North Carolina State Senator, District 40

Joyce Waddell has represented District 40 in Mecklenburg County in the North Carolina Senate since 2015¹². A former teacher and administrator in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools for 21 years, she also served on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education and holds a doctorate from UNC Greensboro²⁴. She is the Democratic nominee for re-election⁵.

Where they stand 17 issues · tap any issue for the evidence

• AbortionLegal in all cases, left to the woman and her doctormedium

  Said · medium confidence

  • Answered that there should be no restrictions on abortion and said the decision should be between the woman and her doctor. (2022-10-10) source
  • Asked in 2024 whether she supports the state's current abortion restrictions, said reproductive health is a personal and complex issue and that her approach is to seek a balance between public health, individual rights and community well-being, without taking a position on the 12-week law. (2024-10) source
  • Voted against overriding the governor's veto of Senate Bill 20, which limited most abortions to the first 12 weeks of pregnancy (passed 30 to 20). (2023-05-16) source
• MarijuanaDecriminalize small amounts (fines, not jail)medium

  Official action · medium confidence

  • Cosponsored Senate Bill 1072, a proposed constitutional amendment under which possession of limited amounts of cannabis for personal use would not be a crime and medical use would be allowed. (2026-05-05) source
  • Answered yes when asked whether medical marijuana should be legalized in North Carolina. (2022-10-10) source
• RedistrictingIndependent commissions draw maps, with a national ban on partisan gerrymanderingmedium

  Official action · medium confidence

  • Cosponsored Senate Bill 804, the Fair Maps Act, which would create an independent citizens redistricting commission. (2026-04-22) source
  • On third reading, voted against Senate Bill 249, which redrew the state's congressional districts in the middle of the decade (passed 26 to 20). (2025-10-21) source
• Safety net programsKeep them, but add work requirements for able-bodied adultsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • On second reading, voted for Senate Bill 403, which directed the state to put work requirements on Medicaid coverage as soon as federal regulators allow them (passed 34 to 12). (2025-04-30) source
• Minimum wageRaise it higher and tie it to the cost of livingmedium

  Official action · medium confidence

  • Was a primary sponsor of Senate Bill 525, the Living Wage Guarantee Act, which would raise the state minimum wage to $15 an hour with automatic cost-of-living increases. (2025-03-26) source
• Paid leaveCreate a national paid family and medical leave program plus paid sick daysmedium

  Official action · medium confidence

  • Cosponsored Senate Bill 480, the NC Paid Family Leave Insurance Act, which would create a state paid family and medical leave insurance program. (2025) source
  • Cosponsored Senate Bills 622 and 635, which would require employers to provide earned paid sick days. (2025) source
• HealthcareKeep the Affordable Care Act and fix what is brokenmedium

  Official action · medium confidence

  • Cosponsored Senate Bill 402, which would have expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act to close the state's coverage gap. (2021) source
  • Answered yes when asked whether she would vote for Medicaid expansion in North Carolina. (2022-10-10) source
• GunsNo single answer fitslow

  Voted · low confidence

  • Voted against overriding the governor's veto of Senate Bill 41, which repealed the state's pistol purchase permit requirement (passed 30 to 19). (2023-03-28) source
  • Voted against overriding the governor's veto of Senate Bill 50, which allows adults to carry a concealed handgun without a permit (passed 30 to 19). (2025-07-29) source
• Gender care for minorsNo single answer fitslow

  Voted · low confidence

  • Voted against overriding the governor's veto of House Bill 808, which bars gender transition treatments such as puberty blockers and hormones for minors, with limited exceptions (passed 27 to 18). (2023-08-16) source
• Transgender athletesNo single answer fitslow

  Voted · low confidence

  • Voted against overriding the governor's veto of House Bill 574, the Fairness in Women's Sports Act, which limits girls' and women's school and college teams to students who are female at birth (passed 27 to 18). (2023-08-16) source
• Curriculum and booksNo single answer fitslow

  Voted · low confidence

  • Voted against overriding the governor's veto of Senate Bill 49, the Parents' Bill of Rights, which sets parents' rights to review curriculum and school materials (passed 27 to 18). (2023-08-16) source
• Election rulesNo single answer fitslow

  Voted · low confidence

  • Voted against overriding the governor's veto of Senate Bill 747, which ended the three-day grace period for mail ballots arriving after Election Day and changed same-day registration rules (passed 30 to 19). (2023-10-10) source
• ImmigrationNo single answer fitslow

  Voted · low confidence

  • Voted against overriding the governor's veto of House Bill 10, which requires sheriffs to cooperate with federal immigration detainers and added money for private school scholarships (passed 30 to 19). (2024-11-20) source
  • Voted against overriding the governor's veto of House Bill 318, the Criminal Illegal Alien Enforcement Act, which expanded requirements for jails to cooperate with federal immigration detainers (passed 30 to 19). (2025-07-29) source
  • Voted against overriding the governor's veto of Senate Bill 153, the North Carolina Border Protection Act, which expanded state cooperation with federal immigration enforcement (passed 30 to 19). (2025-07-29) source
• DEI programsNo single answer fitslow

  Voted · low confidence

  • Voted against overriding the governor's veto of Senate Bill 227, which bans diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs in public K-12 schools (passed 30 to 19). (2025-07-29) source
  • Voted against overriding the governor's veto of Senate Bill 558, which bans diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs in public colleges and universities (passed 30 to 19). (2025-07-29) source
• School choiceNo single answer fitslow

  Voted · low confidence

  • Said the legislature has continued to put money into private school vouchers that is not being used. (2022-10-10) source
  • On second reading, voted against House Bill 823, which added money to clear the waitlist for the state's private school scholarship program (passed 28 to 15). (2024-05-02) source
• Energy and climateNo single answer fitslow

  Voted · low confidence

  • Voted against overriding the governor's veto of Senate Bill 266, which removed the state's 2030 interim goal for cutting carbon emissions from power plants (passed 30 to 18). (2025-07-29) source
  • Voted for final passage of Senate Bill 266, which removed the state's 2030 interim goal for cutting carbon emissions from power plants (passed 29 to 11). (2025-06-19) source
  • On second reading, voted for Senate Bill 261, the Energy Security and Affordability Act, a broad energy bill (passed 31 to 12). (2025-03-13) source
• Term limitsNo single answer fitslow

  Voted · low confidence

  • Voted against House Joint Resolution 151, which asked Congress to call a convention to propose congressional term limits (passed 29 to 20). (2024-12-02) source

No public position found on: Business regulation, Housing and growth, Policing and crime, Judges, Politicians trading stocks, Campaign finance, Electoral College, Ranked-choice voting, Death penalty, Qualified immunity, Mandatory minimums, Drug prices, Childcare and pre-K, Student loans, AI regulation, Kids online, School vaccines, Nuclear power, E-Verify mandate, Religion in schools, China policy.