Amanda Benbow Lunn: 0:08

Hello, friends. Welcome back to the NC Deep Dive Podcast. I'm your host, Amanda Benbow Lunn. If you're listening to this as it debuts, we hope you're staying warm and enjoying this pretty winter weather. We are T minus two weeks until the beginning of early voting on February 12th. We just released our 2026 voter's guide for Southern Wake County on our Facebook page, the NC Deep Dive Podcast. It contains early voting and the primary election information, potential sample ballots for your area, seven Republican candidates across four races, 22 Democratic candidates across seven races, and links to all the candidates' websites or at least those that had them. Since our time is a bit limited, this year we invited all the candidates to share any audio files or invitations to any candidate forums they might be partaking in, in an effort to further their reach to each of you who might not have the ability to attend. A few days ago, we had the privilege to attend the Western Wake Dems Candidate Forum, moderated by Rachel Jordan, their chair. Due to the length, we will be splitting it into two different episodes. Today's episode will feature the U.S. House of Representatives race for District 4. There are three candidates running for this seat. Incumbent Congresswoman Valerie Foushee, Durham Councilwoman Nida Allam, and Mary Patterson. Unfortunately, Mary wasn't able to attend. U.S. House District 4 covers parts of Alamance, Chatham, Orange, Durham, and Wake counties, including pieces of both Holly Springs and Fuquay Arena. You can check to see if this race applies to you by searching Voter Search Online, finding the link for the NC Board of Elections, filling out your information, finding your record if there are multiple of you with the same name, and scrolling down to the jurisdiction or sample ballot you'll see there. Without further ado, my friends, let's dive in.

Rachel Jordan, Western Wake Dems Chair: 2:08

We are gonna start with our district four candidates. First, I want to introduce you to Durham Councilwoman Nida Allam, who is running now for a challenging for the seat, and Congresswoman Valerie Foushee. This is her third term on the seat. She is on the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, Energy, Aviation, and Railroad. I'm gonna let each of them take a few minutes to start off and let you know more about them.

Nida Allam: 2:34

Good evening, everyone. I'm Nida Allam. I currently serve as the vice chair of the Durham County Board of Commissioners, and I'm the proud daughter of immigrant parents from India and Pakistan who immigrated here when I was four years old, seeking out a brighter future for me and my sisters to be able to grow and live with a community that supports us and loves us in every way. And I didn't get into politics in a traditional path. I came to it out of necessity. I studied sustainable materials and technology at NC State, planned to go into the tech field. However, when I was in my final year of undergrad, I lost my best friend Yesara Busalha, her husband Diyabar Akat, and our younger sister Rosanna Busalha in an anti-Muslim hate crime in Chapel Hill. And seeing three beautiful Muslim Americans be minimized and dehumanized into being labeled as a parking dispute when we all knew that it was an anti-Muslim hate crime is what taught me that, or showed me and triggered me into organizing because if our communities don't step up and take a seat at the table, others are gonna write our stories and narratives for us. So I began organizing. I went on to South Carolina and knocked on doors for Senator Bernie Sanders. I came back and continued knocking doors, phone banking here and in several other states. I was vice chair of the State Democratic Party for four years before running for county commissioner in 2020 and becoming the first Muslim woman ever elected to public office in the state of North Carolina. And since I've been a commissioner, my first year as a commissioner, I got the county to pass a low-income homeowner relief program to help our residents stay in their homes. I helped fund a jointly city-county funded immigrant and refugee services coordinator role to support everyone who wants to make Durham County their home. And I'm running for Congress because with Trump back in the White House, we need fighters who are gonna stand up and use our safe blue seats to say that we want change, that we don't want to see our taxpayer dollars being used to endlessly fund war. We don't want to see our taxpayer dollars be used to fund Trump's private Gestapo through ICE. And we need to abolish an agency that does not do anything to keep our community safe. And I hope to earn your support because right now our families are struggling with being able to afford health care, housing, their groceries, and we need leadership that's going to pass Medicare for All, a Green New Deal, and more.

