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Address: 305 Meadowbrook Terrace, Greensboro, NC

Age: 55 (May 26, 1953)

Occupation: State senator

Web site and e-mail: www.kayhagan.com, kay@kayhagan.com

Elective experience: State senator, 1999-present

Other relevant experience: Nations Bank, 1978-88; community volunteer, 1978-present; mother

Family: Spouse, Chip Hagan; three children, Jeanette, Tilden and Carrie

Key qualifications you would bring to the job

I have been working to help North Carolinians for more than 20 years. I am in my 10th year as a state senator, and I have served as Budget and Appropriations Committee Co-Chair since 2003. I have learned how to make tough decisions, cut wasteful spending and balance the state budget every year while still prioritizing investments in schools, job training and middle class tax cuts. I have worked on and passed bipartisan, common sense legislation that has benefited North Carolina. My husband and I raised our three children in Greensboro, and prior to my service as a state senator, I was very active in local community groups and activities. I was involved in health issues, political campaigns, fundraising drives, and my husband and I chaired the opening of the Greensboro Coliseum.

Most important accomplishments to date

As a co-chair of the Budget and Appropriations Committee, I have been able to balance the budget while increasing teacher pay and reducing average class sizes. I also pushed for increased investment in the state university system to keep pace with increasing demand for the educated workforce that our knowledge-based economy demands. I have been a strong supporter of funds for veterans and the military, and when the federal government was holding up payments to reimburse North Carolina National Guardsmen for travel and living expenses, I was the one to cut through the red tape and get the money to the troops. I introduced and passed legislation that would require high school students to learn financial literacy so they can pay for college, own a home and save for retirement. I made sure the budget included funding to cover health insurance for children who should have been covered by the federal government's SCHIP program, and other children whose parents were struggling to provide adequate coverage. I introduced and passed legislation to make sure untested rape kits were not just sitting on shelves, but being evaluated so law enforcement agencies can identify rapists months or even years after the crime was committed.

What are three issues where your efforts and influence can make the greatest difference for the people of North Carolina?

In the state Senate, I was part of the effort to require power companies to use renewable resources. It is obscene that our government is giving big oil companies billions of OUR tax dollars at time they are making record profits and North Carolina families are paying over $3 a gallon. We need a new energy plan that makes energy more affordable and creates good paying jobs here in North Carolina. When I am in the U.S. Senate, I will be focused on developing a new energy policy that gets gas prices under control, reduces the effects of global climate change, and increases investments in alternative energy such as wind, hydro, solar and biofuels, so we can move towards energy independence and create new jobs here at home. I will take the lessons I have learned as co-chair of the Budget Committee to help restore fiscal responsibility and accountability to the federal budgeting process, resulting in more transparency for U.S. taxpayers. We need to reduce foreign-held debt by following sensible budget policies like pay-as-you-go rules and cutting wasteful spending. We need a new economic framework that makes college affordable, finally takes care of our veterans and makes health care for working families a priority once again. In the state Senate, I have championed programs such as the Golden Leaf project, which reinvests money from the tobacco buyout which benefits communities that were heavily involved in tobacco farming. I have supported economic incentives that have brought and kept jobs here, tax cuts for middle-class families, and workforce development training at North Carolina's 59 community colleges. I also worked to create new and innovative ways to expand financial aid and to allow earn a college degree, and on the federal level, I will work to increase funding for student lending programs which will allow more students to attend college and go in to the field of their choice. These are the kind of principles we practice in North Carolina, and those are the kinds of principles I will bring to Washington.

What should be the U.S. goal in Iraq? How can it be achieved?

The decision to invade Iraq without a plan, without enough troops, and without proper equipment was mismanagement of the highest order. I support a responsible withdrawal so that we can refocus our national security efforts on defeating al Qaeda, improving our country's reputation around the world and rebuilding our military strength. We need to insist on accountability from the Iraqi people, and we need a diplomatic surge to bring stability to the region and restore America's reputation around the world. We need to re-focus our national security efforts on defeating al Qaeda in Afghanistan. We need to end the war in Iraq so we can send more troops and funding to fight terrorists where they actually exist, and we need to re-invest in priorities at home.

