Shelane Etchison

[{"question": "Ballotpedia survey responses", "answer_html": "<p>See also: <a href=\"/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\">Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection</a></p>\n<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-xs-10 col-md-6 col-xs-offset-1 col-md-offset-3\"><p><a href=\"https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\"><img align=\"middle\" alt=\"Candidate Connection\" src=\"https://cdn.ballotpedia.org/images/8/88/Candidate_Connection_Logo.png\" width=\"90%\"/></a></p></div></div>\n<p>Shelane Etchison completed <a href=\"/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\">Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection</a> survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Etchison's responses.</p>\n<p><span class=\"expand-all\">Expand all</span> | <span class=\"collapse-all\">Collapse all</span></p>\n<div aria-multiselectable=\"true\" class=\"panel-group\" id=\"accordion\" role=\"tablist\"><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-bio-246572-2024-06-27\" id=\"heading-bio-246572-2024-06-27\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse-bio-246572-2024-06-27\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-bio-246572-2024-06-27\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWho are you? Tell us about yourself.\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading-bio-246572-2024-06-27\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse-bio-246572-2024-06-27\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tI grew up in central Florida going to public school and university. The attacks on 9/11 spurred me to join Army after college. I served for over a decade, deploying to places like Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria -- leading soldiers and pioneering roles for women in Special Operations.\r\n<p>My time in the military taught me the true meaning of leadership and gave me a deep sense of gratitude and appreciation of the ideals of this country. \r\n</p>\nUnfortunately, too many politicians put partisan politics above the needs of country and sow divisions. This is not real leadership, and why I am running for Congress to be a fresh voice for the people of NC-09.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-key-message-246572-2024-06-27\" id=\"heading-key-message-246572-2024-06-27\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse-key-message-246572-2024-06-27\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-key-message-246572-2024-06-27\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tPlease list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading-key-message-246572-2024-06-27\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse-key-message-246572-2024-06-27\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\"><ul><li>The status quo in Congress is not working for the American people. Our debt, our border, our cost of living... both parties are failing us. Members of Congress are more polarized than ever leading to gridlock and lack of results. It's time we start electing independent candidates who will work collaboratively to get things done for the American people.</li><li>Unaffiliated or independent voters make up the majority of voters in North Carolina and the US. We are proud to be making history as the first ever unaffiliated Congressional candidate in the state of North Carolina, and finally give voters an independent option on their ballot.</li><li>Our campaign is about brining power and voice back to the people. I am not a career politician beholden or bought by a political party or special interest groups. We believe in brining common-sense, honest, and authentic representation for the people by listening to them and leaving the political divisiveness behind.</li></ul></span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse1-246572-2024-06-27\" id=\"heading1-246572-2024-06-27\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse1-246572-2024-06-27\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse1-246572-2024-06-27\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading1-246572-2024-06-27\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse1-246572-2024-06-27\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tWe have to start making our elections process more fair and representative. I am passionate about ending gerrymandering and having fair and competitive maps. Rigging the maps only make politicians lazy and comfortable. Fair maps incentivize them to work on your behalf and legitimately earn your vote. <br/><br/>\r\nSame goes for open primaries and rank choice voting. Instating these electoral changes will make sure politicians are appealing to a wider segment of the electorate, not just those on the extreme which our current system promotes.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse2-246572-2024-06-27\" id=\"heading2-246572-2024-06-27\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse2-246572-2024-06-27\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse2-246572-2024-06-27\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading2-246572-2024-06-27\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse2-246572-2024-06-27\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tIt's simple, elected officials are responsible to two things: the U.S. Constitution in which they swear an oath to support and defend; and the constituents to whom they are elected to represent.