Continuing with our coverage of new Members of Congress, in this post we profile new Members from North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina and Tennessee.
North Carolina
North Carolina will have three new Member of Congress come January, all members of the House. Democrat Deborah Ross will replace Rep. George Holding (R-NC), who is retiring at the end of 2020, as the new representative for North Carolina’s Second Congressional District. Ross is currently a practicing attorney but has previously served as a state representative and state director for the American Civil Liberties Union. During her time in the state legislature, she worked to “reduce class sizes, raise teacher pay, and increase investment in early childhood education.” Although there is no mention of CTE on her campaign website, she has previously emphasized the need for affordable higher education, pointing out the difficulties of sustaining a job without additional education or skills training.
In North Carolina’s Sixth Congressional District, Democrat Kathy Manning will replace incumbent Rep. Mark Walker (R-NC). Manning is a career attorney and has served in leadership roles in numerous community and nonprofit organizations. Manning’s education platform highlights CTE and skills training frequently, saying that she will “work to increase access to apprenticeship opportunities as well as vocational and technical education and training programs to shrink the skills gap and prepare our workforce for the 21st century economy.”
Lastly, In North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District, Republican Madison Cawthorn will replace Rep. Mark Meadows, who resigned to become Chief of Staff to President Trump. Cawthorn, the youngest member elected to Congress, has previously served as a congressional aide and worked in real estate. There is no mention of CTE or education policy on his campaign website, but he does list expanding broadband as a priority.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma will only have one new Member of Congress serving in the 117th Congress, hailing from the Fifth Congressional District. Republican Stephanie Bice defeated one-term incumbent Rep. Kendra Horn (D-OK) in November’s general election. Bice is a current member of the state legislature and has previously worked in marketing for various organizations. Although her campaign website currently lists no policy platform, previously it listed her education platform which ardently supported CTE. It stated that Bice “will continue to advocate for education at the federal level, supporting funding for vocational schools and training programs to expand access and career options for our children.”
Oregon
Like Oklahoma, Oregon will also only have one new Member of Congress come January. Republican Cliff Bentz will replace Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR), who is retiring at the end of his term, and become the new representative for Oregon’s Second Congressional District. Bentz, a lawyer by trade, has spent the last 12 years serving in both chambers of the state legislature. Bentz makes no mention of an education platform on his campaign website.
South Carolina
Republican Nancy Mace, who defeated incumbent Rep. Joe Cunningham (D-SC) to represent South Carolina’s First Congressional District, will become the only new Member of Congress for South Carolina in the 117th Congress. Mace will become the first Republican woman from South Carolina to serve in Congress. Mace, an author and owner of a consulting firm, is also currently serving in the state legislature. Her policy platform makes no mention of CTE or education priorities.
Tennessee
Tennessee will welcome two new Members of Congress come January; one in the Senate and one in the House. In the Senate, Republican Bill Hagerty will replace retiring Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN). Hagerty has previously served as the U.S. Ambassador to Japan under President Trump, economic advisor and White House Fellow under President George. H.W. Bush and as the TN Commissioner of Economic and Community Development. Outside of public service, Hagerty has spent time as a consultant and in private equity. Hagerty’s education policy includes a strong vocational education system, increasing funding for charter schools, and protecting religious and parochial schools from government interference. He also lists significantly cutting funding for the Department of Education and shifting that funding to the states as another top education priority.
In the House, Republican Diana Harshbarger will replace incumbent Rep. Phil Roe (R-TN), who decided to retire, as the representative for Tennessee’s First Congressional District. Harshbarger is a licensed pharmacist and owns her own pharmacy with her husband. According to her campaign website, Harshbarger “believes our country needs to invest in trade and technical skills schools.”
Comments