Welcome & Ballot Basics

Amanda Benbow Lunn 0:08

Hello friends. Welcome back to the NC Deep Dive. I'm your host, Amanda Benbow Lunn, and this is another episode featuring our candidate conversations for the 2026 general election. By my best accounting, it looks like we have 18 contested races with 46 candidates in Southern Wake, specifically within Holly Springs and Fuquave Arena. There are a few other races that have only one candidate running, but we will not be including them in our candidate conversations for this election. Of course, the races on your particular ballot will vary based on your address and the specific districts your residence falls within. You can always find your jurisdictions and eventually your sample ballot by searching the NC Voter Search made available by the NC State Board of Elections. Once you get to the page, you'll fill out your information. It will populate with all of those who share your name or the information you provided. And you'll scroll until you find you, click on it, verify that your name and address are indeed correct. And then you can scroll down to see the appropriate sections for the jurisdiction and your sample ballot. Since there are so many races, your ballot will likely have a front and back, so be aware of that. And keep in mind if you're short on time, you can see each episode's transcripts at www.ncdeepdive.com, or you can search the episode's chapter titles for the particular questions we're going over, and you can choose the ones that most interest you. For this particular episode, we are delving into the North Carolina House of Representatives for District 36. There are two candidates running, and you will get to vote for one of them. The two candidates are Julie von Haefen running for the Democratic Party and Mary Insprucker running for the Republican Party. Without further ado, my friends, let's dive in.

Mary Insprucker: Intro, Why, & Experience

Amanda Benbow Lunn 2:05

On this episode, I am pleased to be speaking with Mary Insprucker, who is running for the North Carolina House of Representatives for District 36. Hello, Mary, welcome. Thank you for joining me today. And if you want to take a few moments to introduce yourself and then you can answer why you're running for this office and what experiences have prepared you to serve in this role.

Mary Insprucker 2:26

Well, thank you so much for having me, and thank you to all the people out there listening. I appreciate your time. Again, Mary Insprucker, and I'm running for District 36, which is kind of complicated. A lot of people don't know what district they're in, partly due to all the redistricting. So I'm covering Cary, Apex, Holly Springs, and Fuquay. But there's just certain parts of it, so I don't cover all of Cary. So that's where it gets confusing for folks, is because one side of the street will be in my district and the other side will not be in my district. It's tough. So I always tell people look at your voter registration card and it'll tell you all your districts for Senate, House, et cetera, school board, the whole shebang. I have in the past been a regional director of one of the largest nonprofits in the Midwest, and uh glean a lot of experience from that as far as what I can bring to this job, whether it's dealing with budgeting, you know, supporting people, listening to people and their needs, and then working well with people because it was a constant everyday challenge to get everybody on the same page and accomplish a goal. So I'm a great motivator when it comes to that. I also was a consultant to the town of Cary for a short period of time. And I am a producer and host of a podcast, so I can relate to you, Amanda, with a local, national, and international audience. But my main focus now, I've stepped away from everything to just be, you know, this is a full-time job. Running for an election like this, North Carolina House of Representative, it's a full-time job. And that's how dedicated I am. And that will be my job once elected. I won't take on any other things. So been going out, talking to people, really good, listening to what they want me to do. And I don't know how much you want me to jump in right now, but boy, do I have an earful for you.

Amanda Benbow Lunn 4:16

Excellent.

Biggest Issue for District 36

Amanda Benbow Lunn 4:17

What do you believe is the most important issue or challenge facing the people you would represent?

