children's education, and criticizes legal tactics threatening charter school funding despite high demand evidenced by waitlists.

Said "Bureaucrats will resort to anything to block parents from having a choice in which school their children attend... even as tens of thousands of children sit on charter school waitlists. Parents, not bureaucrats, should have the power in deciding which school is best for their children."

The candidate's website says, "Sen. Ballard passed multiple bills championing charter schools and the state’s Opportunity Scholarship program, which offers funding to children whose needs are best met at a private school."

As State Senator, she passed multiple bills supporting charter schools and the state’s Opportunity Scholarship program, which "offers funding to children whose needs are best met at a private school".

The candidate's website says, "Sen. Ballard focused relentlessly in the Senate on empowering parents in their children’s schooling and stopping the woke agenda. As chair of the Senate Education Committee, she helped write the Parents’ Bill of Rights, which will soon become law."

As chair of the Senate Education Committee, she helped write the Parents’ Bill of Rights, which became law.

The candidate's website says, "Sen. Ballard worked closely with Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson on his task force uncovering political indoctrination in public schools. Like Lt. Gov. Robinson, Sen. Ballard believes schools should focus on reading, writing, and math, NOT political indoctrination."

Believes "schools should focus on reading, writing, and math, not political indoctrination."

The candidate's website says, "Outfitting community colleges and the UNC System to educate students affordably — especially adults — for modern manufacturer demands also makes good sense. The UNC System is undertaking an effort, called Project Kitty Hawk, with that aim in mind."

Supports outfitting community colleges and the UNC System to educate students affordably

Said, "biological males should not be competing against women in sports."

- Supported reopening public schools during COVID, opposed prolonged closures, and advocated for in-person learning.
- Said "Bureaucrats will resort to anything to block parents from having a choice in which school their children attend... even as tens of thousands of children sit on charter school waitlists. Parents, not bureaucrats, should have the power in deciding which school is best for their children."
- As State Senator, she passed multiple bills supporting charter schools and the state’s Opportunity Scholarship program, which "offers funding to children whose needs are best met at a private school".
- As chair of the Senate Education Committee, she helped write the Parents’ Bill of Rights, which became law.
- Believes "schools should focus on reading, writing, and math, not political indoctrination."
- Supports outfitting community colleges and the UNC System to educate students affordably
- Said, "biological males should not be competing against women in sports."

Education

The candidate's website says, "• Illegal immigrants need to be deported, not protected in sanctuary cities."

Believes, "Illegal immigrants need to be deported, not protected in sanctuary cities."

- Believes, "Illegal immigrants need to be deported, not protected in sanctuary cities."

Foreign Policy and Immigration

Twitter

Instagram

Facebook

Deanna Ballard

Helped lower taxes on families and businesses. 

- Helped lower taxes on families and businesses. 
- Said, "It isn’t enough that manufacturing jobs are made available for North Carolinians... These jobs require an upskilled and reskilled workforce as well... from postsecondary education opportunities to in-demand, good paying careers, which are available in manufacturing."
- Said, "I’ve dedicated my life to fighting for our children and serving working families – the backbone of North Carolina," ... "They’ve been stretched thin by inflation, ..."
- Focused on small business job creation.

- Said, "biological males should not be competing against women in sports."
- Believes "every unborn life is precious and deserves protection."

Believes bureaucratic barriers to school choice, supports parental control over children's education, and criticizes legal tactics threatening charter school funding despite high demand evidenced by waitlists.

Passed multiple bills supporting charter schools and the state’s Opportunity Scholarship program, which offers funding to children whose needs are best met at a private school as state senator.

- Supported reopening public schools during COVID, opposed prolonged closures, and advocated for in-person learning.
- Believes bureaucratic barriers to school choice, supports parental control over children's education, and criticizes legal tactics threatening charter school funding despite high demand evidenced by waitlists.
- Passed multiple bills supporting charter schools and the state’s Opportunity Scholarship program, which offers funding to children whose needs are best met at a private school as state senator.
- As chair of the Senate Education Committee, she helped write the Parents’ Bill of Rights, which became law.
- Believes "schools should focus on reading, writing, and math, not political indoctrination."
- Supports outfitting community colleges and the UNC System to educate students affordably

Deanna is currently the principal at Evergreen Management Consulting LLC. She has previously worked at the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and in the White House during President George W. Bush's administration. 