How will you help North Carolinians achieve greater educational and economic opportunities?

EDUCATION:

I want to make sure the government is doing more at all levels of education, from providing a strong foundation by strengthening early education and Head Start, to increasing access to higher education with student loan assistance, keeping tuition costs under control, and providing more federal support for community colleges. No Child Left Behind has been underfunded by $70 billion since enacted, and it is being implemented in rigid ways, so I would allow local schools to accommodate individual students' needs and learning styles without lowering standards or shortchanging accountability. I also have firsthand experience with the negative effects of underfunded federal mandates, so I will fight for increased federal funding. I do not want to force the financial burden on the states or threaten to pull funding from the failing schools that need the most help. I want to encourage more young people to pursue math and science educations so we can make sure the next generation will have researchers and engineers who can keep our country moving forward. I want to expand programs such as North Carolina's Learn and Earn program, which allows students to earn an Associate's Degree as part of their high school curriculum, and provides grants for two years of college education if the student works part-time. I worked in the state Senate to increase teacher pay and reduce class sizes. In the U.S. Senate, I will push for incentives to encourage more people to become teachers. I will also fight to ensure more competitive salaries so good teachers will stay in the field, which will improve education for future generations of children and young adults.

ECONOMY:

With gas prices creeping toward $4/gallon before summer even begins, middle class families think we are in a recession, regardless of what the pundits say. We need to end the Iraq war, instead of spending $11 billion each month mediating a civil war. We need a new economic policy that makes health care affordable, and we need a new energy plan that will bring gas prices under control and create new jobs. We need to expand tax credits for college tuition and day care, and make the tax code work for working-class families. Millions of Americans are losing their homes or are at risk of losing their homes; we can't reward people who were intentionally irresponsible, but we should explore options such as freezing interest rates and putting a moratorium on home foreclosures so hard-working Americans can stay in their homes. Home foreclosures do not simply affect that one homeowner or family - foreclosed-upon houses often affect the price of surrounding homes and the community in general. In the state Senate, I supported economic programs that created and kept good jobs in North Carolina. I also pushed for legislation to help our farmers. I will continue that work in the U.S. Senate by promoting legislation that provides economic justification for companies to keep jobs here instead of sending them overseas, and by bringing more jobs and infrastructure to rural areas. I strongly believe we need to balance the budget and impose fiscal constraints such as pay-as-you-go rules. I will also fight against wasteful federal contracts and finding ways to reduce our national debt so we do not continue borrowing billions from China and putting our economic and national security at risk. The federal government needs to provide a helping hand for those who are struggling to make it on their own, not create an additional burden for them. I will prioritize tax cuts for middle class families and get rid of Bush's tax cuts for the extremely wealthy. I will close loopholes that allow big, multinational corporations to avoid paying their fair share. Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy, so we need to make sure small businesses and entrepreneurs are in an environment where they can grow and thrive.

How much time should a senator spend addressing national and international issues vs. staying in touch with people at home?

Serving the citizens of North Carolina requires a balanced approach. Constituent service has been a hallmark of my time in Raleigh, and we cannot lose sight of the fact that you are serving no one if not the people you were elected to represent, so it will continue to be a hallmark of my U.S. Senate office. I live in North Carolina, as does my family. I will "commute" to Washington while the Senate is in session, and return home on weekends and when the Senate is in recess. I have deep roots here, and I will return home often to see my family and travel across to the state to hear from my constituents, just as I have been doing in this campaign. I look forward to addressing national issues such as creating a new energy policy and a new economic framework to make college affordable, healthcare available, and our veterans a priority once again. I also plan to address international issues such as ending the war in Iraq, reducing global climate change, and restoring our moral authority, which is at an all time low. In the U.S. Senate, I will do what is in our nation's best interests, but North Carolinians will always be my priority.

April 17, 2008