Democrat Elaine Marshall, candidate for NC secretary of state, answers our questions
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Candidates for NC secretary of state
Republican Chad Brown is running against Democratic incumbent Elaine Marshall. Get to know the candidates with our 2024 NC Voter Guide.
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To help inform voters about the Nov. 5, 2024, election, this candidate questionnaire is available to be republished by local publications in North Carolina without any cost. Please consider subscribing to The News & Observer to help make this coverage possible.
Name: Elaine Marshall
Political party: Democrat
Age as of Nov. 5, 2024: 78
Campaign website: www.elainemarshall.com
Current occupation: Attorney, Secretary of State
Professional experience: Secretary of State, attorney, former state senator, small business owner, teacher, community college instructor.
Education: BS - University of Maryland, J.D, Campbell Law
Please list any notable government or civic involvement. 4H - Lifetime Member, inducted into the National 4-H Hall of Fame and North Carolina 4-H Hall of Fame, Campbell University Law Board of Advisors, Campbell University Board, Meredith College - past Board Member, Masonic Home for Children - past Board Member, Delta Kappa Gamma - Education Honorary, Brand Protection Hero by Michigan State University (2019), Gold Record holder from Recording Industry Association of America, former President of National Secretaries of State.
What would be your top priority if elected?
My top priority is always cybersecurity. My second priority is the success of small business owners through continuing the Rural RISE initiative and other outreach efforts to make sure businesses start on good footing so they have a solid foundation to grow and succeed.
What percentage raises should your state agency’s employees receive in the next state budget?
Considering our office earns $190 million in state revenue for the General Fund, I believe an annual budget of 14% of that revenue would help us start to meet the increasing business demands (overall business filings are up 60% since 2019), and to provide salary increases our employees deserve. In addition, permanent COLA increases for state employee retirees are needed. To address the high vacancy rate in state government we must improve other benefits in addition to salaries.
Will you attend all Council of State meetings?
Yes - I have missed very few over the course of my service.
How will you work with the other nine members of the council, including the governor?
I always make it a priority to know my fellow members. Several other council offices have comparable goals and audiences so I reach out on initiatives we jointly value. The Governor’s Office and the Secretary of State’s Office have unique and special legal responsibilities. With each new governor and their legal counsel, I maintain an open dialogue regarding our joint tasks.
In North Carolina, most election duties are entrusted to the State Board of Elections. What role, if any, should the NC Secretary of State have in overseeing elections?
I personally do not believe a partisan elected office holder should have election oversight. The appearance of conflict of interest is always present in such situations. In this toxic, political environment, we need professionals whose primary objective is free and fair elections. The current role of secretary of state is to certify election results and to convene the Electoral College. This certification is an official process indicating the highest level of state validation.
What is your plan to promote economic development in NC?
My plan is twofold — make business formation easier and to increase the success rate of NC small businesses. Ease of business formation requires additional resources, people, and updated technology. To increase success rates, we began the Rural RISE initiative, which will help all new and existing businesses. For more information, visit https://www.sosnc.gov/rural_rise
How would you evaluate the current customer service experience provided by the Secretary of State’s office and what, if anything, would you do to improve it?
According to random, periodic surveys, over 90% of our customers are satisfied with our services. We receive praise from users contrasting their NC SOS experience to other state SOS experiences. That said, we have peak load times which cause delays. We are not staffed for the volume during particularly peak times. We use our temp budget fully to meet demand and reassign other staff when possible to keep up with the volume.
Is there an issue on which you disagree with your party? What is your position on that issue?
Small business support has been almost lacking. Our data shows that NC small business loss is slightly lower than the national average. We lose 25% within three years of formation and 50% within seven years. We partnered with FSU researchers who concluded a 5% improvement of achieving “self-sufficiency” would result in over 24,000 jobs and up to a $2 billion economic infusion annually. The Democratic plan to allow a $50,000 deduction for new small businesses would be very beneficial to NC small, rural businesses.
This story was originally published September 24, 2024 at 10:01 AM with the headline "Democrat Elaine Marshall, candidate for NC secretary of state, answers our questions."
