News > May 1, 2008

By Kevin Koehler | Contributing editor

The heated and much-discussed primary contest for the Democratic presidential nomination between Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama won’t be the only national office on the ballot in North Carolina’s May 6 primary.

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Kay Hagan, second from left, poses with family on graduation day at Wake Forest in 1978. She is currently running for a North Carolina seat in the United States Senate. (Photo courtesy of kayhagan.com)

The state Democrats will also be selecting a candidate to take on Elizabeth Dole in November for her seat in the United States Senate.

Kay Hagan, an alumna of the School of Law, JD ‘78, is running for that chance. She has served in the North Carolina Senate since 1998. Her main challenger is Jim Neal, a Chapel Hill investment banker.

If Hagan wins the nomination and defeats Sen. Dole, both of North Carolina’s senators will be Demon Deacons. Sen. Richard Burr, ‘78, won John Edwards’ former seat in the 2004.

Hagan is a native of Shelby, but she spent most of her childhood in Florida and graduated from Florida State University. She now lives in Greensboro and has three grown children with her husband Chip, whom she met at Wake Forest.

For a decade she worked at Nations Bank, which has now become Bank of America, and was a stay-at-home mother before entering politics.

Hagan talked with the Old Gold & Black by phone April 29. The following are excerpts from that interview.

Why are you running for the Senate?

I’m running because I think we need better leadership in Washington. Washington, D.C, is broken. And I am a proven leader. Working families of North Carolina need someone in the Senate that really looks out for them.

At a time when there’s hundred of thousands without medical insurance ... so many not able to afford college ... We need to elect someone who’s got a clear record of advocating on behalf of our interests.

You haven’t been a politician all your life...

No, definitely not ... I’m actually a public servant, is what I am.

Why did you decide to get into public service?

When I was growing up, my father was mayor of Lakeland , Fla. I was born in Shelby, but then we moved to Florida ... My uncle, [Lawton Chiles] was a United States Senator for 18 years and then the governor of Florida. So I grew up in a family that was dedicated to community and public service ... I feel like I’m a very blessed individual and I want to give back.

You are a Wake Forest law alumni...

And I’m proud of it!

What did your time here mean to you?

You know, the first year of law school is pretty hard, very hard ... But, first of all, I love it, because in the first two or three weeks of classes when I met a a man named Chip Hagan. I immediately knew that I was going to marry him. And as my brother and I said, it took him a little bit longer to figure that out. So I met my husband there; I also have great friends that I’m still close to and great memories.

So do you still pull for the Demon Deacons?

Oh yes. Boy, do they have a good football team ... I definitely like my alma mater.

Hagan went on to discuss the big issues in this year’s election. Asked what her top priorities would be as a senator, she responded without hesitation.

“Obviously, the war,” Hagan said. “The second is making sure our economy grows stronger and getting back on a more pay-as-you go track.” On the subject of national security, Hagan supports a “responsible withdrawal” from Iraq, refocusing on Al-Qaueda, and improving the United States’ international reputation. “We need to be cautious and ... we will not have what could be called a precipitous withdrawal,” she said, adding that she has confidence in the military generals to develop and carry out good exit strategy.

“I fundamentally disagree with Sen. McCain on this,” she said, that an open-ended military commitment in Iraq is the best plan. Hagan continued, “I think we need a new G.I. bill to care so that our military men and women when they get home, they can go to community or on to four-year college to complete an education.” She said that as her husband served in Vietnam and went to law school on the G.I. bill, she knows personally how important that can be. Hagan also favors increased funding for veterans’ health care, especially in the area of mental health. Asked about the economy and the tough job market many students now face, Hagan said, “I think this economy is definitely hurting ... we’ve got to get our state and federal government more responsive.”

She noted that the massive amounts of spending in Iraq – $11 billion a month – dwarf state budgets – like North Carolina’s $22 billion – that provide education, health care and infrastructure for their citizens. Withdrawing from Iraq, she said, could mean more investment at home. She said she has worked hard to get the state government to do what it could to assist working North Carolina families in need, “but for a lot of people, it’s just not enough.”

She also favors better student loan programs, such as increasing Pell grants.

Hagan strongly emphasized her energy plan, investing in renewable sources of energy. Her proposals, she said, would not only help the environment but make a vital difference to national security and create jobs and decrease the burden of rising oil prices. “I’m a strong believer in energy independence,” she said.

In February, Hagan told a meeting of Rowan County Democrats, “I want to go to Washington. I want to hand Mrs. Liddy Dole a pair of ruby-red slippers, let her click her heels together and go back to Kansas.”

In the latest available poll numbers from Public Policy Polling, released April 21, Hagan leads Jim Neal with 35 percent to his eight percent.

Forty-seven percent of those surveyed are undecided.