Andrew Terrell

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Andrew Terrell

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

March 3, 2020

Personal

Birthplace

Hickory, N.C.

Religion

Christian: Baptist

Contact

Campaign website

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Andrew Terrell (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent North Carolina's 2nd Congressional District. He lost in the Democratic primary on March 3, 2020.

Terrell completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Andrew "Andy" Terrell was born in Hickory, North Carolina in 1987. He lives in Raleigh, North Carolina with his partner Philip Wang. Terrell earned a bachelor's degree in international relations, economics, and political science from Richmond, the American International University in London in 2010 and a master's degree in international political economy from the University of Warwick in 2013. Terrell’s career experience includes working as an educator, analyst, diplomat, and economist, including working at the Obama White House on the National Economic Council. He has been involved in the LGBTQ and British-American business communities.

Elections

2020

See also: North Carolina's 2nd Congressional District election, 2020

North Carolina's 2nd Congressional District election, 2020 (March 3 Democratic primary)

North Carolina's 2nd Congressional District election, 2020 (March 3 Republican primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House North Carolina District 2

Deborah Ross defeated Alan Swain and Jeff Matemu in the general election for U.S. House North Carolina District 2 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Deborah Ross (D)	63.0	311,887
		Alan Swain (R)	34.8	172,544
		Jeff Matemu (L)	2.2	10,914

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 495,345
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 2

Deborah Ross defeated Monika Johnson-Hostler, Andrew Terrell, and Ollie Nelson in the Democratic primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 2 on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Deborah Ross	69.8	103,574
		Monika Johnson-Hostler	22.5	33,369
		Andrew Terrell	5.8	8,666
		Ollie Nelson	1.8	2,677

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 148,286
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Jason Butler (D)
• Scott Cooper (D)

Republican primary election

The Republican primary election was canceled. Alan Swain advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 2.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Michael Williams (R)

Libertarian primary election

The Libertarian primary election was canceled. Jeff Matemu advanced from the Libertarian primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 2.

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Andrew Terrell completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Terrell's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Andrew "Andy" Terrell is 32 years old, started two companies, is a former teacher, worked in the Obama White House, and served as a diplomat. He has provided advice and analysis to DoD, Generals, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Her Majesty's Government (UK), and over 100 public and private sector organizations. He is also a former Obama for America Fellow and worked on a number of campaigns. Andy is married to his partner Philip Wang, a journalist and first-generation immigrant from China. Andy Terrell was born in Hickory, NC, lived and studied on four continents, and now lives with his partner in Raleigh, NC.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Healthcare - Universal Coverage, No Deductibles
• Education - Universal Childcare, Pre-K, and Debt-Free Public College
• Equal Rights - Protecting Rights for Women and LGBTQ Citizens

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Healthcare - My mother passed away because she couldn't get covered. Her death left my family deep in debt. We had to declare bankruptcy and it set my family back for some time. No one else should have to go through that. I favor universal access to healthcare with no deductible that puts mental health on equal footing.

Education - I support universal childcare, pre-k education, student loan relief, and debt-free college. We have to work on additional apprenticeships, trainee programs, and public-private partnerships. We also need greater investments in community educational institutions, including HBCUs. Most fellow North Carolinians don't realize that HBCUs make up around 30% of the UNC system.

Equal Rights - I am 100% committed to a woman's right to make decisions about her own body, overturning President Trump's ban on transgendered citizens serving in the military, and increased emphasis and direction of resources on mental health issues for at-risk communities and especially youth.

Inequality and Race - We must not shy away from talking about the difficult issues of race in America. Only through having honest conversations can we chip away at the remnants of Jim and Jane Crow. We have a responsibility to be honest about our history and make sure policy isn't made in Lilly white rooms.

I also support major infrastructure, climate change, and gun rights reforms.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Francis Perkins

Fannie Lou Hamer
John Kenneth Galbraith
A. Philip Randolph
Jane Adams
Terry Sanford
Dorothy Day
Nelson Mandela
Malala Yousafzai
Ian Bremmer
Abraham Lincoln
Barack Obama
Simone Campbell
Barbara Jordan

Cornel West

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Courage

Self-Awareness
Temperance

Fairness

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To faithfully represent the interests of the district's citizens.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I was 15 in my high school English class. Mrs. Clark was going over our latest reading assignment. The principal came on the loudspeaker and started to explain what was happening. Mrs. Clark turned on the television in the room to show us a skyline view of New York. Except something wasn't right. There was smoke, and then the collapse. That was September 11th, 2001.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Science teacher at the Catawba Science Center. Hired on a community service grant and kept the job for four years. Taught numerous science programs to children of all ages and at community centers. Science was my first passion. It was a privilege to pass it on.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Captain Picard

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Soldiers of the Old Home Guard

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

ll never forget the day we lost my mother. She tried for over a year to access the healthcare system for her battle with cancer. In the end, her struggle with the healthcare system was almost as colossal a challenge as the cancer itself. It was David and Goliath, but with a different ending. After her death, the end-of-life costs left my family deep in debt. The bills forced us into bankruptcy. At the time, I didn't know if I'd be able to stay in school or we'd lose our home. That was 11 years ago, but families across North Carolina still know that feeling of dread and helplessness. That's why I'm running for Congress.

Many working folks are going through that and more. I've had more than one week where I had to decide between paying to get my car fixed or being able to eat for a few days. I know firsthand the real-world problems of trying to build a family while also managing the crushing debt of student loans or supporting a family member through tough times. Even today, it would take just one stroke of bad luck or a surprise bill to wipe out our family's sense of security. I know so many of our fellow North Carolinians are going through these very personal challenges. We have to do better so working folks can get ahead. That's why I'm running for Congress.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

It can be beneficial, though I don't see it as an absolute requirement. Having prior experience is a benefit in that it often helps you understand how to better how to work in an institution.

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

Coping with the combined challenges of climate change, massive inequality, and threats to our democratic institutions.

If you are not a current representative, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

Education and Labor, Energy and Commerce, Science, Space, and Technology, Small Business, and Transportation and Infrastructure.

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

Yes

What are your thoughts on term limits?

Yes. I definitely think there needs to be more generational diversity among our representatives.

If you are not currently a member of your party’s leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives, would you be interested in joining the leadership? If so, in what role?

Yes. I would be interested in serving as an assistant party leader with a focus on policy and youth engagement.

Both sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

Even with the progress made by the Affordable Care Act, I continue to hear shocking stories about the burden of healthcare costs. I know one woman who pays more than $3,000 a month for her healthcare premiums with an outrageously high deductible. I also know of folks who end up paying an additional $1,000 for medical prescriptions every month out-of-pocket. These stories are shameful and unacceptable. I know they live with the same dread my family did.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

See also

2020 Elections

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Footnotes

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North Carolina's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Ted Budd (R)

Thom Tillis (R)

Representatives

District 1

Donald Davis (D)

District 2

Deborah Ross (D)

District 3

Gregory Murphy (R)

District 4

Valerie Foushee (D)

District 5

Virginia Foxx (R)

District 6

Addison McDowell (R)

District 7

David Rouzer (R)

District 8

Mark Harris (R)

District 9

Richard Hudson (R)

District 10

Pat Harrigan (R)

District 11

Chuck Edwards (R)

District 12

Alma Adams (D)

District 13

Brad Knott (R)

District 14

Timothy Moore (R)

Republican Party (12)

Democratic Party (4)