2022: Midterm Madness (Gameplay Thread)

[Mycool]

jsc2003-00678 by NASA Johnson, on Flickr

Key platform:

Ending gridlock in Washington: While an engineer and astronaut with NASA, Joan Higginbotham learned about solving problems under pressure. North Carolinians need this level-headed leadership in Washington, where it seems like partisanship matters more than results.

Healthcare: North Carolinians pay well above the national average for their healthcare. Joan will fight to ensure every North Carolinian can afford their healthcare coverage. She will work to not only protect the ACA but also add a nonprofit public option while defending Americans’ right to private insurance. Joan will work to pass an expansion to Medicaid and lower prescription drug costs by allowing the government to negotiate with drug companies.

Infrastructure: While politicians argue in Washington, our infrastructure continues to break down. Joan Higginbotham will work to invest in our roads and bridges, maintain and update our water infrastructure to ensure every American gets clean water, and increase funding to underserviced communities of color. Green investments and rural broadband expansion will stimulate the economy and create good-paying jobs for North Carolinians.

Economic Equality: If elected to the Senate, Joan Higginbotham will fight to give North Carolinians a raise by raising the minimum wage. Joan supports paid family leave, giving working families a chance to succeed. She will fight against tax cuts for corporates and the wealthy that expand the national debt without benefitting middle-class North Carolinians.

Supporting North Carolina’s Veterans & Military Families: Around 7% of North Carolina’s veterans are in poverty. Joan understands the debt we owe service members and their families and will fight for their care. This means evolving healthcare services to include treatment for PTSD and access to telehealth to ensure access to healthcare anywhere in rural communities.

Voting Rights: The right to vote is a sacred one that needs to be protected. HR1 is a positive step for the health of America’s democratic integrity. Joan Higginbotham supports restoring and strengthening the VRA, ensuring that our Constitutional right to vote is protected.

Education: Joan Higginbotham would not have the career she has without public education funding. As only the third Black woman to go to space, Joan understands the importance of STEM investment, especially for young girls. As North Carolina's Senator, Joan will support expanding pre-K, reducing college costs and student debt, investing in vocational and trade schools, and giving North Carolina's hardworking teachers a raise.

Biography:

Joan Higginbotham got a job at the Kennedy Space Center as an engineer weeks after graduating college. Before then, she had never thought she would be an astronaut, but her time at NASA inspired her to get master’s degrees in management science and space systems. It was around this time NASA encouraged her to apply to be an astronaut. Joan Higginbotham would go on to embark on 53 space shuttle launches during her tenure with NASA. Her time at NASA shaped the way she looks at service and cultivated her abilities as a problem solver. Higginbotham will bring a fresh perspective to Washington and serve North Carolina’s interests over that of powerful lobbying groups.

Primary Campaign:

Joan Higginbotham entered the primary with low name recognition in a race that was viewed as a battle between state senator Jeff Jackson and former state Supreme Court Justice Cheri Beasley, with former state senator Erica Smith also running. Higginbotham ran an outsider campaign, highlighting her time at NASA, her lack of political baggage, and the need for Democrats to shake up their strategy to win North Carolina. Higginbotham was boosted by endorsements out of her home region of Charlotte, with Mayor Vi Lyles, former Mayor and Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx, and Representative Alma Adams. Higginbotham’s primary strategy was inspired by Stacey Abrams’s work in Georgia, working to register new voters, engage with communities that are often underserviced (in particular Black and Native American communities), and focus on turnout without alienating swing voters. A true turning point in the primary campaign was a series of endorsements from Oprah Winfrey, Stacey Abrams, and Representative G. K. Butterfield, which increased Higginbotham’s name ID and fundraising capabilities. Higginbotham would go on to win the primary thanks to this momentum, beating out her opponents who had spent the campaign attacking one another, allowing Higginbotham to define herself as an independent voice for North Carolinians rather than a political insider.

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July Schedule

1-3rd:
Kick off to general election with rally at Freedom Park in Charlotte

“My career has taken some interesting turns. Just as I never expected to be an astronaut, I never expected to run for United States Senate. I thought my public service would be in the private sector, that I’d spend my days speaking to young girls about getting into STEM. Then, like many of you, I watched in horror what happened on January 6th of 2021. Elected officials cast doubt on an election because they didn’t like the results, they incited a full-blown riot, an attack on the very democracy this nation was built on. No one should be worried their vote will be discounted just because a politician doesn’t like the result, and no one in power should wield their power in such a reckless way. I knew then the people in North Carolina needed a leader in Washington, someone to stand up for what’s right. I was proud to be the third African American woman in space and I’ll be proud to be the third African American woman in the United States Senate.”