Mary Insprucker 4:22

Right now, it's all about affordability. We have an affordability crisis. And when I talk to people going door to door or meeting them on the street, it is all about, I call it table to tank, food on the table, gas in the tank. We have all these things going on, but people are just focused on the everyday. How do I make it day to day? And so I am known as an affordability candidate because it's a huge part of my platform. And there's so many things we can do when it comes to affordability. I'm going to start with taxes because that plays a big role. When I was a little girl, I can remember my dad, you know, struggling with affordability. We were not well to do, and he would have to work two jobs to pay his taxes. And affordability overall was a challenge. You know, I remember he would buy one candy bar a year, one, and cut it in five slices for us five kids, and we would each get a piece of the candy bar. And he would use a precision cut because he knew if one of us got more than the other, there was going to be drama. So way back then, affordability was issue, although not to the degree it is today. So I think a big part that would help with that is tax reduction and reform. And that is why I attended every single one of the General Assembly's House Select Committee on Tax Reduction and Reform, because I wanted to be versed to know what I could offer my constituents. And I'm happy to say there's going to be two constitutional amendments on the November ballot in regard to tax reform, one of which will be tax levy limits, and the other will be capping the income tax at 3.5%. And what I love about this is it's not only tax help, but also I am a of buy for the people candidate. And so the people will decide. So if they want the taxes, they're gonna get them, and if they don't, they won't. I also want to just interject here because I have a lot of people coming to me saying, Oh, but we're gonna lose services if we cut taxes. And I'm not big as using fear as a motivator. You know, that that's not what this is about. This is about fiscal responsibility, responsible government, making the numbers match, making the math math, so to speak. And to that point, one of the things that I want to do is see about introducing something on zero-based budgeting. Zero-based budgeting, which I'm sure most people already know, but basically where I'm coming from is that you start from scratch with your budget. I feel too many times government phones it in, so to speak. They take their old numbers, they take their old budgets, and they kind of go like, okay, well, we raised this 12% last year, let's raise it 12.5% this year without doing the numbers. Additionally, you know, there might be programs that could be eliminated. Either they're not successful or they're not used by a lot of people. Some different ways like that, that things might be able to be cut. And that will respond to, you know, what is the measurement in all of this? So I'm really big on some kind of form of zero-based balancing to help with the budget. And again, we're not going to lose services if we do this the right

Priorities: Affordability, Public Education, & School Choice

Mary Insprucker 7:35

way.

Amanda Benbow Lunn 7:35

If elected, what would you prioritize and what specifically would you hope to accomplish during your term?

Mary Insprucker 7:41

So affordability, that's number one. Also, I'd like to see budget management. So I kind of touched on these things and introduced the zero-based budgeting and also educational needs. So we've got a lot going on with education here. You know, education is part of the American dream because if you get a good education, you get the job, you get the house, you start the family. But to get a good education, we need to have qualified teachers. And in order to have qualified teachers, we need to pay them well. And we also need to offer opportunity scholarships because not every child can survive and thrive in the same academic environment. I was talking to one parent who was telling me their nine-year-old daughter, nine years old, was cutting herself because of the toxic academic environment they were in. And, you know, this is the United States of America. This just cannot happen. And so I want to offer those opportunities. And, you know, a lot of people think, oh, that's just for the rich people, but it's not. In fact, the people that use it the most are low-income folks. And so again, it's just an alternative. You have to offer alternatives. You have to offer choice because there's just so much going on in education. And I don't feel like I know what's best for your child. I feel every parent knows what's best for their child. And I don't think an elected official should force you to go to an underperforming school. It is up to the parents, and it is what's best for the child. And a little bit back to, you know, the teacher end of it, you know, we saw 9,000 teachers leave in 24-25. And of course, some of that was due to pay. So again, back to we need to pay our teachers well. And we're making movement there, but I think there's more that could be done. But that was not the only reason teachers were leaving. Assaults on personnel were up 45% from last year in schools. So teachers often find themselves in a situation of teach or threat. Now, I used to be a substitute teacher, and I was also a religious education teacher. So I know how it feels to be in that classroom and actually had a fight breakout in my classroom one time. So teachers have to deal with so much now, besides just, you know, the future is our children, right? The future is in their hands. So we need to take care of them for sure. But what can we do for safety? We can offer more resource officers, shields, protocols, panic buttons, better codes, cameras, all kinds of tools to keep not only the teachers but the students safe. And again, we're talking about a lot of schools not meeting grade level proficiency. So that needs to be addressed. It's not political leaders leaving public schools, it's the parents because of that type of thing. Carolina Journal poll showed that 53% of those surveyed would like to leave their school for quality. 46% said they would do it if they had the money, and two-thirds support school choice. And again, back to the opportunity scholarship, this is a tiered program. So not everybody gets the same amount. So the less you make, the more you get. And the more you make, it's kind of minimal what you get and funding from that. So a lot to do with education.

Amanda Benbow Lunn 10:55

Do you feel that there should be a cap on those opportunity scholarships, like an income cap for that?

Mary Insprucker 11:01

There is an income cap. Well, there's not a cap. Anybody can get it, but it is based on income. So it's kind of that type of thing.

Amanda Benbow Lunn 11:08

All right.

Infrastructure & Keeping Up with Growth

Amanda Benbow Lunn 11:09

What should the state do to ensure that schools, roads, utilities, and other infrastructure keeps pace with growth?

Mary Insprucker 11:15

So growth is a toughie, and especially in my areas. Cary's already been there, done that, but they still have some issues. But when I'm talking about Apex, Holly Springs, and Fuquay, I'm telling you they're the next Cary. They're all struggling with growth for, oh my golly, everything from water to roads. It's kind of funny because when I'll ask people, what's your major concern after affordability comes traffic? They are tired in my areas of sitting in the traffic. So we have to work with the NC DOT. We have to make sure appropriations looks at what kind of funding we can bring for infrastructure issues to all those areas.

