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Wendy Nevarez
Wendy Nevarez (Republican Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent North Carolina's 11th Congressional District. She lost in the Republican primary on May 17, 2022.
Nevarez completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Wendy Nevarez was born in Gastonia, North Carolina. Nevarez graduated from King’s Mountain High School. She served in the U.S. Navy from 2001 to 2012.[1][2]
Nevarez earned a B.A. in political science and government from the University of North Carolina at Asheville in 2016 and an M.P.A. from Western Carolina University in 2020. Her career experience includes working as a legal assistant with the Van Winkle Law Firm, a claims specialist with the Social Security Administration, a paralegal, and an accountant. Nevarez is affiliated with the Girl Scouts of America, American Legion, Vietnam Veterans Association, State Sheriffs Association, and the Special Olympics.[1][2]
Elections
2022
See also: North Carolina's 11th Congressional District election, 2022
North Carolina's 11th Congressional District election, 2022 (May 17 Republican primary)
North Carolina's 11th Congressional District election, 2022 (May 17 Democratic primary)
General election
General election for U.S. House North Carolina District 11
Chuck Edwards defeated Jasmine Beach-Ferrara and David Coatney in the general election for U.S. House North Carolina District 11 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Chuck Edwards (R) | 53.8 | 174,232 |
 | Jasmine Beach-Ferrara (D) | 44.5 | 144,165 | |
 | David Coatney (L) | 1.7 | 5,515 | |
| Total votes: 323,912 | |||
 = 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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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Steve Woodsmall (Independent)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 11
The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 11 on May 17, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jasmine Beach-Ferrara | 59.7 | 32,478 |
 | Katie Dean | 25.6 | 13,957 | |
 | Jay Carey | 7.1 | 3,858 | |
 | Bo Hess | 3.8 | 2,082 | |
| Marco Gutierrez | 1.9 | 1,040 | ||
 | Bynum Lunsford | 1.8 | 1,002 | |
| Total votes: 54,417 | |||
| = 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
- Josh Remillard (D)
- Brooker Smith (D)
- Chelsea White (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 11
The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 11 on May 17, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Chuck Edwards | 33.4 | 29,496 |
 | Madison Cawthorn | 31.9 | 28,112 | |
 | Matthew Burril | 9.5 | 8,341 | |
 | Bruce O'Connell | 6.8 | 6,037 | |
 | Rod Honeycutt | 6.5 | 5,775 | |
 | Michele Woodhouse | 5.3 | 4,668 | |
 | Wendy Nevarez | 5.1 | 4,525 | |
 | Kristie Sluder | 1.5 | 1,304 | |
| Total votes: 88,258 | |||
| = 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
- Eric Batchelor (R)
Libertarian primary election
The Libertarian primary election was canceled. David Coatney advanced from the Libertarian primary for U.S. House North Carolina District 11.
Campaign themes
2022
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Wendy Nevarez completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Nevarez's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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Wendy is homegrown, she was born in the foothills of NC with family ties to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Wendy is a proud graduate of the UNC-Asheville (Go Bulldogs!) where she earned a Bachelors of Arts in Political Science cum-laude. She later earned her Masters in Public Affairs from Western Carolina University (Go Catamounts!) where she concentrated on effective government and public policy.
Wendy served in the Navy onboard 5 naval vessels and 3 shore commands. She was awarded 7 Navy and Marine Corp Achievement Medals. Meritorious Unit Commendation, Navy "E" Ribbon, 3 Navy Good Conduct Medals, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Armed Forces Service Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, and 2 Flag Letter of Commendation. After the Navy, she went on to work as a Controller and Human Resource Supervisor at a WNC manufacturing company. After obtaining her BA she went on to work for 3 years as a paralegal in multiple disciplines. She worked for Social Security Administration prior to deciding to run for elected office.
She encourages you to visit www.WendyNevarez.com- Restoring Americas Strength and Power - As a Service Member, I swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic. Oceans no longer separate us from our enemies, in this ever intertwined world. Our strength protects our citizens first and then projects strength hand in hand with our allies. We are seen as weak right now, the botched Afghanistan withdrawal led to 13 American lives lost. We do not want to be the world police however we cannot stand by while aggressors to liberty and freedom try to erase sovereign nations. Putin and Xi Jinping are totalitarians who have changed their constitutions to remain in power indefinitely and are global threats to America and our allies.
- Ending Partisan Washington Gridlock- Backroom deals, tit for tats, and people owing favors; are not how responsible government should work. Once elected I will build relationships with all members of congress in order to create legislation that works for the people. Divisive rhetoric will not allow for these relationships to be built. Reaching across the aisle should not be looked at as a negative approach to government business. The goal for all lawmakers should be to keep the American people front and center of everything they say and do in Washington, DC.CAREER POLITICIAN MUST GO. Congress must be reformed, one person representing 745,000+ people is not sustainable. I support outlawing gerrymandering and instituting voter verification.