Speak at UNC Charlotte
Speak at Grace Zion Church, attend service after

4th:
Fourth of July Barbeque fundraiser in Charlotte, attended by Mayor Vi Lyles

“This campaign isn’t funded by corporate PACs. I made a promise to have a grassroots campaign funded by the people and I intend on keeping it. Too many politicians in Washington are more comfortable raising money from corporate donors than serving the interests of their constituents. I know that North Carolinians have had enough of this corrupt insider behavior, and we need a leader to change that. When I was in space, I saw something that changed me forever. I saw an explosion over the Middle East, a side effect of our constant conflict. I thought, how can we all figure out how to work together on the International Space Station, but on Earth, with nothing but space, we bicker and fight? Washington needs a leader, someone who knows how to get the job done. North Carolina, we can create real change together.”

5th:

Townhall in Kannapolis
Campaign visit to Concord, stop by local restaurants, speaking to patrons about issues facing the city and state at large
Visit campaign office in Concord
Rally in Concord

6-8th:

Townhall in Locust on infrastructure
Rally in Monroe
Townhalls in Polkton and Wadesboro

“Communities like yours are the exact ones Democrats can’t take for granted. North Carolina is not a red state, we’re a state that has yet to be engaged. We can’t forget the rural communities that have been gerrymandered into red districts, that have had their polling places closed, that have limited access to healthcare and broadband. When I get to Washington, I won’t forget communities like Wadesboro, I won’t be a voice for the corporate lobbyists who currently have two Senators from the state of North Carolina, I won’t be a blank check for Mitch McConnell’s obstructionist agenda. I will be a leader in advocating for infrastructure spending, for investment in communities like this one. I will fight to expand healthcare access and modernize our system so you can have a doctor without having to drive miles out of your way. We can show our country that North Carolina is a real swing state, we can make a real positive change, but we have to not only vote, but register our friends, our family, our neighbor, we have to turnout. I know I can count on you, and I want you to know you can count on me.”

Speak at Laurinburg Institute
Townhall in Raeford on raising the minimum wage for working North Carolinians
Rally in Lumberton with Charles Graham

“It’s well past time that Congress passes the Lumbee Recognition Act so the Lumbee tribe gets federal recognition and access to the federal grants that come with recognition. If elected to the Senate, Charles Graham and I will cosponsor a bicameral bill recognizing the Lumbee tribe. This is the largest tribe in North Carolina, and it deserves an advocate in the United States Senate.”

9-11th:

Speak at Fayetteville State University
Visit campaign office in Fayetteville
Attend fundraiser in Fayetteville
Rally at Festival Park in Fayetteville
Visit Fort Bragg
Townhalls in Dunn, Smithfield, and Selma

12-16th:

Rally in Clayton
Townhall in Cary
Rally with Deborah Ross in Raleigh
Speak about education reform at North Carolina State University
Rally with Governor Roy Cooper in Raleigh
Fundraiser at local Raleigh restaurant
Visit Raleigh campaign office
Visit local magnet schools, Athens Drive High School and Enloe High School, speak with teachers and administrators about local funding for education
Rally at Enloe High School
Rally in Apex
Rally in Cary

17-20th:

Fundraiser in Cary
Speak at North Carolina Central University

“The right to vote is a sacred right. Too many politicians want to pick their voters, rather than listening to the democratic process. HR1 was a landmark bill, it’s the only reason North Carolina has competitive House races this year, otherwise, we know the GOP planned on a 10-4 map in a 50-50 state. North Carolinians deserve a Senator who believes in and fights for the right to vote for every single American. We can’t stop at the right to vote, we have to also get the corrupt special interest money out of politics. Why do you think healthcare costs keep rising? Because insurance companies and drug companies know they can send a lobbyist in with a check and get our Senators’ attention. It’s why I reject corporate PAC money because I will not serve insurance companies in the United States Senate, I will serve the people of this great state. I will stand up to the insurance and drug companies and Mitch McConnell and fight for a public option and campaign finance reform.”