Amanda Benbow Lunn 11:55

Do you feel like it's currently keeping pace or that the DOT is being appropriated enough funding at this moment?

Mary Insprucker 12:03

You know, I think there's always more that can be done. And I think there's always ways to find different types of funding. Like I said, for example, the tax situation. I think also we can look at waste and fraud. I'm really big on no fat, no fraud, no failure. So we can get monies coming in in different ways if we address something totally different than traffic. That funding can aid in the infrastructure issues. I tell you another example, the lottery. When we first started the educational lottery and its education lottery, okay, we were only getting 35% of the revenues brought in by the lottery. So right away, I'm like, what is that about? It's the education lottery and we're only getting 35%. That didn't seem right. But then at the same time, now we only get 16%, Amanda. So I want to work with the auditor on that to say, what's up? What can we do to get those numbers back up? Because how can we call it education if only we're getting 16%? And I understand there's cost involved, there's advertising, there's administration, but we have to zone in a little bit better on that. I never went and bought a lottery ticket because I saw a cool ad. I went to make money, honey.

Housing Affordability & Homelessness

Amanda Benbow Lunn 13:19

How should the state balance the interests of residents who want additional andor affordable housing and development with those concerned about the pace and character of growth?

Mary Insprucker 13:28

So I think there's a lot we can do with housing overall, affordable or not affordable. We have to do something to address the housing problem. And what can we do about that? Well, there's a lot of steps we can take. First of all, I'm very big on streamlining, permitting, and reducing impact fees, which can cut $30,000 to $50,000 off the price of a home. And then we have to look at middle market type opportunities. For example, more accessory drowning units, more mother-in-law units, things like that that were like forbidden for a long time. So we have to address zoning. We have to look at private public relationships, partnerships, philanthropic partnerships. When I was a consultant to the town of Cary, I actually created a framework for an affordable housing program wherein we would look to private partnerships, philanthropic partnerships, nonprofit partnerships to create affordable housing rather than again putting it at the feet of the taxpayers and increasing taxes. It was not picked up. I also thought about things like, again, when we talk about affordability, it's such a big, big piece of the puzzle. So what else? We had the downtown park and the voters voted and Cary. They approved the bond. So okay, voter's choice. I'm big about it. But a lot of folks didn't realize that it would cost $6 million a year to run that park. It wasn't one and done. You're not going to just pass a bond and then that's the end of it. So I suggested having naming rights for the park to cover even 3 million of the 6 million. Again, it was not picked up. So I think government needs to do a lot in looking at alternatives of how we can reach our goals. What else when it comes to affordable housing? Well, you know, I'd like to work more with banking industry for getting back to low interest rates or assumable mortgages or rent-to-own programs. I like HB 762 that ensures lenders operate fairly and transparency. Let's see. I also want to do something about due diligence. So for those who might not be familiar, for due diligence, if you're going to buy a home, you have to put down a certain amount of money that is not refundable. So you put down one to three percent for due diligence. You know, this is great for the seller because it, you know, kind of compensates them for taking the home off the market for a period of time. The issue with it to me is it is again not refundable. So when you're talking about, let's look at 3% on a $600,000 home, which is kind of average in my area, you're talking about $18,000 that somebody will lose if they go away and not buy that home. So I think there should be a period of time attached to that. So people have time to do their inspections and have their lawyers look over contracts because right now, how it is, is just you put it down, and if your lawyer says this contract isn't good, you lose your $18,000. Or if you find out, you know, there's a hole in the living room when your inspector comes, you're out your $18,000. So there should be something to do with that that would help homeowners because, you know, not everybody has $18,000 to put down on a home and then lose it, especially if you're looking at three homes. Even if you do by the 1%, again, $600,000 home, you're looking at $6,000. I know a lot of people who have lost a lot of money going from home to home because something didn't work out with the inspection and they lost that money. So there's just tons of things that can be done for housing in general and affordable housing.

Data Centers: Thoughts & State Role

Amanda Benbow Lunn 17:05

Okay. What role do you believe the state should play in balancing the potential economic and technological opportunities of data centers with their potential costs and community impacts? And where should the authority of the state end and local control begin?