Valerie Foushee: 4:44

Well, good evening, and thank you for holding this opportunity for us to share with you. I am Congresswoman Valerie Foushee, and I proudly represent North Carolina's fourth congressional district. You know, I can say to you throughout my years of public service, I have faced every opportunity with the same resolve. I believe that I show up, I do the work, and I stay focused on delivering real results to the people of this district. I believe my record speaks for itself. I've been proud to stand up for our values. I've been proud to stand up to a regime that does not work for the American people. I have been a co-sponsor for articles of impeachment against Kristi Noem. I have voted against the National Defense Authorization Act because I believe that we don't fund what we are seeing with ICE around this country. My main priority is making sure that we safeguard democracy. And I think that my record really does speak for itself. I'm proud to have represented this district for the better part of three years. I am proud that I have been able to serve in this district in five capacities. I believe that understanding what children need and serving on the school board for two terms matters. I believe that serving as a county commissioner two of those years as chair over a period of eight years mattered. I believe that being elected to the North Carolina General Assembly mattered. I served in the House and then I served nine years in the North Carolina Senate. The honor and the opportunity to serve you in Congress has been the honor of my life. And I am proud to say that I have been chosen for leadership from almost the day that I walked in. I serve as a ranking member and I have served as a ranking member on three subcommittees. I'm proud to represent you. I thank you for the opportunity to represent, and I look forward to hearing your questions. Again, thank you.

Rachel Jordan, Western Wake Dems Chair: 7:01

So one of the first questions for each of you, I think we since you started, Nida, we'll start with you, Congresswoman. What would your legislative priorities be when it comes to reducing income inequity and improving the lives of working class Americans?

Valerie Foushee: 7:15

Thank you for that question. I believe that we need to set a national standard for what minimums should be. I think we need to make sure that we are protecting our workers and giving them the opportunity for advancement. Those are regulations that can be done by the federal government. And I think it's a shame that it has not. I think the last time I checked, the minimum wage was $7.25. We can do better and we should do better.

Nida Allam: 7:44

I'm standing up because I can see everyone's faces in the back that way. As a county commissioner, every year that I've been on the commission over the past five years, I have worked along with our board to increase our county minimum wage for our county employees and Durham Public School employees. Because if we're not even setting the standard of paying our own workers a living wage, then we can't expect other companies to be paying that living wage as well. And the cost of living in this district is actually now to be able to afford supporting your family, to have a roof over your head, put food on the table is $24 an hour. And I believe that we need to be striving for a true living wage in this country of $24 an hour. And making sure that families are able to live with dignity with just having to work one job and be able to make ends meet. And we are seeing right now this district has been impacted by the largest number of federal funding cuts, more than any congressional district in the country. And that's translating into hundreds of lost jobs of our neighbors, one of the highest unemployment rates in this district has seen in a long time. And we need to make sure that we're bringing those jobs back and fighting for that federal funding to be returned and restored to these jobs that so many of us here, of y'all and our friends, need to be able to put make ends meet. And we also need elected officials to look and be accountable to the families, to working families. Because the reason our cost of living continues to rise is because the all of because the billionaires and the corporations want to line their pockets. And they do that by exploiting workers. And that's why I'm proud to not take a cent from corporate packs or right-wing billionaires because you can't say you're for a true living wage and for working families when you're taking money from corporations like Walmart that have been notorious for union busting across this country and paying people unlivable wages.

Rachel Jordan, Western Wake Dems Chair: 9:26

And I think neither of you will be surprised by this question. In the current environment, we had several people who are very curious about how both of you will be dealing with immigration customs, how we can protect people in our communities, and what you see Congress being able to do going forward. And Congresswoman Foushee, if you would go. Or no, I'm sorry. Councilwoman Nida Allam.

Nida Allam: 9:49

As the proud daughter of immigrants from India and Pakistan is someone who has gone through the naturalization process myself, and my whole family has. The issue of immigration is personal to me because I see what this hateful and xenophobic rhetoric is doing to tear apart our families and instill fear in our immigrant community. And that's why, not just during these current ICE raids, is that my entire life I have been on the front lines with our immigrant communities, standing shoulder to shoulder with them as they protest against ICE and custom border patrols, illegal actions in Trump's authoritarian overreach of power to tear apart our communities. When they were here in November, I was out as a trained ICE verification agent with Siembra, North Carolina, leading know your rights trainings, showing up into our community's shopping centers where ICE was spotted to make sure that our neighbors weren't kidnapped and taken into the dark. And that's why I've still continued, even this past weekend, showing up hand in hand with our neighbors. And right after this, I'm actually going to be rushing over to our Durham VA hospital where the nurses are hosting a vigil in honor of Alex Pradi. Because we should not be okay with our taxpayer dollars being used to murder people, innocent people, in broad daylight. And that's why I have called for the abolishment of ICE. And I'm the only candidate in this race who has publicly called for the abolishment of ICE.

