Cheri Beasley tonight made history as the first African American woman to win the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in North Carolina. Here are her remarks as prepared for delivery:
Thank you all for being here tonight.
I’m Cheri Beasley. I’m a mom, a former public defender, judge and Chief Justice. I’m running to bring North Carolina values back into the Senate. And I am honored to accept your nomination.
To everyone who voted and volunteered – thank you. To my incredible team – thank you. And to my wonderful husband Curt – and our twin sons Matthew and Thomas – I love you and I thank you.
In the last year, we’ve spoken to folks from the mountains to the coast.
I have talked to mothers in Spruce Pine who have to drive over an hour and a half to reach a clinic to give birth. I met small business owners in the Outer Banks who are working hard just to stay afloat in the face of the challenges posed by the pandemic and the climate crisis. I know parents who are working two jobs each to make ends meet and take care of their families.
Seniors on fixed incomes trying to retire with dignity after a life of dignified work. College students with big ambitions for the future – and big student loan debts. People with diabetes skipping insulin doses because the costs are too high. Families who are one health emergency away from losing it all.
Folks who deserve more. Who need more than what we’re seeing from Washington.
Now, my parents divorced early in my life, and I was raised by my mother in a home steeped in faith. She was a strong woman, a trailblazer in her own right, a leader in her field, and she taught me the value of hard work, integrity, and justice.
And I’ve lived my life guided by those values. To do the right thing – regardless of the politics. To serve with integrity and justice. To uphold the law and respect the Constitution. Those are values I know North Carolinians share. Faith. Hard work. Integrity. Justice. And what I know is in North Carolina, our values unite us.
And that’s why I’m proud to be your nominee for the U.S. Senate. Because while Washington is divided the people here are not. While Washington focuses on special interests and corporate cronies, the people of North Carolina focus on working for our families and nurturing our communities. While Washington focuses on pointing fingers and passing blame, the people of North Carolina focus on working hard and getting things done.
My mom taught me about hard work. You know what else she taught me? That there are no shortcuts. And I promise to work hard for North Carolina every day in the U.S. Senate.
As your Senator, I will fight to keep jobs rooted in our local communities— investing in a Made-in-America economy, ensuring people can get the training they need for high-paying, in-demand careers, and creating good-paying jobs by investing in renewable energy. I will also work to support our small businesses who are the backbone of our economy.
As your Senator, I will fight to lower costs – from prices at the pump to prescription drugs. I will work to expand the Affordable Care Act and Medicare to ensure that people in every part of North Carolina have access to the care they need.
As your Senator, I will continue refusing to accept Corporate PAC money because our leaders should only be responsive to the people they serve.
As your Senator, I will fight for every child to have the opportunity to thrive with universal pre-k and well-funded schools in every zip code and I will fight for working families, by pushing for lower child care costs to support our workers and boost our economy.
Here’s the bottom line: as your Senator, I will fight for you.
And if it wasn’t clear what’s at stake in this election before, it is now. My opponent in this election has made it clear that he will not put North Carolina first. He will not fight for what we need and want, and will always put his own ambitions and the corporate special interests funding his campaign over the people of this state.
And we know my opponent and his allies will continue to distort and demean – and pour millions of dollars into disgraceful attacks intended to trick voters – rather than fight for the people or work to make our lives better.
That’s not what we need– and we can’t afford it. That’s why this election is so important.
Now, I’m not telling you winning this election will be easy– it’s going to take a lot of work, but I’ve never backed down from a tough fight and I won’t back down now.
I am a woman of faith. My faith teaches me that where there are challenges, challenges produce perseverance. And that perseverance produces character and character produces hope. Hope is purposeful because it is grounded in love. God’s love.
And whatever our faiths, I know we share in our hope for our future. I know we share in our hope for what North Carolina can be. For our children.
And I know that if we want to see a future in which all of our children can thrive, it’s going to take all of us working hard to make it happen.
There’s too much at stake – and that’s true no matter what part of the state you live in or what political party you ascribe to.
Because, ultimately if you don’t have a job that pays the rent, it doesn’t matter if you are a Democrat or Republican. If you don’t have affordable health care, it doesn’t matter if you are a Democrat or Republican. If you don’t have schools that prepare your kids or access to the ballot box, it doesn’t matter if you are a Democrat or Republican.
These issues touch all of us. And we can build a better future for our state and our families. But It’s going to take all of us working together–knocking on doors, calling our neighbors, engaging with voters–it’s all hands on deck.
North Carolina, I am honored to be your nominee. And I’m honored to stand with all of you, and on the shoulders of the many trailblazers who came before, to be the first African American woman to be your Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate.
North Carolina, this is our moment. In this moment, we have the power to bring change to our state. We have the power to restore our values to our government in Washington. We have the power to protect our rights.
And so in this moment, we commit to come together, to seize this moment and fulfill the promise of this country we love, for generations to come. Thank you.
Original source can be found here.