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse3-246572-2024-06-27\" id=\"heading3-246572-2024-06-27\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse3-246572-2024-06-27\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse3-246572-2024-06-27\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat was your very first job? How long did you have it?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading3-246572-2024-06-27\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse3-246572-2024-06-27\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tI worked on a horse ranch throughout my teenage years. Mucking stalls, breaking horses, tossing hay bales, and loving every minute of it.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse4-246572-2024-06-27\" id=\"heading4-246572-2024-06-27\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse4-246572-2024-06-27\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse4-246572-2024-06-27\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat do you perceive to be the United States' greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading4-246572-2024-06-27\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse4-246572-2024-06-27\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tWe have many challenges facing our nation from growing debt, immigration, youth mental health, emboldened foreign adversaries, and rising everyday costs like housing, healthcare, and childcare. However, the greatest issue we're facing is the partisan divide. Because without first addressing the hyper-partisanship and gridlock, none of these issues will get resolved.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div></div>\n<div class=\"small\" data-nosnippet=\"\"><p><i><b>Note:</b> 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.</i></p></div>", "answer_text": "See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection\n\nShelane Etchison completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Etchison's responses.\nExpand all | Collapse all\nWho are you? Tell us about yourself. I grew up in central Florida going to public school and university. The attacks on 9/11 spurred me to join Army after college. I served for over a decade, deploying to places like Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria -- leading soldiers and pioneering roles for women in Special Operations. My time in the military taught me the true meaning of leadership and gave me a deep sense of gratitude and appreciation of the ideals of this country. Unfortunately, too many politicians put partisan politics above the needs of country and sow divisions. This is not real leadership, and why I am running for Congress to be a fresh voice for the people of NC-09. Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office? The status quo in Congress is not working for the American people. Our debt, our border, our cost of living... both parties are failing us. Members of Congress are more polarized than ever leading to gridlock and lack of results. It's time we start electing independent candidates who will work collaboratively to get things done for the American people. Unaffiliated or independent voters make up the majority of voters in North Carolina and the US. We are proud to be making history as the first ever unaffiliated Congressional candidate in the state of North Carolina, and finally give voters an independent option on their ballot. Our campaign is about brining power and voice back to the people. I am not a career politician beholden or bought by a political party or special interest groups. We believe in brining common-sense, honest, and authentic representation for the people by listening to them and leaving the political divisiveness behind. What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? We have to start making our elections process more fair and representative. I am passionate about ending gerrymandering and having fair and competitive maps. Rigging the maps only make politicians lazy and comfortable. Fair maps incentivize them to work on your behalf and legitimately earn your vote. Same goes for open primaries and rank choice voting. Instating these electoral changes will make sure politicians are appealing to a wider segment of the electorate, not just those on the extreme which our current system promotes. What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office? It's simple, elected officials are responsible to two things: the U.S. Constitution in which they swear an oath to support and defend; and the constituents to whom they are elected to represent. What was your very first job? How long did you have it? I worked on a horse ranch throughout my teenage years. Mucking stalls, breaking horses, tossing hay bales, and loving every minute of it. What do you perceive to be the United States' greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade? We have many challenges facing our nation from growing debt, immigration, youth mental health, emboldened foreign adversaries, and rising everyday costs like housing, healthcare, and childcare. However, the greatest issue we're facing is the partisan divide. Because without first addressing the hyper-partisanship and gridlock, none of these issues will get resolved.