Democratic Evonne Hopkins, candidate for NC House District 35, answers our questions
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Candidates for NC House District 35
Republican Mike Schietzelt is running against Democrat Evonne Hopkins. Libertarian Michael Oakes is also running. District 35 encompasses parts of Wake County. Get to know the candidates with our 2024 NC Voter Guide.
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To help inform voters about the Nov. 5, 2024, election, this candidate questionnaire is available to be republished by local publications in North Carolina without any cost. Please consider subscribing to The News & Observer to help make this coverage possible.
Name: Evonne S. Hopkins
District/seat: House District 35
County or counties represented: Wake
Political party: Democrat
Age as of Nov. 5, 2024: 48
Campaign website: HopkinsForHouse.com
Current occupation: Family Law Attorney & Small Business Owner
Professional experience: Evonne is a North Carolina Board Certified Family Law Specialist and Certified Parent Coordinator licensed to practice in North Carolina, California and the District of Columbia. Evonne has helped thousands of families and children navigate through extraordinarily high conflict cases in the Triangle. Evonne is known for her straightforward honest style, powerful advocacy. Evonne utilizes her training, education, and real world experiences to obtain the best results for her clients.
Education: JD/MBA from the University of San Francisco (2003) and Bachelor of Arts with Honors in Philosophy from Rollins College (1998)
Please list any notable government or civic involvement: 2023 Pro Bono Hero Award Recipient, Former Chair of Family Law Section of North Carolina Advocates for Justice, Former Committee Member of the 10th Judicial District Grievance Committee and Women in the Professions Committee and Committee of Indigent Appointments, Treasurer of the Committee to Keep Judge Christine Walczyk, and former Board President of the Wake Women Attorneys.
What would be your top priority if elected?
My number one priority is representing my district and the growing needs of our community. Top priorities include infrastructure, economy, taxes, housing (addressed below) and reproductive freedom (addressed herein). Protecting reproductive rights, including access to abortion, IVF and birth control, is crucial for ensuring a fair and inclusive North Carolina. The right to choose should be between a woman, her family, and her doctor — not lawmakers.
By percentage, what raises should state employees, school staff and teachers receive in the next state budget?
I support Gov. (Roy) Cooper’s 2023-24 proposal for an 8.5% average pay raise for teachers and school staff and 5% pay raise for state employees. This investment in our workforce is essential for maintaining high-quality public services and supporting the dedicated professionals who serve our communities. The nearly $1 billion surplus should be used to fund these pay raises, which will help with employee retention, recruitment, and satisfaction.
What legislation would you support to improve Triangle transportation, housing or infrastructure? Please be specific.
Currently, it relies heavily on the gas tax, leaving electric, hybrid, and fuel-efficient vehicles untaxed. Replacing the gas tax with a vehicle miles traveled (VMT) tax would fairly capture all vehicles and boost revenue. This shift would help address DOT’s underfunding, which forces local municipalities to raise taxes to cover shortfalls, straining residents. A VMT tax would ensure a sustainable, equitable source of infrastructure funding.
Do you think the legislature should fund about $500 million for private school vouchers through the Opportunity Scholarship program? Why or why not?
I do not support the recent allocation of nearly $500 million for private school vouchers through the Opportunity Scholarship program. Private school vouchers, pushed through by the supermajority, have effectively defunded the public school system. In the process of funding private education, the Republican supermajority is destroying our public school system and then pointing the finger at our public school system, saying it is not serving the needs of our children.
Is there an issue on which you disagree with your party? What is your position on that issue?
Our small businesses are the lifeblood of North Carolina and deserve support through tax incentives. Many are unable to afford group insurance, forcing employees to go without or buy private insurance. Currently, both the employer and employee are taxed on the reimbursement. When employers reimburse them, they should be able to write that off. We need to help small businesses by allowing them to reimburse for health care without facing extra tax burdens.