- Rebuilding our Middle Class- Over the last 40 years, selfish big business practices have slowly eroded much of America's middle class. We are going into debt as a country and as individual citizens. The cost of living has increased exponentially while wages have remained stagnant. Housing is unaffordable and our youth have no choice but to move away from their hometowns in many parts of the country to start building their family. This is a generational problem and we are burdening our children with the debt from our poor spending habits. We must reform tax law, HUD, and labor laws to better serve our middle class now and our children's future.
The United States' economy thrives in competition. Free markets lead to lower prices and innovation. This is until we stop producing in-country and import because it is cheaper. I challenge you to walk into any store in the U.S. and pick up a random item that is not manufactured in China. Those are jobs that could go to our neighbors, high school graduates, technical school graduates, and so on. We must start making what we need here!
Wages have not increased since 2009 when the minimum wage was raised to $7.25. I would propose that we tie mandate minimum wage rates to cost-of-living guidelines. This change would promote growth in rural areas and bring jobs to those who need them, reducing the issue of commuting long distances from home to work. Payroll is a company's biggest expense. Companies will go where that expense is lower so if tied to the cost-of-living index will point directly to rural areas, bring jobs to those who need them most.
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.
Campaign website
Nevarez's campaign website stated the following:
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Education Traditionally in the United States, education has primarily been parents' responsibility and local and state government. The U.S. Constitution says nothing about education, and therefore, according to the 10th Amendment, the federal government's role is limited. With that said, education is extremely important to me as a mom and a lifelong learner. I went to public schools, and so have my four children. I substitute teach in K-12 public schools and see the needs that have not been met. I have served on the Parent Advisory Committee and School Improvement Team and have been leadership for the PTO. We need smaller classrooms, more teachers and teacher's aids. There needs to be a way to get the necessary materials for students behind without burdening the school's budget. Teachers must get paid better; they have our nation's treasure in their influence daily and must be taken care of. Students should have the opportunity to get technical training and certificate at the same time as graduating high school. Not all students are bound for college, and we must ensure our future workforce has the right skills to do the jobs American industries need. College should not put students behind before even starting adulthood. College must be more affordable, and tuition could be forgiven for those in high-demand jobs like teachers and people in technology.
Truth* Honor* Service Ground Rules This campaign will not use inflammatory language. The trend in politics is to use buzzwords. Words such as “Weapon” or “Threaten.” I served 11 years in the military, with people from all types of backgrounds. If elected, I will bring the teamwork mentality to Congress. When elected I will not “bully,” or “lightly threaten,” my fellow elected Americans. I will work with them. As the saying goes, Teamwork makes the dream work. It is how the military works. People First You are the greatest asset to Western North Carolina and this great country. You have the skills to innovate, create, and manufacture anything we need or could want. Your dreams matter to me. My job as a representative is to open avenues for these dreams to come to fruition. I will be honest when it is not easy, I will sacrifice to make sure you have what you need, and most importantly I will prioritize you in Washington DC.
There is no one size fits all approach to healthcare, there must be a balanced approach to evaluating the needs of the individual. Most importantly, policy must be written that includes YOU! And all stakeholders from private companies, health care facilities, and insurance companies. Profits cannot be prioritized over care, and we must find avenues for all people to be insured while not burdening employers. A whole person approach must be taken to provide preventative care, treatment for physical and mental well-being, and management of care. I will fight to help organize medical care so that our community has access to affordable quality health care. This can and will be accomplished by training more health care professionals from entry level to highly skilled to provide the best care possible to our families.
We have all heard the term “draining the swamp,” Gaylord used it to speak about a capitalist swamp and Reagan to speak about bureaucratic inefficiencies. We are a powerful country with wealth and prosperity driven by enterprise and innovation. We must keep that in mind moving forward. I will move towards clearing inefficient processes while investing in our youth to promote innovation. We need broad congressional reform, and one issue will not fix it all. There are many solutions, one being congressional staff pay. The people who answer the phones and help you find your lost social security check deserve to be paid for that work. Reforming our election administration, campaigning, and voting is important to strengthen the capacity of governing institutions. The United States government is fully aware of when you turn 18 years old and if you commit a crime that causes you to lose your right to vote. With that said Automatic Voter Registration (AVR) is a policy that streamlines the way Americans register to vote. It is an opt-out vice opt-in process. If you do not want to be registered to vote then opt-out, if you do not want to vote even if registered then you do not. This saves the states money and helps to clean up the voter rolls. Campaign finance reform is imperative to focus the priorities of elected officials back to the people they serve. My grassroots campaign is taking in donations from within the district and spending it here in the district as well. This money needs to remain in our district to support the businesses and talent we have locally in our mountains. Democracy Day aka Election Day should be made a Holiday. Yes, this would only initially help Federal Employees however like every other Federal Holiday most American Industries have made these Holidays paid days off as well. In 2016 only 55.7% of American voting age population cast a ballot which rose in 2020 to 67%. We rank 26 out of 32 in voter turnout among developed democratic governments around the world. We can do better by highlighting our democracy and celebrating the pillar of each citizens role in it by making Election Day a Federal Holiday!