Speak at Duke University
Meet with supporters at Durham campaign office
Speak at University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
Visit Morehead Planetarium, hold a press conference thereafter
Tour Chapel Hill restaurants and breweries, talking to patrons and would-be supporters

21-23rd:

Townhalls in Louisburg and Nashville
Rally in Rocky Mount with GK Butterfield

“North Carolina’s first district would be getting to work right now if it weren’t for gridlock in Washington. We need infrastructure investment so badly, and Congress would rather argue about whether to give millionaires another tax cut. I say enough. If my fellow astronauts could problem-solve elbow to elbow then Congress can problem-solve on the floor of the Senate. We don’t need another partisan, blank check Senator, we need a voice for North Carolina.”

Rally in Wilson with GK Butterfield
Tour of Wilson small businesses alongside GK Butterfield
Speak at East Carolina University
Rally in Greenville
Meet with supporters at the campaign office in Greenville

24-26th:

Speak at church service in Tarboro, attend service after
Townhalls in Enfield and Halifax
Rally in Roanoke Rapids
Townhalls in Littleton and Warrenton
Rally in Henderson

27-31st:

Rally in Oxford
Townhalls in Roxboro and Yanceyville
Townhall in Hillsborough
Rally in Burlington
Visit campaign office in Burlington
Rally in Greensboro with candidate Rolf Barkley
Visit local Greensboro small businesses
Rally in High Point
Rally in Winston-Salem
Tour Wake Forest Innovation Corner, visiting the booming tech industry businesses in the area

[Mycool]

Joan Higginbotham Interview with the Charlotte Observer

1. You've attacked your opponent implicitly for being a "blank check" for Mitch McConnell's agenda, and have touted your own independence. This, however, begs the question - if elected, how partisan of a Senator will you be? Will you largely vote the Democratic party line on key issues, or will you be willing to break away?

"I am running as a Democrat for a reason, it's the party that believes in raising the minimum wage, invest in infrastructure, and maintain a functional government. But I am running to represent the people of North Carolina first and foremost, not the Democratic Party, so if I'm asked to support a policy that will be bad for North Carolina, you better believe I will put North Carolinians first every time."

2. What is your opinion on the filibuster? Do you believe it should be retained, and do you believe action on the filibuster should be a key element of the Democratic platform?

"I believe it's always better to build a bridge than burn one, and I think the Senate is at its best when it is collaborative between the parties. However, the obstructionism throughout Joe Biden's term has meant that nothing can be off the table. We narrowly passed HR1, which was a landmark bill that protects our right to vote. North Carolinians are still waiting for investment in our infrastructure, and this is especially true in Black and Native communities and the rural communities across the state. If the GOP refuses to invest in underserviced communities, Democrats must be open to reforming the filibuster by looking at a talking filibuster, which would make Senators have to speak on their opposition to a bill, rather than quietly killing it off because their position is unpopular. We need some accountability in Washington, and that's why I'm running to be North Carolina's next Senator."

3. According to the polls, you're starting with a disadvantage (though a slight one if you exclude partisan polls). What's your plan to make up this ground and build a coalition in a historically Republican state?

"I believe we're a purple state at heart, we have a Democratic governor that was elected as the state voted for a Republican presidential candidate and Senator. Over 2 million registered voters did not turn out in 2020, had just 100,000 of these voters been engaged by Democrats, we would have picked up several statewide offices. Additionally, codifying protections to the right to vote in HR1 ensures every North Carolinian can have their voices heard, making this a very different midterm election than we've seen. What I can promise is I won't take a single vote for granted, we're running a truly statewide campaign, and that means registering new voters, talking to voters that are traditionally left out of GOTV efforts in the state. I believe we can win by sticking to our principles, engaging with voters across the state, and building upon gains Democrats have made in the suburbs while not writing off rural parts of the state."

4. Younger, minority voters have shown the most enthusiasm about your campaign. Why do you think this is, and how will you continue to win their support and get a historically low-turnout groups to the polls for you this November?

"I think many voters are seeing a candidate who looks like them lead the ticket for the first time. They're seeing our state have the opportunity to elect the third Black woman to the United States Senate. Importantly, they're seeing a candidate who is standing up to special interest groups to fight for increased healthcare coverage, a candidate who is proud to say North Carolinians deserve a raise, someone who believes in a functional, effective government in Washington. We're not going about this campaign in the business as usual way that has narrowly lost in this state, we're engaging with voters, showing up in underserviced communities, and fighting for the interests of North Carolinians. We tend to think of voters as "low turnout" but the barriers for voting have been lowered thanks to HR1. We've never seen what engagement and an electorate with fewer voting restrictions can lead to in this state, I believe it is a recipe for victory."

