Candidate Comparison:

North Carolina Senate

Cheri-Beasley

Cheri Beasley (D)

Ted-Budd

Ted Budd (R)

Wages

Beasley supports raising the minimum wage to $15 and expanding job training programs. She has said, “We need a living wage. In the Senate, I’ll fight to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour.” [1]	Budd has opposed efforts to raise wages and has voted multiple times against increasing the minimum wage, against closing the gender wage gap and against instituting prevailing wage requirements. [2]

Paid Time Off & Sick Leave

Beasley has demonstrated her support of paid family leave with action. As Chief Justice, she implemented a 12-week paid family leave plan for court employees and said, “our economic policies should focus on helping working families, and that’s what I’ll fight for in the Senate.” She has also said that she supports a federal paid family and medical leave program. [3]	Budd has consistently voted against legislation that would fund paid leave programs. [4]

Helping Essential Workers

In support of essential workers, Beasley urged people to get vaccinated, implement workplace protections, and enact paid medical and family leave. Beasley also spoke out in opposition to the Supreme Court’s decision to end the eviction moratorium, as she said it would endanger the lives of many frontline workers. [5]	Budd voted against the American Rescue Plan Act, which provided $1.9 trillion to facilitate COVID-19 recovery, including billions for public health measures such as PPE and millions of dollars for worker protection activities. ARPA also made additional $1,400 direct payments to individuals, extended unemployment benefits, provided relief for multiemployer pensions, and expanded the child tax credit.
	Budd also voted for HJ Res. 83, which would overturn the OSHA injury and illness reporting rule. [6]

Health Care

Beasley supports expanding and strengthening health care coverage in North Carolina and throughout the country. She has advocated for the Affordable Care Act and for Medicaid expansion in North Carolina. She has called out Budd for not supporting lower drug costs for insulin. [7]	Budd has opposed multiple efforts to protect access to health care and to lower costs. He voted against capping out-of-pocket insulin costs and against requirements to cover individuals with preexisting conditions. Additionally, Budd signed a letter in opposition to Governor Roy Cooper’s Medicaid expansion. [8]

Unions & Labor

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Beasley affirmed her support for the PRO Act, which would protect workers’ rights to organize unions and collectively bargain.	Budd has voted against unions and worker protections again and again, twice voting against the PRO Act, which would protect workers’ rights to unionize and collectively bargain. Budd also voted against workplace protections for pregnant workers, workplace protections for older workers, and even against establishing workplace violence prevention programs. [10]
Additionally, Beasley also received endorsements from the North Carolina AFL-CIO, UFCW Local 1208, the North Carolina Association of Educators, and the State Employees of North Carolina Associations (SEANC). [9]

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