Valerie Foushee: 11:07

I think it's clear to everybody that ICE is a rogue agency. And it is clear that ICE does not serve the public. What is also clear is that we have the opportunity to do something about ICE. We have the opportunity to protect our communities. We have the responsibility to protect our communities from ICE. And so I have done know your rights webinars so that people understand that they're not alone. We need to protect people in our own communities and stand up for them and stand against ICE. We've seen ICE come to North Carolina. ICE came to Charlotte, ICE came to Durham. We fought against ICE. We protected our neighbors, and that's what we have to do until Congress, who initiated ICE, abolishes ICE or replaces ICE with an agency that does the work of protecting immigrants through the process of naturalization of whatever they deem is necessary for themselves. So I don't think you're going to get much difference from me than what you just heard. The difference might be that I'm standing up ensuring that ICE is not funded beyond what it already has been funded. That's how you bring a rogue agency into compliance. You don't give them what they need to continue the acts that they have already perpetrated on the people.

Rachel Jordan, Western Wake Dems Chair: 12:35

So and as I said, that was probably a question both of you expected. But I was a little surprised by another question we got from multiple people before this forum, which was a lot of people are deeply concerned about AI data centers. And I know, Congresswoman Foushee, you're on the energy commission. I know, Councilwoman Allam, you have a background in environmental action and science. So I think everyone would be very curious to hear your thoughts on some of these issues.

Valerie Foushee: 13:06

I think we all should have concerns about what happens with data centers. And I am proud that I am a part of the AI Commission that will study that. What we also have to remember is that where these centers are placed are local decisions. Until there are federal guidelines that prohibit local governments from allowing or permitting these data centers, then we have to rely on local government for where you allow certain operations to continue. I believe that there should be federal guidelines for that purpose. At this point, they are not. So I continue to look into this situation to make sure we're not harming our residents. I mean, AI can be an aid to all of us, but we also know that there are negative impacts that could not be in the best uses of our neighbors if we're not careful to make sure that we're seeing what can happen and what we must make sure does not happen.

Nida Allam: 14:13

I don't need to continue to look into the situation because the data and research is clear across this country that there is an unchecked growth around data centers and it is negatively impacting our neighborhoods, our environment, our water, our air. And that's why in Congress I would support Senator Bernie Sanders' call for a national moratorium on data centers until we are able to actually put it forward real regulations to control the uncontrolled growth of AI data centers. Because this is not just about what they're milling about. Yes, there's innovation that comes out of AI. But when it comes into our neighborhoods, you're already seeing, especially if you live in Apex, that Duke Energy is already renegotiating energy prices and trying to pass that bill down to the residents of this district to fund the infrastructure needs of an AI data center. And why should taxpayers and why should residents have to pay that bill? What we're seeing across the country when data centers are being built, they use over a million gallons of water every single day. When those taps start to go dry, who is going to be paying that bill? I can guarantee you it's not going to be these data centers. And so that's why we need this moratorium to get regulations into place and to make sure that our residents aren't suffering at the hands of unchecked power. I'll also add, I'm the only candidate in this race that has said I will not accept AI lobby money.

Rachel Jordan, Western Wake Dems Chair: 15:38

Would you like to respond to that, Congressman Foushee?

Valerie Foushee: 15:41

I don't feel the need to respond to that. I've said what I said, and you all heard what I said. That's a local decision. But at the moment, it's a local decision.

Rachel Jordan, Western Wake Dems Chair: 16:00

Speaking of local, and this is sort of a slightly more fun question. You know, you have been have come from Chapel Hill, Congresswoman Foushee and Councilwoman Allam, you are coming from Durham. What's the way you think those cities and your communities have really impacted the way you do your job and the way you will conduct yourself and your work in the future and in other offices?

Nida Allam: 16:22

So I currently serve in Durham County, but I've actually grown up in pretty much every part of this district. When my family first immigrated here, I actually grew up right down the road on Laura Duncan. Went to Baucom Elementary, and my family actually, me and my husband bought our first home in Durham. This actually Cary senior center was where it's young Muslim children, when you finish reading the Quran for the first time, you have a party called the Amin. It was actually held here when I was just 11 years old. So this district, every part of it, has played a part in raising who I am today and how I serve. Because I see this as the most diverse district in North Carolina. It's also one of the youngest districts of an average age of 35. The only district with a double-digit Asian American population, double-digit African American population. We have six colleges and universities in this district. And all of these different pieces are reasons why I want to run because we need representation that understands that for young people, for millennials and Gen Z, how difficult it is to be able to purchase your first home right now. And how that's not even a thought for so many families because they're struggling to pay their college student loans. How can they even think about buying a home? As a commissioner, I see every day the crumbling infrastructure of our public schools and how we're having to pick up that bill at the local level because our state legislature, the Republicans in our state legislature, aren't doing their job. And in Congress, I want to make sure that we get these vital resources that our local governments need so that they're able to focus on the services that the county commission is supposed to be able to do is of social services, public health, our library system. And so each part of this district has played a role in raising who I am today. And even though I'm from Durham, or currently elected in Durham, I'm going to make sure that I represent every single part of this district, no matter where you're from or where you were raised, because this is your home. This is our home.

