News & Observer endorsements: Our choices for NC House

The outcomes of three NC House races could shape the future of abortion rights, racial justice and more in the state. If three seats held by Democrats are won by Republican opponents, the North Carolina GOP will hold a supermajority in the House. If two seats in the Senate flip, the Republicans will be able to override Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto.

Those three seats mean both parties are working hard to get out the vote. Democrats stress protecting Cooper’s vetoes, while Republicans emphasize what their party could accomplish with a supermajority.

The Wake County delegation comprises 13 House seats. Allison Dahle of District 11 is the only candidate without a challenger. Because of the number of candidates, the Editorial Board focused on the more competitive districts.

District 21

NC House District 21 was redrawn after the 2020 election, and now contains most of Morrisville and parts of Cary. It’s an open race between Democrat Ya Liu and Republican Gerard Falzon. Falzon did not schedule an interview with the News & Observer, but describes himself on his website as a “main-stream conservative that is Pro-Family, Pro-Worker, and Pro-Life.”

Liu is a current Cary Town Council member and Duke Law School faculty member who came to the United States from China 20 years ago. If elected, she could be the first Asian American woman in the NC General Assembly. We recommend Ya Liu.

District 34

District 34 stretches from Five Points to Six Forks and into other parts of North Raleigh. The race is between Democrat Tim Longest and Republican Ashley Seshul. Seshul did not respond to our request for an interview and did not answer the newsroom’s candidate questionnaire. Longest is a double UNC-CH alumnus who clerked at the NC appellate courts. In conversation with the Editorial Board, he said he would like to see Roe v. Wade codified in North Carolina and would like to continue former representative Grier Martin’s legacy of work on transit policy. We recommend Tim Longest.

District 35

District 35 includes the towns of Wake Forest and Rolesville, and Democrat Terrence Everitt is running for a third term against Republican Fred Von Canon, who faced Everitt in 2020. Von Canon did not respond to our request for an interview. Everitt says his immediate priorities are protecting democracy and securing abortion rights, including codifying Roe v. Wade. We recommend Terrence Everitt.

District 36

One of the county’s most competitive races is District 36, which includes parts of Apex and Holly Springs and has been represented by Democrat Julie von Haefen the last two terms. Running against von Haefen is Republican John Harris. The two are most notable for their stances on abortion: von Haefen was one of the main sponsors of a bill to expand abortion rights in North Carolina during the most recent legislative session. Harris has an uncharacteristically moderate political view of abortion, although he says he is personally anti-abortion. He supports restrictions on abortions further along in pregnancy, and as a representative would support medical discretion in abortion cases. While he is worth consideration, we believe Julie von Haefen is still the best choice for the district.

District 37

District 37 includes parts of Holly Springs and Fuquay-Varina, the district is currently represented by Republican Erin Paré, who was elected in 2020. Running against her is Democrat Christine Kelly, a former member of the Holly Springs town council.

Paré is an interesting case. She does not support a total ban on abortion, and has been active in pushing the “parent’s rights” agenda, which culminated in a preschool teacher resigning after Paré and House Speaker Tim Moore called on the school district to investigate the use of LGBTQ-themed flashcards in one class. As a rare Republican lawmaker elected in blue Wake County, Paré should be positioning herself as a moderate. Instead she is doubling down on culture war issues. We recommend Christine Kelly.

District 39

District 39 is home to the towns of Knightdale and Wendell, and Democrat James Roberson is seeking reelection after being appointed in 2021. While he does not personally support abortion, he says he believes in a woman’s right to choose, and is focused on education and implementing the Leandro school funding plan. His opponent, Republican Greg Jones, describes himself as a “Christian conservative,” is anti-abortion and says he believes in parental rights in education. We recommend James Roberson.

District 40

District 40 includes North Raleigh, and is a race between incumbent Democrat Joe John and its previous representative, Republican Marilyn Avila. John previously received our endorsement in the primary election. Avila lost the seat in 2016 after co-sponsoring H.B. 2. We recommend Joe John.

District 41

District 41, which includes parts of downtown Cary and Apex, is a race between Democrat Maria Cervania and Republican Bruce K. Forster. Like Liu in District 21, Cervania is a current elected official for the area as a Wake County commissioner, and could be the first Asian American woman in the N.C. General Assembly. Meanwhile, Forster is running against “cancel culture,” what is taught in schools, and vaccine mandates. We recommend Maria Cervania.

District 66

Like District 21, the 66th house district is new to Wake County. Running for the redrawn seat are Democrat Sarah Crawford and Republican Ives Brizuela de Sholar. Crawford is a current state senator for part of the district; De Sholar is a mother and grandmother running on a pro-life Republican who supports “parental rights” in schools and Second Amendment rights. We recommend Sarah Crawford.

This story was originally published October 27, 2022 at 4:00 AM.