Elisabeth Motsinger
Elisabeth Motsinger (Democratic Party) was an at-large member of the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools school board in North Carolina. She assumed office in 2006. She left office on January 5, 2023.
Motsinger (Democratic Party) ran for election to the North Carolina House of Representatives to represent District 75. She lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.
Motsinger completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.
Motsinger was a 2012 Democratic candidate for the U.S. House to represent the 5th Congressional District of North Carolina.[1] Motsinger defeated Bruce G. Peller in the Democratic primary on May 8, 2012.[2] Motsinger was defeated by Republican incumbent Virginia Foxx on November 6, 2012.[3]
Biography
Elisabeth Motsinger was born in Mount Kisco, New York. Motsinger completed her undergraduate degree at Winston-Salem State University. She earned a master's degree in bioethics from Wake Forest University. Her career experience includes working as a physician assistant. She and her husband, John, have three kids.[4][5][6]
Elections
2020
See also: North Carolina House of Representatives elections, 2020
General election
General election for North Carolina House of Representatives District 75
Incumbent Donny C. Lambeth defeated Elisabeth Motsinger in the general election for North Carolina House of Representatives District 75 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Donny C. Lambeth (R) | 60.3 | 26,693 |
 | Elisabeth Motsinger (D)  | 39.7 | 17,564 | |
| Total votes: 44,257 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for North Carolina House of Representatives District 75
Elisabeth Motsinger defeated Gardenia Henley in the Democratic primary for North Carolina House of Representatives District 75 on March 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Elisabeth Motsinger | 63.9 | 4,834 |
 | Gardenia Henley | 36.1 | 2,733 | |
| Total votes: 7,567 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for North Carolina House of Representatives District 75
Incumbent Donny C. Lambeth defeated Jacob Baum in the Republican primary for North Carolina House of Representatives District 75 on March 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Donny C. Lambeth | 68.0 | 4,713 |
| Jacob Baum | 32.0 | 2,216 | ||
| Total votes: 6,929 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
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Campaign finance
2018
General election
General election for Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools school board At-Large (3 seats)
The following candidates ran in the general election for Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools school board At-Large on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Deanna Frazier Kaplan (D) | 19.8 | 72,758 |
| ✔ | | Elisabeth Motsinger (D) | 19.0 | 69,952 |
| ✔ |  | Andrea Pace Bramer (D) | 16.8 | 61,779 |
 | Robert Barr (R) | 15.7 | 57,611 | |
| Timothy Brooker (R) | 14.4 | 52,835 | ||
| Jim Smith (R) | 14.3 | 52,393 | ||
| Total votes: 367,328 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = 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. | ||||
2014
Elisabeth Motsinger advanced from the May 6, 2014, Democratic primary against Katherine Fansler, German D. Garcia, Donald Dunn and Suzanne Carroll. Motsinger, Fansler and Garcia faced Republican candidates Mark Johnson, John M. Davenport Jr. and Robert Barr in the November 4, 2014, general election.
