Issues

Common Sense Solutions for

Strong Mountain Communities.

It’s time for a fresh perspective and real results.

I believe people should count on leadership that understands the realities of mountain communities.

Areas of Public Policy I’m Most Passionate About:

Healthcare and mental health access, especially in rural areas where services are limited and costs are high
Affordability for our community, including housing, childcare, and living wages so working families can afford to call this region home
Strong public schools, including fair pay for teachers, student support services
Disaster recovery and long-term resilience, ensuring that recovery efforts after events like Hurricane Helene actually reach local families and build back stronger

"My focus is on practical solutions that put people first, reflect rural realities, and

make government work better for the communities it serves."

Access to Healthcare

Suzanne knows first hand about the gaps in care that Western North Carolinians are facing. She has spent her career working with families, students, and educators to expand access to mental health care and build stronger support systems in the places that need it most.

Suzanne has a plan. A plan to reduce wait times, long drive, and lack of too few providers.

In office, she’ll fight to:

Support providers who serve rural communities
Create the medical infrastructure to sustain services
Ensure that mental health care, including substance abuse treatment and recovery programs, are treated as essential—not optional.

When people get the care they need, communities are stronger.

Affordability

Life is becoming increasingly unaffordable–from the prices at the gas station to the check out at the Ingles. Supporting Western North Carolinians ability to support themselves is what Suzanne sees as the solution for a stronger, more resilient community.

In office Suzanne plans to tackle unaffordability by:

Making local housing accessible for working families
Increasing the affordability of childcare
Building long-lasting economic infrastructure to provide living wages and long term growth

Supporting working mountain families means making sure people can afford to live where they work. Not just access to more housing, but affordable housing, affordable childcare, and wages that allow families to meet basic needs without leaving the community they call home.

Strong Public Schools

North Carolina ranks LAST in public school funding, and to Suzanne this is unacceptable. Especially in rural North Carolina, schools provide a community backbone that shapes its young people and becomes the heart of the region. Suzanne is determined to strengthen public schools because strong schools mean even stronger communities.

She plans to do this by prioritizing teacher pay and working to restore the children of North Carolina’s constitutional right to sound, basic, and uniform education.

Disaster Recovery & Resilience

Hurricane Helene didn’t just flood roads and homes—it disrupted lives, livelihoods, and entire communities. Long after the waters receded, families are still dealing with repairs, insurance gaps, financial strain, and uncertainty about the future.

While recovery remains an urgent priority, Suzanne believes we must also invest in long-term resilience-strengthening infrastructure, supporting local communities, and preparing for future disasters so Western North Carolina is never left vulnerable again.

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