CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Cheri Beasley knows her candidacy could make history in North Carolina.
"There are only 24 women currently serving in the US senate," she said, recently appearing on WCNC's Flashpoint.
If elected, she'd be the only African-American woman in the US Senate.
"I don't sell short the importance of my voice being heard on the US Senate floor, but I'm really running to serve the people of North Carolina," Beasley explained.
Beasley was the first African-American woman to serve as Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court. She's using that role, and two successful statewide races, to tout her strength on the campaign trail.
"I have served in statewide elective office for over a decade. And I'm the only candidate in this race, democrat or republican, who has won two statewide elections," she said.
As a working mom, Beasley said access to healthcare, paid family leave, and voting rights are some of her biggest priorities. Currently, she said the Biden administration needs to prioritize getting Americans out of Afghanistan.
"The first thing we need to do is make sure that those who are there are safe and removed," she explained
Overall, Beasley said she'd give Biden a grade of "B" for his first seven months in office, citing the American Families Plan and his performance related to COVID-19.
"We were in the heart of a pandemic. We did not have the vaccine. And he's worked hard to make sure the vaccine is available to folks," she said.
Beasley faces well-known Charlotte state senator Jeff Jackson and former state legislator Erica Smith in the Democratic primary next spring. The winner will face a Republican in the general election in the fall of 2022.
Flashpoint is a weekly in-depth look at politics in Charlotte, North Carolina, South Carolina, and beyond with host Ben Thompson. Listen to the podcast weekly.
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