Candidate for NC Senate District 22, Democrat Sophia Chitlik, answers our questions
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Name: Sophia Chitlik
Political party: Democrat
Age as of March 5, 2024: 34
Campaign website: https://sophiafornc.com
Current occupation: Self-employed, investor and board member
Professional experience: I began my career on the Obama campaign and later served in the White House and the Department of Labor as a political appointee. I went on to work as a Chief of Staff, eventually rising to become a Chief Operating Officer of an eight-figure education nonprofit. I then worked as a strategic planning consultant, partnering with CEOs in the public and private sector. I have spent the past five years investing in women-led companies and nonprofits in Durham and beyond.
Education: New York University, Bachelor of Arts, Individualized Study (Magna Cum Laude), Concentration in Political Community Building.
What offices have you run for or held before? Have you had any other notable government or civic involvement? I have worked at the intersection of politics, policy and community engagement for my entire career, including serving at the U.S. Department of Labor.
Additional civic involvement includes: Founding Board Chair, Aya Birth & Community Wellness; pro-bono advisor to Mi Maletín; member, NC Funders for Maternal Health; Jewish For Good Young Leadership Award Winner; Narrow Bridge Fund, Co-Founder; At The Well, Founding Board Secretary; Startingbloc fellow.
What is the issue that you see as most relevant to constituents in your district, and what will you do to address it?
Quality public education. My priorities to create opportunity and education at every age include:
Expanding public pre-kindergarten access to all 3- and 4-year-olds.
Making pay for teachers and classified staff competitive.
Strengthening our public schools and keeping charter schools accountable.
Eliminating the arbitrary cap on special needs funding.
Increasing career readiness programs like summer jobs and paid apprenticeships.
Making school breakfast and lunch free, healthy and accessible.
Is there an issue on which you disagree with your party? What is your position on that issue?
There is not yet a broad consensus within either party about the expansion of midwifery, which is an issue I would lead on if elected. We’re facing a maternal mortality crisis that is disproportionately impacting Black families, especially in District 22. We need to make it legal for Certified Professional Midwives to practice in North Carolina (as they do in 36 other states), which is why I support House Bill 751 and the North Carolina MOMnibus Bill introduced by Sen. Natalie Murdock.
What legislation would you support to help North Carolinians who are struggling to make ends meet?
Too many people are working full-time and still aren’t making enough to support their families. We need a moral and legislative reorientation towards supporting working families.
I would do this by raising the minimum wage, stabilizing the child care industry, supporting domestic workers and child care providers, providing paid sick and family leave, restoring the Earned Income Tax Credit, increasing unemployment benefits and tackling health care debt.
What is the government doing, if anything, that you see as a waste of taxpayer money?
The so-called Opportunity Scholarship Program, which diverts hundreds of millions of dollars away from public schools that need this money to pay and retain teachers and maintain existing school buildings, is a grave misuse of taxpayer funds.
These school vouchers blur the lines between church and state and increase segregation. Instead, I would support moving that money to our public schools and funding our schools at the levels recommended by the Leandro Plan.
Should the new law exempting state lawmakers from the public records law be repealed?
Yes.
Would you support a bill allowing for additional casinos and legalizing video gambling machines?
Yes, so long as low-income communities are not targeted and the revenues continue to go to community college and historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) scholarships. Generally, I’m in favor of a decriminalization and regulation approach to gambling and recreational marijuana.
How would you increase confidence in elections?
Expand voting rights and end gerrymandering. If elected, I would work to make voter registration automatic (Senate Bill 471), repeal Senate Bill 747, and expand same day registration, early voting and absentee voting.
Lawmakers have everything to gain from gerrymandering districts to suit their needs, and I believe that this kind of corrupt redistricting is one of the greatest threats to our democracy. Redistricting should be led by a bipartisan commission of citizens, which is why I support Senate Bill 642.