The United State economy thrives when there is competition. Free markets lead to lower prices and innovation. This is until we stop producing in country and import because it is cheaper. I challenge you to walk into any store in the U.S. and pick up a random item that is not manufactured in China. Those are jobs that could go to our neighbors, new high school graduates, technical school graduates, and so on. We must start making what we need here! Wages have not increased since 2009 when the minimum wage was raised to $7.25. Many states and cities have increased their minimum wage and the employee gets the higher of the two mandates. With that said I would propose that we tie mandate minimum wage rates to that of cost-of-living guidelines used by many federal agencies already. This would promote growth in rural areas and bring jobs to those who need them, reducing the issue of commuting long distances from home to work. Payroll is a company's biggest expense. Companies will go where that expense is lower so if tied to the cost-of-living index will point directly to rural areas.
Follow the budget process instead of ignoring it! We cannot continue to spend more than we have! My background in accounting and the Navy as well as working with the SSA has given me insight into how our government can work better for the taxpayers. As a mom of 4 and controller in a private manufacturing facility, I understand what it means to balance a budget. WNC deserves a representative that understands you cannot outspend your means. We must do one of two things: increase revenue or decrease spending. Finding inefficiency is part of the equation however there is a point where reducing operational expenses within federal agencies becomes a deficiency in services to you. This is a delicate balance which requires experience to understand. Reducing unnecessary spending is another form of balancing our budget. Identifying these reductions are important however reducing unnecessary spending takes time to implement since programs and agencies would have to adjust. Incremental changes over years will bring us to a balanced budget. My background in accounting and the Navy as well as working with the SSA has given me insight into how our government can work better for the taxpayers. As a mom of 4 and controller in a private manufacturing facility, I understand what it means to balance a budget. WNC deserves a representative that understands you cannot outspend your means. We must do one of two things: increase revenue or decrease spending. Finding inefficiency is part of the equation however there is a point where reducing operational expenses within federal agencies becomes a deficiency in services to you. This is a delicate balance which requires experience to understand. Reducing unnecessary spending is another form of balancing our budget. Identifying these reductions are important however reducing unnecessary spending takes time to implement since programs and agencies would have to adjust. Incremental changes over years will bring us to a balanced budget.
We must protect social security so that the hard-working people who paid into the program will have it when they need it. The Government Accountability Office and The Congressional Budget Office both estimate that the Social Security Trust Fund will run out in the calendar year 2034. I support the TRUST Act which creates rescue committees that will write legislation to prevent depletion of trust funds. This is a bipartisan effort to protect all Americans! Holding the Secretary of the Treasury accountable for timely and accurate reports so that Congress can make the quick and necessary legislation to protect this program is essential.
I have solemnly sworn to support, defend, and bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of the United States. My service to our country did not stop after my 11 years in the Navy. Every representative in the Federal Government or Service must take an oath and live by it daily. I make this promise to you today and every day to uphold the Constitution. “I, Wendy Nevarez, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So, help me God.” Foreign and domestic security threats should be taken seriously and all possible avenues for identifying and holding those people or organizations accountable should be taken. Please remember that Article 1 Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution explicitly states that Congress will “suppress insurrections” and let us not forget!