[Mycool]

August Statewide Ad "Home"

"I became an astronaut thanks to hard work and education. I attained two master's degrees after being rejected for my first application to become an astronaut with NASA. The second time, I got in. I was only the third Black woman to be able to see the Earth from space, and I'm incredibly honored by that distinction."

iss014e09635 by NASA Johnson, on Flickr

"I became a North Carolinian out of love. When I met my husband James, I instantly fell in love with him, his hometown of Charlotte, and the state of North Carolina. I'm proud to call North Carolina home."

Charlotte skyline by James Willamor, on Flickr

"When I moved here I noticed a disconnect between the people of the state and our representation in Washington. North Carolinians are hard workers, we don't care about what political party you are in, we care about results. While it seems like Congress cares more about grandstanding than getting their job done."

Mitch McConnell by Gage Skidmore, on Flickr


Senator Richard Burr by rdiazjokyo, on Flickr

"North Carolinians need an advocate, someone who won't vote to take away their health insurance, whether it's private or through the Affordable Care Act. We need a Senator who supports reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act. And we need a Senator who will stand up to special interests and party leaders to do what's right for our state."

jsc2006e54845 by NASA Johnson, on Flickr

"Washington doesn't need more politics as usual, it needs a Congress that can roll up its sleeves and get to work for the American people."

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August Campaign Schedule:

August 1-5th:

Townhalls in Elkin and Statesville
Rally in Hickory on infrastructure spending, the impact of national funding of fiber optic cable laying on city’s economy

“Hickory is the world leader in fiber optic cable production. Congress has the opportunity to invest in the economy of this region by passing an infrastructure bill that includes investing in rural broadband by laying fiber in underserviced communities. However, Republicans are more interested in obstructing anything the President supports, whether or not it is good for the people. But North Carolinians deserve more than partisan gridlock, we should have a Congress that invests in the economy and infrastructure of North Carolina, rather than their own political careers. As your Senator, I will support an infrastructure deal that includes investing in rural broadband, using fiber optic cables produced right here in the United States, right here in Hickory, North Carolina.”

Visit campaign office in Hickory
Townhalls in Morgantown and Marion
Rally in Asheville
Visit breweries and restaurants in Asheville, speak with owners and patrons
Fundraiser with Heath Schuler in Asheville
Visit campaign office in Hendersonville
Townhalls in Rutherfordton, Shelby, and Gastonia on investing in education, including vocational schools and tuition-free community college
Rally in Charlotte
Fundraiser in Charlotte

6-10th:
Townhalls in Matthews, Monroe, and Rockingham
Rally in Laurinburg
Rally in Lumberton with Charles Graham
Townhalls in Elizabethtown and Whiteville
Tour paper mill in Riegelwood, speaking with workers
Rally in Leland
Rally in Wilmington with Zita Almeida
Visit campaign office in Wilmington
Speak at East Carolina University
Meet with faculty at East Carolina University

11-15th:

Fundraiser in Wilmington with Zita Almeida and Mayor Bill Saffo
Townhalls in Hampstead, Surf City, and Sneads Ferry on the impact of climate change on tourism in the region
Rally in Jacksonville
Townhalls in Beulaville, Clinton, and Roseboro
Rally in Fayetteville
Visit small businesses in Fayetteville, speaking with owners and patrons
Attend church in Fayetteville
Attend Woman’s Club of Fayetteville meeting, speak about paid family leave

“Our lack of paid leave is exacerbating the income gap between men and women, especially for women of color. I know this isn’t news to any of you here, but this issue is personal to me. Like many of you, I put off having my children until later in my career. How am I supposed to raise my daughters from the International Space Station? But it’s not just me, and it’s not just women in this room. Millions of families in this country are putting off having children or deciding not to entirely because they can’t afford the time off of work, the childcare involved, or the rising costs of raising a child on stagnant wages. Congress keeps talking about how important families are, but haven’t acted on behalf of American families. If I’m elected to the United States Senate, I will push for paid leave for American families and caregivers, so no one has to put their life on hold to raise a child or care for a sick parent or loved one. This shouldn’t be a partisan issue, but a patriotic one, we need to invest in the American family.”