Valerie Foushee: 18:06

I absolutely cannot wait to answer this question. I'll say to you that I grew up in Chapel Hill, as I'm sure most of you know, but I was born to teenage parents. I was born during the Civil Rights era where there were certain places I could not go. There were certain places where I could not eat. And for me to be able to stay in this district, rise up in this district, be educated in this district, and now serve this district because I know the needs. I know what it's like to be raised in a place where you're looked down on, a place where you're not accepted, and rise up to a place where you represent people not only who look just like you, but people who look like the rainbow. And I have had the opportunity to do that. I have listened and I have learned, and I have chosen to use what I have learned to serve. I have proudly served this industry. I proudly represent people who don't look like me. I proudly say to children, yes, you have the opportunity that through education you can do just about anything, but you absolutely don't look down on anyone. I don't put the fact that I'm a minority out there in front so that that's all you see. What I put out in front is that I'm a servant and that I know what it's like to come from behind. I know what it's like to be considered something other than what you really are because of what you look like. But I am proud to have lived in and served in a location where people saw me for who I was and for the potential that I had, and then get the opportunity to serve. And so I thank any of you who had anything to do with that, and I appreciate any of you who will take the opportunity to allow me to continue to serve.

Rachel Jordan, Western Wake Dems Chair: 20:17

I know both of you, I think, are going to the memorial for Alex Pretti. So we'll start to wrap up. Each of you, we'd love to hear a few minutes about what you want to do and anything else you have to say to the Democrats here.

Valerie Foushee: 20:32

Well, first, let me just thank you for this opportunity and thank you for your presence here because you could be anywhere else. I want to continue to serve this district because we have not accomplished what we needed to accomplish. We have not done that because of the administration that we have in power. And there's oftentimes when I'm asked questions about where we are. It is not something that I appreciate having to say that we're where we are because we don't have the numbers to pass legislation. Well, that's the truth of the matter. But we have the opportunity to work with all of you and Democrats across this country to change that paradigm. And given the opportunity to lead, I guarantee you you're gonna see something different. You're gonna see this country come back. You're gonna see democracy not just restored, but protected in such a manner that we don't have to go through this again. I'm looking forward to the opportunity to continue to serve. I would invite any of you to check not just my voting record, but the ability that I have had through my colleagues to serve you in a manner that protects your rights to the extent that the numbers will allow. I didn't vote for Donald Trump. And I'm assuming that most of you, if not all of you, did not either. But Donald Trump is the president of these United. United States. And we have Republican majorities across the board. Any of you who understand civics and numbers understand why we are where we are, it is up to us to change what it looks like in our nation's capital. That means we all have to not just vote ourselves, but to make sure that all of us are taking up that obligation to make this country what we know it can be, what it has been. But we can't do it sitting in seats, bashing each other, and in some cases not even telling the truth about each other. Take the opportunity to stand up for yourselves, your families, your neighbors, and indeed this country, and elect people who will act in your best interest. Thank you for the opportunity.