Passed by Congress September 25, 1789. Ratified December 15, 1791. The Second Amendment states “A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” I will always fight for the rights of law-abiding gun owners and defend the Second Amendment. People who violate the law in other ways should be kept from gun ownership. If you do not want to lose your right to bear arms, then be a law-abiding citizen! Abusers and Stalkers should have no access to own firearms! Five women are murdered with guns every day in the United States.1 A woman’s risk of being murdered increases 500% if a gun is present during a domestic dispute.2 During the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, 5,364 US soldiers were killed in action between Oct. 7, 2001, and Jan. 28, 2015; between 2001 and 2012 6,410 women were killed with a gun by an intimate partner in the United States.1
Our nation boomed in the middle of the last century! We can see that again by investing in YOU. Repairing, replacing, and modernizing our infrastructure such as roads, rails, bridges, drinking water and wastewater systems, ports, airports, civic buildings, broadband, and so much more will create the environment you need to feel safe and productive. Defining infrastructure has become controversial but it always has been from electricity and public water/sewer system to now with broadband. Like other innovations after WWII the evolution of electricity turned into a large system of transmission of power. We should look at broadband no differently. If we do, we will see leaps in our economy, education, and innovation. Rural WNC deserves to be invested in as much as the larger towns and cities have been invested in. There are approximately 333 million Americans with 19 million that do not have access to broadband with a substantial portion of those falling into rural areas such as that in Western North Carolina. We saw during the shutdowns during Covid-19 that students without connectivity to the internet or poor connectivity were getting left behind. These students are now going to spend the next year or two trying to catch up to peers. The Highway Trust Fund is funded largely by excise taxes on gasoline, diesel, and other motor fuels. This explains the Catch 22 or dependency we have on fossil fuels. If there was a quick shift to hybrid or full electric vehicles, then we would have to find another way to pay for our roads. So, we must rethink how to fund our roads. One approach could be reducing the cost of electric vehicles and move to charging a tax on the charging stations similar to a service station for petroleum products.
Immigration should be accomplished through the legal process. Illegal immigration is not a sustainable process for allowing immigrants into the country. Those seeking asylum should be vetted through the current process and allowed entry if they are fleeing from grave humanitarian issues in their home country which leads to a “credible fear” of persecution. Currently, the issue facing our nation’s immigration system is that we do not have the proper infrastructure and support staff to make court proceedings on current laws function effectively. This results in long detention periods which we can all agree are inhumane and not family oriented. There must be more judges, counsel for immigrants, staff for proceedings and hearings, and community-based alternatives to detention centers for those who are not considered a threat to society and national security. Current immigration laws do not provide U.S. citizens or employers with a viable pathway to sponsor their undocumented family members or workers for lawful permanent residence, even if they would otherwise be eligible for a green card, if those individuals entered the United States without inspection and are still living in the country. Undocumented immigrants must first leave the country and apply for an immigrant visa at a consulate abroad. But once they leave, they face a lengthy ban on returning due to a cruel Catch-22 law put in place in 1996 that subjects anyone who was in the United States without legal immigration status for more than six months to a reentry bar of three or 10 years. This makes getting a green card effectively impossible for millions of people who should have a legal pathway to do so.
As a Conservative, I am in favor of protecting our air, water, and land for future generations. The Green Energy economy means two things. First and foremost, JOBS. Jobs for every level of education and capability. Western North Carolina is a powerhouse in the manufacturing industry. Second, a National Security and resiliency priority. Not depending on Canada for oil (as the keystone pipeline would have done). Fossil fuels can be equated to the typewriter in terms of technological prowess, it is time we move (and lead the world) into the digital green energy era.
Peace is paramount. In order to promote peace, we must aid those who choose to negotiate towards peace. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is one that is a humanitarian issue within a larger geopolitical agenda. Protecting innocent civilians and helping to build strong alliances should be a key part of our process to achieving peace. America has an obligation to aid countries near and around Iran. The Iranian drive for regional power drives the U.S. to aid in Israeli-Arab peace agreements. Working together towards the common goal of reducing terrorist activity in Iran can bring the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to some sort of compromise.
The United States must continue for democracy’s sake lead the world as its superpower. We will do this by making friends not foes. Our overall place within the Global discussion gives the U.S. a prime seat at discussions on trade, diplomacy, sanction, military/defense, intelligence, foreign aid, and global environmental policy. In order to take full advantage of being a key player in the above-mentioned policies, we must look to science, interact with a compassionate yet strong stance, and look to build stronger alliances to better serve the people of the world. Some issues have no borders and collaboration will be key to address them!
First and foremost, I am a proud mother of four. Life to me is precious. The decision to start a family is a personal one and should take place between consenting adults. I firmly believe that Abortion should not be used as a means of birth control and to that effect, we need to totally revisit how sex education is taught amongst young adults. 85% of abortions are had by people under the age of 30. With 60% being under the age of 20. It is obvious that there is a disconnect here. Contraceptives should be easily accessible for the lowest possible cost (if not free). As it stands now, the Supreme Court has ruled that it is constitutional. We must for the sake of uniformity, codify abortion into federal law. Balancing personal rights with the rights to life.[3] |
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| —Wendy Nevarez's campaign website (2022)[4] | ||
See also
2022 Elections
External links
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Candidate U.S. House North Carolina District 11 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on March 14, 2022
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 LinkedIn, "Wendy Nevarez, MPA," accessed April 17, 2022
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Wendy for Congress, “Key Policies,” accessed April 13, 2022