16-20th:

Townhalls in Dunn and Newton Grove
Tour Seymour Johnson Air Force Base
Visit campaign office in Goldsboro
Townhalls in Snow Hill and Farmville
Rally in Greenville

“About one-fourth of the population of Greenville lives below the poverty line, yet Congress refuses to raise the minimum wage while cutting taxes for the wealthiest. I say enough. The people who need the support from our government aren’t Wall Street investors, pharmaceutical executives, or wealthy donors, they’re the people of Greenville who are barely making ends meet. Congress doesn’t have to sit back while North Carolinians struggle, they can raise the minimum wage, pass a public option and protect private insurance to make sure every American family has options for affordable healthcare, and end the tax cuts on the mega wealthy that expand the national debt with no return for North Carolinians. As your Senator, I’ll fight to give you a raise, to invest in communities just like Greenville, and work to ensure every single North Carolinian has access to affordable higher education or vocational training. One’s zip code shouldn’t dictate their ability to realize the American Dream!”

Visit campaign office in Greenville
Townhalls in Robersonville and Tarboro
Rally in Rocky Mount with Representative Butterfield
Visit small businesses in Rocky Mount
Speak at North Carolina Wesleyan College

21-25th:

Rally in Wilson
Visit campaign office in Wilson
Townhalls in Bailey, Zebulon, and Knightdale
Fundraiser in Raleigh with Deborah Ross

“I’ve been to every single congressional district over the course of this campaign. Democrats can’t afford to take a single voter in this state for granted, whether or not their district is competitive. The truth is, whether a voter is in Raleigh or Asheville, in Wilson or Hickory, they deserve their voices heard. What I keep hearing around our state is the people want leadership. They look at our current Senate delegation and see a Senator willing to dump stocks ahead of a pandemic, putting his interests before the people of North Carolna, they see a Senator who is a loyal footsoldier to Mitch McConnell, and they see Senators who take the interests of drug companies over the people. I’m running a race without the help of corporate PAC money, one that is focused on the people not just wealthy donors. But we can’t just win the Senate race, we need to re-elect Deborah Ross to the House, I know she will be a fellow leader in representing the interests of North Carolina over party bosses and interest groups.”

Rally in Raleigh with Deborah Ross
Visit local restaurants in Raleigh
Rally in Durham
Visit campaign office in Durham
Rally in Chapel Hill
Tour UNC Healthcare facilities in Chapel Hill, speaking with union workers

26-31st:

Townhalls in Carpenter and Clegg
Rally in Cary
Rally in Apex
Townhalls in Garner, Clayton, and Smithfield
Rally in Wilson with Representative Butterfield

“Representative Butterfield has been a leader on protecting voting rights and in investing in underserviced communities. Thanks his leadership on HR1, North Carolinians have a fair congressional map that accurately matches the the competitiveness of the state. We can’t get complacent just because we passed HR1 however. We still need to remain vigilant in attempts to supress the right to vote. We must renew the Voting Rights Act, ensuring states with a history of voter suppression are under scrutiny for laws that seek to use legal loopholes to allow politicians to pick their voters. If elected to the United States Senate, I’ll join Representative Butterfield as a fighter for voting rights and against any and all attempts to suppress our sacred right to vote.”

Visit campaign office in Rocky Mount
Townhalls in Nashville, Spring Hope, and Rolesville
Rally in Raleigh
Townhalls in Lilington and Dunn
Rally in Fayetteville
Townhalls in Southern Pines and Asheboro
Rally in Greensboro

[Mycool]

Statewide Ad "Get to Work"

"Congress needs to get to work. North Carolinians are facing crumbling bridges, stagnant wages, and a lack of investment in their families."

"In fact, even a crucial bipartisan piece of legislation, the Violence Against Women Act has been expired for three whole years. While Congress argues, women remain unprotected."

VAWA is Passed by
Governor Jay & First Lady Trudi Inslee, on Flickr

"North Carolinians deserve representation in Washington that deliver results, not the current partisan yes men we have in Congress."

Source


Madison Cawthorn by Gage Skidmore, on Flickr


Mark Walker by Gage Skidmore, on Flickr

"Joan Higginbotham is an independent thinker who will fight for the interests of North Carolinians and help get Congress back to work delivering for the American people. She won't allow party bosses or dark money groups influence her vote, and will take a stand on behalf of the people of North Carolina."

jsc2006e54845 by NASA Johnson, on Flickr