ERA Biennial Candidate Survey – Lickin’ and Stickin’ Project
From the September newsletter of the League of Women Voters Asheville/Buncombe County
| Update on the candidate biennial survey, led by League member Robbie Madden on behalf of the ERA-NC Alliance, of which the LWVNC is a lead organization. Last month, Robbie described how each North Carolina candidate running for the U.S. Senate, U.S. House, and NC General Assembly (nearly 400 candidates in all) were sent a letter asking if he/she supported the Equal Rights Amendment. Stamped return postcards were included with the letters to facilitate responses. |
In their response, many candidates called the ERA “long overdue.” Others remain opposed or have, so far, failed to respond.
The Equal Rights Amendment is nonpartisan and enjoys support from Republican candidates, as well as Democrats.
According to Sammy Davis Webb, a Republican running for state Senate “We need this guarantee in the Constitution.” Fellow Republican Rick Padgett echoed his support. “Equal access and due process. I have worked for some great women. I worked domestic violence cases in law enforcement.”
“I have been working to pass the Equal Rights Amendment and expand women’s rights since I was in college,” said Deborah K. Ross, Democratic candidate for U.S. House District 2. “I would absolutely support extending the deadline.” Fellow Democrat David Wilson Brown, running for U.S. House District 5, characterized the ERA as “grossly overdue.”
Full results of the survey with candidate comments are available on the ERA-NC Alliance webpage: https://www.era-nc.org/on-your-ballot-who-supports-the-era/
New ERA ratification bills will be filed in both houses of the NC General Assembly in the 2021 session. Let’s get ready to push these bills through and make North Carolina the 39th state to ratify the ERA! Many thanks to Robbie Madden and her survey crew!