Mary Insprucker 17:19

Well, it will be in the end up to the local governments, the municipalities themselves. Data centers are a huge, hot topic. And there needs to be way more research, in my opinion. So I do support the moratoriums that are going on for people to take time to, for, you know, not only citizens to learn more, but also the government entities that are going to be passing the laws on them, the zoning, etc. I am very big on data centers paying their own way. I want nothing to cross the paychecks of my constituents. Nothing. Nothing for energy, nothing for construction. I want to take a hard look at the tax credit data centers are getting. You know, these people make billions, billions of dollars, and they're dying to come to this area. So why are we paying them to come here? They get tax credits for all kinds of things, like even their building equipment, they can get a tax credit on. So I want to look into that. This is in its infancy. So there is a lot of research to be done. There's a lot of, and this is what I'm really big about, you know, taking time to really investigate things. My North Star is the citizens. They will guide me. And if they don't want them, then I have to look at that first and foremost. You know, there's so many concerns with data centers, whether it be conservation, the water, again, passing on the cost to citizens. There's so much that needs to be researched and looked into before we can make good decisions on that.

Amanda Benbow Lunn 18:50

Okay.

Security & Oversight Versus Privacy & Due Process Rights

Amanda Benbow Lunn 18:51

North Carolina agencies and law enforcement increasingly have access to personal information through technology and governmental databases, including automated license plate readers like flock cameras, healthcare and benefits records, and voter registration information. Where do you believe the line should exist between legitimate government oversight, fraud prevention, and public safety and an individual's rights to privacy and due process?

Mary Insprucker 19:15

So the cameras are a big issue to my constituents. The majority right now don't like them because of the privacy issue. But they do play a role in crime prevention. So I would like there to be some technology out there that would address that where maybe just it could be used for that situation and go just to the degree that you're addressing crime, not people's private records. But I'm big on public safety. I'm very strong on it. I think we need when we close our eyes at night, we want to know we're safe. And to do that, we need a robust police force and we need to give them the resources they need. I like the Public Safety Act, Senate Bill 429, which increases penalties and permits consecutive sentences for multiple convictions. I like cracking down on crime. Child protection, that act elevates penalties for soliciting a minor via computer or electronic device. And then, of course, the big bill, the 307, where we put in issues for retrial release restrictions. And what I really like about that bill is it includes mental health evaluations and mental health initiatives. The law includes 9.5 million toward a pilot program to address mental health issues in the criminal justice system because that needs to be addressed. I like tough penalties on fentanyl. So the more we can do to keep people safe, I'm for it.

Approach to the Responsibilities and Decision-Making Authority of this Office

Amanda Benbow Lunn 20:38

All right. How would you approach the responsibilities and decision-making authority of this particular office?

Mary Insprucker 20:44

So I kind of go back to a little bit what I've said before. First of all and foremost, the citizens are my North Star. Whatever I do, whatever action I take, it's going to be based on that. Now, I'm not naive. You can't please all the people all the time. But you know, this is a democracy and the majority rules. So I have to take that in consideration first. Then we have to define goals. We have to do the research, kind of what I've mentioned before, get all the information. And again, kind of what I touched on before, and look at alternatives. Is this the best? So if we're looking at one particular bill, is there alternatives? Is there workarounds? Is this the best or should we create something new instead of just commit ourselves to this one particular thing? I am very into working as a team across the aisle. That's one thing about me. I'll be good about working across the aisle. Because, you know, what's that old saying? Two heads are better than one, right? I like to work with experts. And then we have to look at long term impacts. What is the long term impact of every single decision we make?

Amanda Benbow Lunn 21:47

Okay.

Balancing Taxes, Obligations, Investments, & Fiscal Responsibility

Amanda Benbow Lunn 21:48

North Carolina has to balance keeping taxes and the cost of government reasonable with paying its obligations and investing in infrastructure, roads, public safety, schools, and other services residents rely on. How do You balance that and what does fiscal responsibility mean to you?

Mary Insprucker 22:03

Without fiscal responsibility, government will run amok. We have to have it and everything. And I can, you know, again, one of my areas is Cary. So I'll just talk a little bit about that. And I'm not going to talk too much about it because everybody's heard about the spending there. But it's a good example. And it's a good example for other municipalities to be aware of. So when the auditor did his audit on the spending at Cary, it was insane. It was $3,000 on penthouse hotel stays, $700 steak dinners. What else? I think it's like $1,200 or $1,800 Ray-Ban sunglasses, thousands of dollars to create a dancing queen video for their retreat. I mean, it was just off the charts. And there's two kinds of things about that. So when I heard that auditor's report, I did not think about responsible government. I thought of that old show, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, with the bad part being, the worst part being there were no Cary citizens in that cast. And that's another reason why I'm for tax levy limits, because with those, that would have never happened. And again, you're not getting rid of services, you're getting rid of overspending and adding to the cause of responsible government. And that's why I go back to the zero-based budget option, putting in the new fresh numbers, not going by old numbers, getting rid of programs that don't work, keeping programs that do. It's a measurement tool. It's like responsibility to the height of what we need it to be.

