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Cornelius News

Cornelius has 2 state senators starting in 2023

Natasha Marcus and Vickie Sawyer

Jan. 4. By Dave Vieser. Beginning this year, Cornelius will be represented by two state senators: Vickie Sawyer on the west side of town and Natasha Marcus on the east.

The split was the result of redistricting finalized in the beginning of this year. Sawyer has represented parts of Iredell and Yadkin counties since January of 2019. Marcus was represented all of Cornelius in the old NC Senate District 41, as well as other portions of Northern Mecklenburg County.  (Before Marcus former Mayor Jeff Tarte represented the newly created senatorial district.)

The initial redistricting proposed by Republicans could have potentially created a Sawyer vs. Marcus contest but that version was rejected in favor of a plan which put their districts side by side. In a sense, both incumbents benefited since their strength resulted in strong victories. In fact, the Democrats didn’t even offer an opponent to Sawyer this year, and Marcus’ Republican opponent did not really campaign.

Let’s take a look at these two state senators who will represent Cornelius for the next two years.

Sen. Natasha Marcus

Natasha Marcus, a former litigation attorney earned her undergraduate degree in Public Policy from Hamilton College in 1991 and a J.D. from Duke University School of Law three years later. Prior to assuming office, she worked for the Ada Jenkins Center in Davidson, providing services and support to those in need.

Her first run for office in 2014 for House Rep 98 was not successful, as she lost to NC Rep. John Bradford by a 10 percent margin.

However, she impressed local political observers having performed well for a first-time candidate, especially in a Republican-dominated district. She did not run in 2016, shifting her sights over to the Senate in 2018, where she defeated incumbent Tarte by a 13 percent margin. She was re-elected in 2020 when she had token minor party opposition and in 2022, when her Republican opponent did not run an active campaign. Both the 2020 and 2022 victories were by a 2:1 margin. She currently serves as chair of the Mecklenburg County delegation.

Marcus, 53, lives in Davidson. Her two daughters are grown. One is married, a PhD student, and living in Williamsburg Va; the other is a teacher in New York City.

What is the most urgent issue?

Marcus says It’s impossible to choose one issue as the most important in the NC Senate when we face an unprecedented and worsening teacher shortage, 600,000+ uninsured North Carolinians, gerrymandered maps that undermine democracy, and an ultraconservative Republican supermajority that is eager to deny the women and girls of this state our rights to control their bodies and reproductive choices. All of these critical issues and more are on the agenda in 2023.

Contact info: (919) 715-3050

Natasha.Marcus@ncleg.gov

Legislative Assistant: Jessica Bolin

Sen. Vickie Sawyer

Vickie Sawyer begins serving as senator for the new 37th District of North Carolina, representing a portion of Mecklenburg Including the western segment of Cornelius, as well as Iredell County. Prior to 2023, Sawyer also represented Yadkin County. Her political career actually began in August 2018 when she was chosen to represent the 44th Senate district to complete the two-year term of Senator David Curtis.

Sawyer, 47, serves as a co-chair of the Senate Transportation Committee and as a co-chair of the Senate Transportation Appropriations Committee. She also serves on the Senate Finance, Commerce & Insurance, Education, and Budget committees.

Sawyer is also the founder of the NC TEN Commission which brings together leaders in the transportation industry in an effort to find solutions to fund the future transportation initiatives in North Carolina. Sawyer is also vice chair of Property and Casualty Insurance for the National Conference of Insurance Legislators.

In addition to her committee service, Sen. Sawyer is actively involved in the following at the North Carolina General Assembly:

• The Joint Women’s Caucus – Co-Chair

• The Joint Arts Caucus – Co-Chair

• The Justus-Warren Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Task Force – Co-Chair

• The Wine and Grape Caucus – Co-Chair

• The Sportsmen’s Caucus – Member

• The Law Enforcement Caucus – Member

• The Advisory Committee on Cancer Coordination – Member

• The Legislative Ethics Committee – Member

• The Child Fatality Task Force – Member

• North Carolina Leadership Forum – Member

• Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations – Member

Sawyer is a licensed insurance agent as well. She has served on various civic and church activities. She is a graduate of UNC Charlotte, where she received a degree in Special Education. She and her husband, Brett, own an insurance agency with two locations in Mooresville. The Mooresville resident has two daughters, Sydney and Braedy.

What is the most urgent issue?

Sawyer believes its modernization of the gas tax to ensure that we can honor our transportation commitment that was made to the people of North Carolina. To that end, she founded the NC TEN Commission, which works to bring leaders in the transportation industry together to facilitate conversations and solve the problems of funding the future of transportation in North Carolina.

Contact info: (919) 715-3038

Vickie.Sawyer@ncleg.gov

Legislative Assistant: Diana Xavier