\nNote: 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."}, {"question": "Campaign website", "answer_html": "<p>Etchison’s campaign website stated the following:\n</p>\n<div style=\"height:400px;overflow:scroll;border:1px solid gray;margin:20px;padding:10px;\">\n<table data-nosnippet=\"\" style=\"border-collapse: collapse; border: none;background-color: transparent; auto; ;\">\n<tbody><tr>\n<td style=\"border:none; color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: left; padding: 10px 3px;\" valign=\"top\" width=\"20\">“\n</td>\n<td style=\"border: none; padding: 4px 10px;\" valign=\"top\">\n<p><big><b>ANTI-CORRUPTION</b></big><br/>\nRight now, most regular Americans have very little influence on the laws Congress passes. Research repeatedly shows that there's almost <b>no connection between what the public wants and what Congress actually does.</b> Instead, our elected officials prioritize the interests of elites, businesses, and those who can afford powerful lobbyists, creating a system of legalized bribery. Our government is broken, and we need to take action to fix it.\n</p><p>Shelane is committed to changing this. She supports getting big money out of politics by overturning Citizens United, a law that allows unlimited corporate spending in elections, and ending the revolving door of politicians taking high-paying lobbyist jobs, which grants them undue influence over government agencies. She also aims to stop members of Congress from using insider information to make profitable stock trades. Finally, Shelane supports open primaries to increase voter participation and ensure politicians are accountable to a wider range of people.\n</p><p><big><b>INDIVIDUAL LIBERTIES</b></big><br/>\nShelane believes her most crucial responsibility as a Congresswoman is protecting her constituents’ individual rights and liberties – for all to pursue a life of dignity without unnecessary government interference. Shelane supports legislation protecting a woman’s right to make her own reproductive choices, upholding 2nd Amendment rights, protecting our civil liberties, and ensuring all people, regardless of religious, racial, or sexual orientation, are protected to pursue a life free of discrimination.\n</p><p><big><b>ECONOMY</b></big><br/>\nShelane supports a strong economy for families and future generations. Everyday Americans deserve an economy that works for them. Addressing rising costs of housing, childcare, healthcare, and basic necessities is critical to ensuring the financial security of American families. Both parties are complicit in our soaring national debt, threatening our collective and future prosperity. Shelane prioritizes implementing fiscal policies for long-term economic stability without burdening future generations with excessive debt. She advocates for a balanced national budget, reduced government waste, and responsible spending of taxpayer dollars.\n</p><p><big><b>DEMOCRACY</b></big><br/>\nAmerican Democracy is in decline. Partisan polarization, special-interest influence, and election interference erode trust and fairness in our Democracy. Shelane is committed to restoring faith in our institutions by fostering transparency, protecting our voting rights, combating partisan gerrymandering, and holding our officials accountable for their words and actions.\n</p><p><big><b>NATIONAL SECURITY</b></big><br/>\nOne of Congress’ foremost responsibilities is ensuring strong national security domestically and abroad. Politics should never get in the way of protecting our sovereign territory and securing our borders. Shelane supports securing our borders and implementing sensible immigration reform that recognizes immigrants’ critical importance in our economy and communities. Globally, American leadership and strong international partnerships are vital for conflict mitigation and ensuring safety and prosperity for generations to come. Shelane believes in an integrated, responsible use of diplomatic, intelligence, and military capabilities to address our global national security challenges.\n</p><p><big><b>VETERANS</b></big><br/>\nAs a veteran who served at Fort Bragg and relies on the VA Healthcare system, Shelane has firsthand experience of the hurdles veterans continue to face in receiving quality healthcare. Access to benefits and health care should be timely and intuitive, not bogged down in bureaucratic confusion. Tragically, veteran suicide remains disproportionately high at 1.5x greater than the general population – this is unacceptable, and Shelane is committed to advocating tirelessly in Congress for veterans’ mental well-being from service to civilian life. \n</p><p><big><b>SOCIETAL WELLNESS</b></big><br/>\nOur society is hurting. Social connectedness to families, communities, spirituality, and nature is declining while addiction, isolation, and mental health crises – especially among young people – are on the rise. Current political divisions and media manipulation contribute to this problem. Shelane believes it’s a national imperative to strengthen our societal well-being by promoting civility, lifelong learning and skills building, holistic health approaches, and incentivized national service.