The Political Beat Candidate Guide: North Carolina State House District 88

District 88 covers parts of south-central Mecklenburg County.

Incumbent Democrat Mary Belk is fighting to keep her seat for a sixth term. She faces Republican Ray Craig.

Mary Belk (D)

Why are you running?

I’m running to continue advocating for the working families of District 88. Too many people are working hard, but their pay isn’t keeping up with the cost of everyday life, and they’re worried about what comes next. We need to raise wages, make sure every child gets a good education, and protect our natural resources for future generations. I want to keep fighting for a state where working families can get ahead, not just get by.

Are you in favor of the three constitutional amendments on North Carolina’s ballot? Why or why not?

I do not support any of the three proposed constitutional amendments. There is little evidence of widespread voter impersonation fraud in North Carolina, yet expanding voter ID requirements can make voting more difficult for eligible voters, particularly older adults and others who face barriers to obtaining acceptable identification. We should protect the integrity of our elections without making it harder for eligible citizens to vote.

Lowering the constitutional income tax cap to 3.5% would tie the hands of future legislatures at a time when North Carolina is growing rapidly. We cannot know what emergencies or challenges our state will face, and future leaders should have the flexibility to respond.

The property tax amendment asks voters to change our Constitution without knowing what the actual limit will be, what exceptions will apply, or when the legislature will act. That is not a guarantee of property tax relief. It leaves the most important details to be decided later.

What should the state do about data centers?

North Carolina should pause new data center development until strong safeguards are in place to protect our communities, including requirements addressing energy use, water conservation and recycling, and air and noise pollution, including from backup generators. Local governments should also have the authority to adopt stronger protections when needed to address the concerns of their communities.

CMS has faced numerous controversies over the past month, what, if anything, should state lawmakers do?

CMS is governed by a locally elected school board, and we need to respect that process. The investigations now underway should be allowed to establish the facts. At the same time, the repeated turnover in leadership raises legitimate questions about whether the current system is working as well as it should. Ultimately, the focus must remain on what is best for our students, families, teachers and staff.

What legislation will you pursue to bring down costs?

My top priority is the Breast Cancer Prevention Imaging Parity Bill, which would directly reduce out-of-pocket healthcare costs for medically necessary imaging tests. More broadly, we need to bring down the cost of everyday life by increasing the stock of affordable housing, especially for lower-income families, and by expanding child care assistance and tax relief for working families

What sets you apart from your opponent?

I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Craig, so I can only speak to what I bring to this role. A proven record of bipartisan work, listening to my constituents and focusing on the underlying causes of the challenges that our community faces.

Ray Craig (R)

Why are you running?

I do so because of my family’s direct experience of crime, squalor and incivility - especially where I live and along the route to my kiddos’ preschool.

My run is rooted in the True, the Good and the Beautiful. My service will be characterized by Common Sense Leadership.

Are you in favor of the three constitutional amendments on North Carolina’s ballot? Why or why not?

Speaking of which: the three proposed amendments are simple, practical, positive ideas that would make all of NC an attractive place to live for many years. It would also restrain the city and county’s perpetual money grabs.

Home ownership should not be penalized. One’s residence is not a pot o’ gold for spendthrifts;

Nor should residency in NC be a group of profligate politicians’ ATM;

No individual is aggrieved when showing an ID to purchase Pinot at Publix: better that moment than to risk under-age drinking. How much more should the civil sacrament of voting be guarded! Especially, especially when the temptation to mischief is higher in private.

(Spare us, please, the tired lies surrounding this matter. When someone steals one of my “Craig for Charlotte” campaign signs, preventing others from making “a better choice” - now THAT’S disenfranchisement.)

What should the state do about data centers?

To pause further work on these massive facilities is wise. A two year moratorium will permit various sides to present plans and win over (or perhaps not) understandable opposition. I think of the proverbial rush to marriage we have all observed: “Decide in haste, regret at leisure”.

CMS has faced numerous controversies over the past month, what, if anything, should state lawmakers do?

CMS has been a mess for years. Let us be honest: blend poor board choices, excessive salaries for sedentary types, an ethos that will not abide scrutiny and a revolving door at the superintendent’s office - isn’t the corruption, inability to change and personality turgidity to be expected?

As a lawmaker, I would hold to account malfeasance and seek to remove those elected who care for themselves more than our children.

What legislation will you pursue to bring down costs?

Once more, let us be frank. It was ill-considered legislation at the federal level - post-Pandemic! - that opened Pandora’s inflation box after three decades of stable prices across the economy.

The recent bipartisan gas tax moratorium is to be applauded (even “Mary, Mary quite contrary” finally learned how to vote Yes!); I will initiate or back any bill that brings good to the most and (to borrow from Rotary’s Four Way test) “is fair to all concerned”.

What sets you apart from your opponent?

The incumbent is entrenched because of an earlier gerrymander. She is an ineffective politician; the current representative has had virtually no broad-based direct contact with constituents outside her political party, a few tree-lined streets and her parish.

Above all, after a decade in Raleigh, not a single bill bears her name. Ten long years and zero, zip, nada for 88,000 people.

I get things done; I hereby pledge that at least one bill to enhance the quality of life for Charlotte in general, and District 88 in particular, will be passed by December 2027.

I’ve been to thousands of homes asking for the opportunity to serve. I’ve met high and low, rich and poor, any and all across the political spectrum. I’ve listened to the Public express dismay at their beloved Queen City’s decline, accelerated in the past fifteen years because of incompetence and complacency.

I’m Ray Craig.

I’m for Charlotte.

A better choice for District 88.