Results
General
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic |  Elisabeth Motsinger Incumbent |
18.4% | 52,582 | |
| Republican | Robert Barr |
17.1% | 48,789 | |
| Republican | Mark Johnson |
16.9% | 48,418 | |
| Democratic | Katherine Fansler | 16.8% | 48,115 | |
| Republican | John M. Davenport Jr. Incumbent | 16.5% | 47,125 | |
| Democratic | German D. Garcia | 14.2% | 40,636 | |
| Total Votes | 285,665 | |||
| Source: North Carolina Board of Elections, "2014 General Election Results," accessed December 30, 2014 | ||||
Primary
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Elisabeth Motsinger Incumbent |
33% | 11,233 | |
| Democratic | Katherine Fansler |
22.2% | 7,561 | |
| Democratic | German D. Garcia |
17.7% | 6,038 | |
| Democratic | Suzanne Carroll | 14.5% | 4,918 | |
| Democratic | Donald Dunn | 12.6% | 4,278 | |
| Total Votes | 34,028 | |||
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections, " 05/06/2014 OFFICIAL PRIMARY ELECTION RESULTS - FORSYTH," May 13, 2014 | ||||
Funding
Motsinger reported $199.00 in contributions and $99.00 in expenditures to the Forsyth County Board of Elections, leaving her campaign with $100.00 on hand as of April 30, 2014.[7]
Endorsements
Motsinger received the endorsement of the Winston-Salem Journal for the primary and the general election.[8][9]
2012
Motsinger ran in the 2012 election for the U.S. House to represent North Carolina's 5th District. Motsinger won the nomination on the Democratic ticket after defeating Bruce G. Peller in the primary.[2]
The Washington Post listed the House of Representatives elections in North Carolina in 2012 as one of the states that could have determined whether Democrats retook the House or Republicans held their majority in 2013.[10] North Carolina was rated 8th on the list.[10][11]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Elisabeth Motsinger | 42.5% | 148,252 | |
| Republican | Virginia Foxx Incumbent |
57.5% | 200,945 | |
| Total Votes | 349,197 | |||
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election" | ||||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Elisabeth Motsinger |
69.7% | 38,512 |
| Bruce G. Peller | 30.3% | 16,716 |
| Total Votes | 55,228 | |
Campaign finance
Motsinger lost the United States House of Representatives election in 2012. During that election cycle, Motsinger's campaign committee raised a total of $133,268 and spent $130,813.[12]
| United States House of Representatives, 2012 - Elisabeth Motsinger Campaign Contributions | |
|---|---|
| Total Raised | $133,268 |
| Total Spent | $130,813 |
| Total Raised by Election Winner | $972,460 |
| Total Spent by Election Winner | $721,824 |
| Top contributors to Elisabeth Motsinger's campaign committee | |
| Grandfather Mountain | $2,500 |
| Salem Center | $2,000 |
| Pointer Electric Supply | $1,650 |
| Senior Care PA | $1,100 |
| Duke University | $1,000 |
| Top 5 industries that contributed to campaign committee | |
| Retired | $14,150 |
| Health Professionals | $5,400 |
| Education | $3,250 |
| Building Materials & Equipment | $1,650 |
| Crop Production & Basic Processing | $1,250 |
2010
| Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, At-Large General Election, 4-year term, 2010 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Jeannie Metcalf |
21.2% | 43,279 | |
| Nonpartisan | Donny Lambeth |
19.9% | 40,681 | |
| Nonpartisan | Elisabeth Motsinger |
16.3% | 33,215 | |
| Nonpartisan | Robert Barr | 16.2% | 32,996 | |
| Nonpartisan | Lori Goins Clark | 16.1% | 32,922 | |
| Nonpartisan | Nancy P. Sherill | 9.8% | 20,056 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in votes | 0.4% | 915 | |
| Total Votes | 204,064 | |||
| Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Official Results," November 19, 2010 | ||||
Campaign themes
2020
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Elisabeth Motsinger completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Motsinger's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
| Collapse all
- Public education- I believe we must provide enough public dollars for public schools to provide a sound education for all our students. I also believe the GA should not be making decisions about public education such as curriculum and calendars that should be decided by educators.
- I believe that all North Carolinians need affordable and accessible health care. Cost should not be the barrier to receiving comprehensive care and decisions should be made by patients and their providers. I support Medicaid expansion and reproductive choice.
- We must protect our natural resources. We love our state because of it's beauty and need to preserve our water, air and soil. We must address the environmental threats facing us to ensure a good future for our children.
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.
2014
Motsinger provided the following answers to questions from the Forsyth Education Partnership:
Why do you want to serve on the Board of Education?
| “ | I believe it is essential that we educate our children for their future and not our past. Our kids will need to be at ease with using technology, in thinking critically and creatively, and in learning with and from, a diverse population. I have been committed to finding ways for these ways of learning and thinking into our schools.[13] | ” |
| —Forsyth Education Partnership's Voter Guide for Winston‐Salem/Forsyth County Schools Board of Education (2014)[5] | ||
What do you think is the most serious challenge to education in North Carolina and Forsyth County?
| “ | I think we are struggling with how to ensure that our schools are preparing our kids for the world they live in rather than the one we experienced as children. The models need to be different. For example, memorization once was one of the most important abilities, but with the access ability of data available from the internet it is much more important to be able to discern how accurate the information is that you are referencing than trying to memorize specific bits of data. Another example, is the way work is approached, instead of sitting alone at a desk and doing your own work exclusively, our kids need to know how to work together with others.
