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.

Priorities and initiaves:

Protect and expand Medicaid access, especially for rural hospitals and clinics, so people can get care before emergencies.
Increase funding for rural health clinics and community health centers, including mobile clinics that serve remote areas.
Expand telehealth permanently, including mental health services, and require insurers to reimburse telehealth at the same rate as in-person care.
Grow the rural healthcare workforce:
- Loan forgiveness and scholarships for nurses, mental health professionals, and primary care providers who serve rural counties
- Incentives to keep providers practicing locally, not just recruit them temporarily
Integrate mental health into primary care, so people can get help at their regular doctor’s office instead of waiting months for a referral.
Crisis response before or alongside law enforcement, by funding community-based crisis teams and stabilization centers.

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.

Priorities and initiaves:

Housing

Increase funding for affordable workforce housing, including:
- Small-scale developments
- Renovation of existing homes
Support local control, so counties can tailor housing solutions that fit their communities.
Disaster-resilient rebuilding after Helene, focused on long-term affordability, not temporary fixes.
Public-private partnerships to stretch housing dollars further in rural areas.

Childcare

Expand childcare subsidies so working families aren’t paying more for childcare than rent.
Support childcare providers, especially small and home-based providers, with:
- Start-up grants
- Workforce support
- Simplified regulations that maintain safety without shutting providers down
Treat childcare as economic infrastructure, not a side issue.

Living Wages

Support wages that match the real cost of living in rural communities.
Strengthen workforce training and apprenticeship programs tied to local jobs.
Support small businesses, because they are the backbone of rural economies, not corporate giveaways.

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.

Priorities and initiaves:

Competitive, sustainable teacher pay, with raises that actually keep up with inflation.
Targeted rural teacher incentives, including:
- Housing assistance or stipends
- Student loan forgiveness for educators who stay in rural schools
Restore respect for educators by trusting teachers and principals instead of micromanaging classrooms from Raleigh.
Fully fund public schools, including:
- Classroom supplies
- Support staff (counselors, social workers, nurses)
Grow local educator pipelines:
- “Grow-your-own” teacher programs through community colleges and universities
- Paid student teaching and mentoring programs
Mental health support in schools, so teachers aren’t forced to act as crisis counselors.

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.

Priorities and initiaves:

Ensuring state recovery dollars reach local families, businesses, farms, and communities efficiently and transparently
Supporting long-term housing recovery—not just temporary solutions
Rebuilding roads, bridges, water systems, and other critical infrastructure with greater resilience
Expanding mental health services for individuals, families, students, and first responders affected by disasters
Strengthening flood mitigation, watershed restoration, and community planning to reduce future risk
Working with local governments to improve emergency preparedness and disaster response
Supporting agriculture, small farms, and small businesses as they recover and rebuild

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