Accountability: What & How

Amanda Benbow Lunn 23:31

Okay. What should voters hold you accountable for if you're elected and how?

Mary Insprucker 23:35

They should hold me accountable for absolutely every single thing that I do. I am about affordability and accountability. And that's why I went out and walked door to door in Cary just a little while ago with the auditor Dave Bollock. He's a hero in Cary because of what he uncovered about the mismanagement there. So he supported me and wanted to walk with me and support to let those people that we were going door to door know this is your accountability candidate. And what happened in Cary will not happen under her watch.

Last Thoughts & Where to Learn More

Amanda Benbow Lunn 24:07

Okay. As we wrap up, is there anything we haven't discussed that you would like voters to know or anything from our conversation that you would like to expand upon or clarify?

Mary Insprucker 24:15

Well, first of all, Amanda, you have done an excellent job. You are a very good interviewer, and I appreciate the time and the questions. They're very well thought out. So I think you did a very good job covering so many topics. And I guess what I would finalize with, because we did cover so many things in depth, is to let the people know I am not running to be somebody. And I do not have time for it. I have to roll my sleeves up and get to work to fix the problems. I am principled, pragmatic, and a centrist. And my pledge to the people out there is that I will unite, not divide. I will be held accountable. I will be approachable. I will work across the aisle. We can get a lot done. A lot of our issues match. We've got to get it done. And I will vote your priorities. Your priorities. I thank you so much for sharing part of your day with me. And I invite you to go to my site, MaryforCarolina.com, Maryfor Carolina.com, to learn more. And you may also reach out to me. I have my information there. So if you have a question or you'd like to learn more, please reach out to me. Again, I'm very approachable. Thank you.

Amanda Benbow Lunn 25:37

Awesome. Well, thank you so much, Mary, for joining me today and taking part in allowing listeners to learn a bit more about you and your platform. I wish you the best of luck with your campaign.

Mary Insprucker 25:47

Thank you so much.

Closing Reflections & Voting Info

Amanda Benbow Lunn 25:49

Democracy is built on participation. Politics can sometimes feel distant or abstract, but the decisions made by our elected officials at the county, state, and federal levels have a profound effect on the communities we call home and the way we live our lives. From the roads we drive on and the schools our children attend to public safety, parks and recreation, housing, health care, taxes, the economy, and the many other services and amenities that make up our communities, government plays a role in shaping both our everyday experience and our future. That makes taking the time to understand the choices on your ballot and the people asking for your vote an important part of being an engaged member of your community. Early voting for the 2026 midterm election begins October 15th and runs through October 31st. In Southern Wake County, there will be early voting locations at the Hunt Center in Holly Springs, the Hilltop Needmore Town Park Clubhouse in Fuquay Varina, Beech Bluff County Park, and Southern Wake Tech Campus close by. Election Day is November 3rd. A general reminder that you will need a valid photo ID to vote. The regular voter registration deadline is October 9th, although you may still register when you vote during the early voting period. Please note that you cannot register to vote on Election Day itself, and that that day you will absolutely have to vote at your designated precinct location to have access to your full ballot. And because there are so many races and ballot measures this year, your ballot will likely be double-sided. It can be helpful to start on the back so that you don't accidentally overlook anything. You'll vote for the races that apply to your jurisdiction along with statewide amendments and for Southern Wake County voters, local Wake County bond referenda. Voting is one of the ways we take part in the communities we share. You don't have to agree with your neighbors or even with the candidates you've heard here to recognize that our communities are shaped by the people who show up, ask questions, learn about the choices before them, and cast their ballots. So please take the time to get informed, make your voice heard, and encourage the people around you to do the same. Your vote matters. Your voice matters. And you absolutely matter, my friend. And with that, this episode of the NC Deep Dive has come to an end. Please feel free to check out this episode's show notes at ncdeepdive.com for further information and relevant links for this candidate along with general election information. As always, if you have any topics or thoughts you'd like to share, you can find us on social media or email us at ncdeepdive at gmail.com. If you found value in this episode, I'd love for you to subscribe, rate, and share it so that others may more easily be informed. Please make sure to stay tuned for all the relevant candidate, amendment, and referenda episodes for the 2026 midterm election by visiting ncdeepdive.com, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audible, or wherever you currently listen to your podcast. Until next time, my friends, Namaste: The Love and Light in Me sees and honors the love and light in you.