There are things from our past that do need to continue, however. All kids need time for recess, for time to play, to be read to, to learn to read, write and do math.[13] |
” |
| —Forsyth Education Partnership's Voter Guide for Winston‐Salem/Forsyth County Schools Board of Education (2014)[5] | ||
If you were asked to do an elevator speech 'selling' WSFCS, what would you say?
| “ | Our schools educate a diverse population of students and prepare them for life. We believe all children matter and have the capacity to live successful lives. We have amazing employees who care deeply about children and work hard to provide them with the best education possible.[13] | ” |
| —Forsyth Education Partnership's Voter Guide for Winston‐Salem/Forsyth County Schools Board of Education (2014)[5] | ||
With a high rate of teacher turnover in many WS/FC schools, what do you think the district can do to attract high quality teachers and keep them?
| “ | We need to pay them fairly, provide them with top notch professional development and treat them as the professionals they are. We also need to include them in decision making in every area possible.[13] | ” |
| —Forsyth Education Partnership's Voter Guide for Winston‐Salem/Forsyth County Schools Board of Education (2014)[5] | ||
Do you think North Carolina and Forsyth County have competitive teacher pay? Would you do anything to change our rank at 46th in the U.S., and if so, what?
| “ | No, we do not! The General Assembly is failing our students but the current pay scale. The recent tax cuts primarily benefitted [sic] the upper middle class and wealthy. We should be leaders in the nation and not in the tail end of teacher pay. We also should reinstate the teaching fellows program and reinstate advanced degree teacher pay.[13] | ” |
| —Forsyth Education Partnership's Voter Guide for Winston‐Salem/Forsyth County Schools Board of Education (2014)[5] | ||
While some schools and student groups perform very well within the WS/FC school system, there are striking gaps between White students and minority students and between economically disadvantaged students and those who grow up with access to more resources. Why do you think this is the case and what do you propose the district do differently to better serve these students?
| “ | This is a complicated issue and will need several leverage points to change. Having some schools exclusively high poverty creates pockets where children really are not exposed to other possibilities. The suspension rates for insubordination, an offense that is highly subjective, often leads to huge discrepancies in student discipline. Making sure that school is welcoming and fun is important. Poverty hurts people in so many ways! Poverty causes chronic stress in a way that makes learning particularly difficult. I believe as a society we must look at the structural roots of poverty including increasing the minimum wage to a living wage, ensuring all people adequate health care and nutritious food, and ensuring there is a way back into society for all those who have made a mistake so they are not per mantle marginalized.[13] | ” |
| —Forsyth Education Partnership's Voter Guide for Winston‐Salem/Forsyth County Schools Board of Education (2014)[5] | ||
See also
2020 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Ashe Mountain Times, "Second Democrat confirms run for US 5th District," accessed February 27, 2012
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 North Carolina State Board of Elections, "Primary Election Results," accessed May 9, 2012.
- ↑ Politico, "2012 Election Map, North Carolina," accessed November 7, 2012
- ↑ Facebook, "Elisabeth Motsinger for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School Board," accessed April 30, 2014
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 Forsyth Education Partnership, "Winston‐Salem/Forsyth County Schools Board of Education Voter Guide," 2014
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on February 18, 2020
- ↑ Forsyth County Board of Elections, "Local Campaign Report: Board of Education," accessed April 29, 2014
- ↑ Winston-Salem Journal, "Editorial: 2014 endorsements in school board primaries," April 22, 2014
- ↑ The Winston-Salem Journal, "Endorsements 2014: WS/Forsyth school board races," October 21, 2014
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Washington Post, "The 10 states that will determine control of the House in 2012," accessed April 25, 2012
- ↑ North Carolina State Board of Elections, "2012 Primary Results," accessed July 19, 2012
- ↑ Open Secrets, " 2012 Election Cycle," accessed April 2013
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