Deanna Ballard was previously state senator for North Carolina District 45 for six terms from 2016 to 2022. She was co-chairwoman of the Senate's education appropriations and education policy committees. She ran for state senator again in 2022 but lost. 

The candidate's website says, "Sen. Ballard has long championed economic policies that focus on skills training... Too many students take on crushing student loan debt – and for what? Often, a job that pays less than 'blue collar' work."

The candidate's website says, "North Carolina... recent closures of the Canton paper mill and the Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams furniture company show how tenuous manufacturing jobs can be — and how important it is to protect and expand them."

The candidate's website says, "After years of NAFTA-related devastation, North Carolina’s overall manufacturing sector looks to have recovered somewhat... Data published by the National Association of Manufacturers shows our state’s manufacturing output hit $102 billion in 2021, up 21% since 2012."

The candidate's website says, "But the purpose of a manufacturing resurgence isn’t just state prestige or even economic growth alone — it’s jobs."

The candidate's website says, "That growth just barely outpaces the rate of inflation... Pratt & Whitney will soon open its one-million-square-foot turbine airfoil production facility in Buncombe County. Toyota is constructing a battery manufacturing plant in Randolph County, a project that will total $5.9 billion when complete."

The candidate's website says, "To answer the first question, manufacturing jobs deserve attention because of where they are and who has them. Yes, on the whole North Carolina is doing very well. But nearly all of that success benefits the state’s urban centers."

The candidate's website says, "Zoom out of Raleigh, Charlotte, and a few other cities, and a very different reality exists. Working-age adults are leaving. Job growth is stagnant. Poverty is higher, wages are lower, and it’s getting worse."

The candidate's website says, "Next year’s state budget puts tens of millions of dollars towards preparing large tracts of land, called megasites, for other major employers. That will likely be money well spent: the Toyota, Wolfspeed, and VinFast plants are all located on megasites."

Said, "State legislators have laid the groundwork for this trend through low taxes, reasonable regulations, and a pro-jobs agenda. We need to stay the course."

The candidate's website says, "North Carolina’s manufacturing employment went into freefall... From 1995 to 2022, manufacturing jobs fell from 830,000 to 475,000. That’s a 42% drop..."

The candidate's website says, "Creating an environment that delivers good-paying jobs to rural areas... Manufacturing and industry checked those boxes for decades, and they can do so again."

The candidate's website says, "The Committee has two main legislative priorities — the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and workforce, or short-term, PELL grants — which will help outfit the workforce with skills demanded by manufacturers... By cutting bureaucracy, ensuring more dollars go to skills development programs, and letting employers take the lead, we can ensure the workforce system is, well, working."

The candidate's website says, "Above all, she focused relentlessly on small business job creation to unleash the American Dream for anyone who’s willing to work hard."

The candidate's website says, "Add it all up and it’s clear why CNBC ranked North Carolina the top state for business two years in a row."

The candidate's website says, "It’s these areas that the post-NAFTA economy hit the hardest, and it’s these areas that a manufacturing resurgence can most benefit."

The candidate's website says, "Two questions emerge from this picture: One, why do manufacturing jobs even matter if the state seems to be doing well without them? And two, what can be done to bring those jobs back?"

Said, "Sen. Ballard said, '...working families – the backbone of North Carolina. They’ve been stretched thin by inflation...'"

The candidate's website says, "Liberal activists used the court system to halt voter ID’s implementation... In 2024, North Carolina will finally have a voter ID requirement at the polls."

The candidate's website says, "She worked closely with Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson on his task force uncovering political indoctrination in public schools and fought to focus all levels of education on the skills needed to thrive in the workforce."

The candidate's website says, "During COVID, Sen. Ballard led the charge to reopen public schools, recognizing the disaster that awaited the state and country from the awful decision to keep kids away from the classroom."

The candidate's website says, "She went toe-to-toe with Gov. Roy Cooper, former Dept. of Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy Cohen, and the teachers’ union, forcing their hand by passing landmark legislation ordering the schools reopened."