Nida Allam: 22:53

Thank you all so much for coming out on your Wednesday evening. It's really a great opportunity to be able to be here and see so many beautiful Democratic faces because this is what this campaign is about. It's about organizing. I got my first step into politics through organizing. I understand the importance of knocking on doors, on phone banking, and reaching voters where they're at, whether they're a Democrat, unaffiliated, or Republican. Because even though this is the safest blue seat in North Carolina, the issues that we are facing here every day are not partisan issues. They're issues of affordability, they're issues of working families. As a county commissioner, I was appointed by a Republican commissioner from Burke County to the North Carolina Association of Commissioners Board of Directors because I was able to build a relationship with him of telling him, you know, Johnny, my residents in Durham County want to be able to put food on the table. Your residents want to be able to put food on the table. My residents want to have a roof over their head, your residents want to have a roof over their head. These shouldn't be partisan issues. These are common sense. And we need leaders who are willing to step up and call in Republicans and tell their own constituents that your leaders are the ones who are raising your cost of living. And we can't do that by just saying, well, we're in the minority, so we can't get things done. Because I can guarantee you that if I go anywhere in this country, whether it's a quote unquote red area or a quote unquote blue area, if I ask someone if they want to be able to live with dignity in this country and want to be able to raise their family with just working one job, they're gonna tell you yes. If I go to anyone in this room or across the country and ask them, would you rather your taxpayer dollars be used to fund health care or to endlessly fund war, they're gonna say healthcare. If you want to see your taxpayer dollars be used to fund public education or to give corporate billionaires tax cuts, they're gonna say fund public education. And that's why I'm running a campaign that's built by organizers for organizers, because this race may be essentially decided in the primary in March, but I can guarantee you, as the only campaign that's running an on-the-ground operation of everyday phone banking canvassing, we're gonna turn that ship right around to make sure that we get Roy Cooper and Anita Earls across the finish line in November. And we're gonna make sure that not just because we're in a safe blue seat here, that we can be progressive champions for the entire state and talk to voters about working class issues in a way that they understand that it's their cost of living is rising and it's happening because of corporations and right-wing billionaires. And I'm proud again to not take a cent from either corporate PACs or right-wing billionaires because you can know when I go to DC, I will be accountable to you and not to them. Thank you.

Rachel Jordan, Western Wake Dems Chair: 25:34

I also want to take this opportunity to thank both of you. I am so honored to have two amazing women running in this seat and that you have come here tonight to share your thoughts with us. I don't know if everybody out there knows. Running a campaign, serving in these things, is just an incredible amount of work. And I am so thankful that we have amazing people willing to step up and do that. So thank you both to teachers.

Forum Guest 1: 26:03

One question only. If you have a Congress that supports you like from December onwards, would you vote for Medicare for All, or would you rather have changes made to Affordable Care Act? These are two very, very different opportunities available to each other.

Valerie Foushee: 26:19

I have already co-sponsored Medicare for All.

Forum Guest 1: 26:21

Thank you.

Nida Allam: 26:22

I would support Medicare for All because healthcare should be a human right and not a privilege. And also, I don't take money from the pharmaceutical industries and the private hospital lobbyists that spend millions of dollars every year to kill Medicare for All legislation.

Forum Guest 2: 26:38

So when you say that you would support a moratorium on data centers, is that all data centers? All data centers. Do you know how many data centers currently are in Wake County?

Nida Allam: 26:49

Off the top of my head right now, I...

Forum Guest 2: 26:51

if you had to guess.

Nida Allam: 26:53

It's a construction of new data centers.

Forum Guest 2: 26:55

Okay. But do you know how many are currently in Wake County? Is it more or less than 15?

Nida Allam: 27:01

I can find out and get that information to you.

Forum Guest 2: 27:04

Oh, I know. I'm just telling us if you know. Yeah, if you know, please share. It's at least 15. So is it AI data centers that are the issue or all data centers?

Nida Allam: 27:14

It's data centers that are consuming millions of gallons of water every single day and using our electricity bill and hiking up our rates and passing that cost on to working families of this district and across the country. And it's moratorium on construction of new data centers, this legislation that Senator Sanders has been introducing. I do have to head out to this nurses' union because it started at 6 and go until about 7:30.

Rachel Jordan, Western Wake Dems Chair: 27:38

Thank you so much.

Amanda Benbow Lunn: 27:45

This concludes part one of the Western Wake Dems Candidate Forum, featuring Congresswoman Valerie Foushee and Durham Councilwoman Nida Allam running for the U.S. House of Representatives for District 4. We hope this episode has brought some clarity to those of you choosing a Democratic ballot in the primary. Remember, only registered Democrats or unaffiliated voters, sometimes referred to as independent, may vote on the races within this ballot to see which candidate will win the Democratic nomination to move on to the general election in November. Please keep us in mind if you know of any other candidate forums, as we'd love to be able to lift them up as well. As always, if you have any thoughts or topics you'd like to share, you may do so through social media or by emailing ncdeepdive at gmail.com. If you found value in today's episode, we'd love for you to subscribe, rate, review, and share it so that you'll get the latest updates and we can further reach our mission of connecting candidates with voters so that you all may be as informed as possible partaking in the elections. Throughout the next month, be on the lookout for further primary election episodes by visiting ncdeepdive.com, Apple Podcasts, Audible, Spotify, or wherever you currently listen to music or podcasts. Until next time, my friends, the Love and Light in Me sees and honors the Love and Light in You.