<sup class=\"reference\" id=\"cite_ref-quotedisclaimer_3-0\"><a href=\"#cite_note-quotedisclaimer-3\">[3]</a></sup>\n</p>\n</td>\n<td style=\"border: none; color: #B2B7F2; font-size: 35px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: right; padding: 10px 1px;\" valign=\"bottom\" width=\"20\">”\n</td></tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"cquotecite\" colspan=\"3\" style=\"border: none; padding-right: 4%\"><cite style=\"font-style: normal;font-size: smaller; float: right;\">—Shelane Etchison’s campaign website (2024)<sup class=\"reference\" id=\"cite_ref-4\"><a href=\"#cite_note-4\">[4]</a></sup></cite>\n</td></tr></tbody></table>\n</div>", "answer_text": "Etchison’s campaign website stated the following:\n“ ANTI-CORRUPTION Right now, most regular Americans have very little influence on the laws Congress passes. Research repeatedly shows that there's almost no connection between what the public wants and what Congress actually does. Instead, our elected officials prioritize the interests of elites, businesses, and those who can afford powerful lobbyists, creating a system of legalized bribery. Our government is broken, and we need to take action to fix it. Shelane is committed to changing this. She supports getting big money out of politics by overturning Citizens United, a law that allows unlimited corporate spending in elections, and ending the revolving door of politicians taking high-paying lobbyist jobs, which grants them undue influence over government agencies. She also aims to stop members of Congress from using insider information to make profitable stock trades. Finally, Shelane supports open primaries to increase voter participation and ensure politicians are accountable to a wider range of people. INDIVIDUAL LIBERTIES Shelane believes her most crucial responsibility as a Congresswoman is protecting her constituents’ individual rights and liberties – for all to pursue a life of dignity without unnecessary government interference. Shelane supports legislation protecting a woman’s right to make her own reproductive choices, upholding 2nd Amendment rights, protecting our civil liberties, and ensuring all people, regardless of religious, racial, or sexual orientation, are protected to pursue a life free of discrimination. ECONOMY Shelane supports a strong economy for families and future generations. Everyday Americans deserve an economy that works for them. Addressing rising costs of housing, childcare, healthcare, and basic necessities is critical to ensuring the financial security of American families. Both parties are complicit in our soaring national debt, threatening our collective and future prosperity. Shelane prioritizes implementing fiscal policies for long-term economic stability without burdening future generations with excessive debt. She advocates for a balanced national budget, reduced government waste, and responsible spending of taxpayer dollars. DEMOCRACY American Democracy is in decline. Partisan polarization, special-interest influence, and election interference erode trust and fairness in our Democracy. Shelane is committed to restoring faith in our institutions by fostering transparency, protecting our voting rights, combating partisan gerrymandering, and holding our officials accountable for their words and actions. NATIONAL SECURITY One of Congress’ foremost responsibilities is ensuring strong national security domestically and abroad. Politics should never get in the way of protecting our sovereign territory and securing our borders. Shelane supports securing our borders and implementing sensible immigration reform that recognizes immigrants’ critical importance in our economy and communities. Globally, American leadership and strong international partnerships are vital for conflict mitigation and ensuring safety and prosperity for generations to come. Shelane believes in an integrated, responsible use of diplomatic, intelligence, and military capabilities to address our global national security challenges. VETERANS As a veteran who served at Fort Bragg and relies on the VA Healthcare system, Shelane has firsthand experience of the hurdles veterans continue to face in receiving quality healthcare. Access to benefits and health care should be timely and intuitive, not bogged down in bureaucratic confusion. Tragically, veteran suicide remains disproportionately high at 1.5x greater than the general population – this is unacceptable, and Shelane is committed to advocating tirelessly in Congress for veterans’ mental well-being from service to civilian life. SOCIETAL WELLNESS Our society is hurting. Social connectedness to families, communities, spirituality, and nature is declining while addiction, isolation, and mental health crises – especially among young people – are on the rise. Current political divisions and media manipulation contribute to this problem. Shelane believes it’s a national imperative to strengthen our societal well-being by promoting civility, lifelong learning and skills building, holistic health approaches, and incentivized national service. [3] ” —Shelane Etchison’s campaign website (2024) [4]"}]