The candidate's website says, "During the pandemic, Sen. Ballard led the charge to reopen public schools, recognizing the disaster that awaited the state and country from the awful decision to keep kids away from the classroom."

The candidate's website says, "She was joined by a number of supporters, including Kelly Mann, a Wake County mom, and her daughter, Gray. In 2021, when Gray was in fifth grade, Kelly partnered with Sen. Ballard and other parents in the school reopening fight."

The candidate's website says, "Sen. Ballard said, "...I championed policies like the Parents’ Bill of Rights to recenter the conversation on the family, not government..."

As state senator, she passed multiple bills supporting charter schools and the state’s Opportunity Scholarship program, which offers funding to children whose needs are best met at a private school.

The candidate's website says, "The State Board of Education this morning launched a sneak attack on school choice in North Carolina."

The candidate's website says, "Cooper’s appointees to the State Board of Education... contemplated a policy that gives itself the power to withhold funding from newly-approved charter schools."

The candidate's website says, "The Lt. Governor has a seat on the State Board of Education. If elected, Sen. Ballard will use that position to continue fighting for school choice policies she championed in the legislature."

The candidate's website says, "The state legislature enacted a law ... to make it easier for new charter schools to earn approval to open. The law comes as the waitlist for charter schools swells to 77,000 student names."

The candidate's website says, "She was heavily involved in 2021 in crafting legislation that permitted more K-12 students to return to daily in-person instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic... Ballard, who also helped to expand other conservative education initiatives..."

The candidate's website says, "Kelly Mann, a Wake County mom who partnered with Sen. Ballard in the school reopening fight"

The candidate's website says, "Ballard led charge to reopen schools during COVID"

The candidate's website says, "Sen. Ballard said on the show, “That was a heavy lift... to fight for their kids. “They were showing up and dialed in, and I want them to know that I heard them.”"

The candidate's website says, "State Board of Education Launches School Choice Sneak Attack"

The candidate's website says, "State Board of Education Launches School Choice Sneak Attack — Deanna Ballard"

- Supported reopening public schools during COVID, opposed prolonged closures, and advocated for in-person learning.
- As state senator, she passed multiple bills supporting charter schools and the state’s Opportunity Scholarship program, which offers funding to children whose needs are best met at a private school.
- As chair of the Senate Education Committee, she helped write the Parents’ Bill of Rights, which became law.
- Believes "schools should focus on reading, writing, and math, not political indoctrination."
- Supports outfitting community colleges and the UNC System to educate students affordably

Deanna Ballard grew up in Lincoln County, North Carolina, as the middle daughter of a school teacher and a logger. She was the first person in her family to graduate from a four-year college, staying true to the blue-collar work ethic instilled by her parents. Ballard has been active in church throughout her life, attending youth camps, leading worship or Bible study, and participating in mission trips. Specific details about her current place of residence, the school she attended, the church she attends now, or her current family status are not provided.

Deanna Ballard is a former North Carolina state senator and a 2024 Republican primary candidate for lieutenant governor. She has previously worked at the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and in the White House during President George W. Bush's administration. Ballard also worked with the Rev. Franklin Graham at Billy Graham's ministry and Samaritan's Purse, an evangelical relief organization in North Carolina.

Deanna Ballard is a former state senator who served over six years in the North Carolina Senate through 2022. During her tenure, she became a co-chairwoman of the Senate's education appropriations and education policy committees. Ballard ran for office for the first time in 2016 and lost a 2022 GOP state Senate primary due to redistricting. She has announced her candidacy for lieutenant governor for the next election cycle.

- The candidate's website says, "In the state legislature, Sen. Ballard LOWERED taxes on families and businesses. She passed bills expanding career and technical training, so students don’t need to take on debt at woke universities for a path to decent, good-paying jobs."
- The candidate's website says, "Sen. Ballard has long championed economic policies that focus on skills training... Too many students take on crushing student loan debt – and for what? Often, a job that pays less than 'blue collar' work."
- The candidate's website says, "North Carolina... recent closures of the Canton paper mill and the Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams furniture company show how tenuous manufacturing jobs can be — and how important it is to protect and expand them."
- The candidate's website says, "After years of NAFTA-related devastation, North Carolina’s overall manufacturing sector looks to have recovered somewhat... Data published by the National Association of Manufacturers shows our state’s manufacturing output hit $102 billion in 2021, up 21% since 2012."
- The candidate's website says, "But the purpose of a manufacturing resurgence isn’t just state prestige or even economic growth alone — it’s jobs."
- The candidate's website says, "That growth just barely outpaces the rate of inflation... Pratt & Whitney will soon open its one-million-square-foot turbine airfoil production facility in Buncombe County. Toyota is constructing a battery manufacturing plant in Randolph County, a project that will total $5.9 billion when complete."
- The candidate's website says, "To answer the first question, manufacturing jobs deserve attention because of where they are and who has them. Yes, on the whole North Carolina is doing very well. But nearly all of that success benefits the state’s urban centers."
- The candidate's website says, "Zoom out of Raleigh, Charlotte, and a few other cities, and a very different reality exists. Working-age adults are leaving. Job growth is stagnant. Poverty is higher, wages are lower, and it’s getting worse."
- The candidate's website says, "Next year’s state budget puts tens of millions of dollars towards preparing large tracts of land, called megasites, for other major employers. That will likely be money well spent: the Toyota, Wolfspeed, and VinFast plants are all located on megasites."
- Said, "State legislators have laid the groundwork for this trend through low taxes, reasonable regulations, and a pro-jobs agenda. We need to stay the course."
- The candidate's website says, "North Carolina’s manufacturing employment went into freefall... From 1995 to 2022, manufacturing jobs fell from 830,000 to 475,000. That’s a 42% drop..."
- The candidate's website says, "Creating an environment that delivers good-paying jobs to rural areas... Manufacturing and industry checked those boxes for decades, and they can do so again."
- The candidate's website says, "It isn’t enough that manufacturing jobs are made available for North Carolinians... These jobs require an upskilled and reskilled workforce as well... from postsecondary education opportunities to in-demand, good paying careers, which are available in manufacturing."
- The candidate's website says, "The Committee has two main legislative priorities — the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and workforce, or short-term, PELL grants — which will help outfit the workforce with skills demanded by manufacturers... By cutting bureaucracy, ensuring more dollars go to skills development programs, and letting employers take the lead, we can ensure the workforce system is, well, working."
- The candidate's website says, "Above all, she focused relentlessly on small business job creation to unleash the American Dream for anyone who’s willing to work hard."
- The candidate's website says, "Add it all up and it’s clear why CNBC ranked North Carolina the top state for business two years in a row."
- The candidate's website says, "It’s these areas that the post-NAFTA economy hit the hardest, and it’s these areas that a manufacturing resurgence can most benefit."
- The candidate's website says, "Two questions emerge from this picture: One, why do manufacturing jobs even matter if the state seems to be doing well without them? And two, what can be done to bring those jobs back?"
- Said, "I’ve dedicated my life to fighting for our children and serving working families – the backbone of North Carolina," ... "They’ve been stretched thin by inflation, ..."
- Said, "Sen. Ballard said, '...working families – the backbone of North Carolina. They’ve been stretched thin by inflation...'"

- The candidate's website says, "The sanctity of the ballot box is the bedrock of self-government. ... In 2018, she supported a state constitutional amendment to require voter ID, and North Carolinians overwhelmingly voted to adopt that amendment."
- The candidate's website says, "As Lt. Governor, Deanna will fight for election integrity efforts that eliminate voter fraud and ensure one person, one vote."
- The candidate's website says, "Liberal activists used the court system to halt voter ID’s implementation... In 2024, North Carolina will finally have a voter ID requirement at the polls."

- The candidate's website says, "• The police need to be DEFENDED, not defunded."
- The candidate's website says, "• We all have a right to gun ownership and to defend ourselves and our families."

- Supports reopening public schools during COVID, opposed prolonged closures, and advocated for in-person learning, confronting state leadership and unions to pass legislation mandating school reopening.
- Opposes bureaucratic barriers to school choice, supports parental control over children's education, and criticizes legal tactics threatening charter school funding despite high demand evidenced by waitlists.
- The candidate's website says, "Sen. Ballard passed multiple bills championing charter schools and the state’s Opportunity Scholarship program, which offers funding to children whose needs are best met at a private school."
- The candidate's website says, "Sen. Ballard focused relentlessly in the Senate on empowering parents in their children’s schooling and stopping the woke agenda. As chair of the Senate Education Committee, she helped write the Parents’ Bill of Rights, which will soon become law."
- The candidate's website says, "Sen. Ballard worked closely with Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson on his task force uncovering political indoctrination in public schools. Like Lt. Gov. Robinson, Sen. Ballard believes schools should focus on reading, writing, and math, NOT political indoctrination."
- The candidate's website says, "She worked closely with Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson on his task force uncovering political indoctrination in public schools and fought to focus all levels of education on the skills needed to thrive in the workforce."
- The candidate's website says, "During COVID, Sen. Ballard led the charge to reopen public schools, recognizing the disaster that awaited the state and country from the awful decision to keep kids away from the classroom."
- The candidate's website says, "She went toe-to-toe with Gov. Roy Cooper, former Dept. of Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy Cohen, and the teachers’ union, forcing their hand by passing landmark legislation ordering the schools reopened."
- The candidate's website says, "During the pandemic, Sen. Ballard led the charge to reopen public schools, recognizing the disaster that awaited the state and country from the awful decision to keep kids away from the classroom."
- The candidate's website says, "She was joined by a number of supporters, including Kelly Mann, a Wake County mom, and her daughter, Gray. In 2021, when Gray was in fifth grade, Kelly partnered with Sen. Ballard and other parents in the school reopening fight."
- The candidate's website says, "Sen. Ballard said, "...I championed policies like the Parents’ Bill of Rights to recenter the conversation on the family, not government..."
- The candidate's website says, "Outfitting community colleges and the UNC System to educate students affordably — especially adults — for modern manufacturer demands also makes good sense. The UNC System is undertaking an effort, called Project Kitty Hawk, with that aim in mind."
- The candidate's website says, "The State Board of Education this morning launched a sneak attack on school choice in North Carolina."
- The candidate's website says, "Cooper’s appointees to the State Board of Education... contemplated a policy that gives itself the power to withhold funding from newly-approved charter schools."
- The candidate's website says, "The Lt. Governor has a seat on the State Board of Education. If elected, Sen. Ballard will use that position to continue fighting for school choice policies she championed in the legislature."
- The candidate's website says, "The state legislature enacted a law ... to make it easier for new charter schools to earn approval to open. The law comes as the waitlist for charter schools swells to 77,000 student names."
- The candidate's website says, "She was heavily involved in 2021 in crafting legislation that permitted more K-12 students to return to daily in-person instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic... Ballard, who also helped to expand other conservative education initiatives..."
- The candidate's website says, "Kelly Mann, a Wake County mom who partnered with Sen. Ballard in the school reopening fight"
- The candidate's website says, "Ballard led charge to reopen schools during COVID"
- The candidate's website says, "Sen. Ballard said on the show, “That was a heavy lift... to fight for their kids. “They were showing up and dialed in, and I want them to know that I heard them.”"
- The candidate's website says, "State Board of Education Launches School Choice Sneak Attack"
- The candidate's website says, "State Board of Education Launches School Choice Sneak Attack — Deanna Ballard"

- The candidate's website says, "• Illegal immigrants need to be deported, not protected in sanctuary cities."

- The Lieutenant Governor is the President of the North Carolina Senate, they preside over daily sessions. They can vote as a tiebreaker in the Senate if they are equally divided.
- The Lieutenant Governor serves as Vice-Chair to the North Carolina Capital Planning Commission, which compiles and maintains building records 
- The Lieutenant Governor serves on a number of important boards and commissions, including Domestic Violence Commission, Military Affairs Commission, Energy Policy Council, North Carolina Board of Education, North Carolina Capital Planning Commission, and the Board of Community Colleges.
- When the Governor cannot perform their duties, Lieutenant Governor-elect becomes Governor. Such instances may occur from the Governor's removal, resignation, or death.
- The Lieutenant Governor is elected for a four-year term, and can serve a maximum of two consecutive terms. 