The North Carolina House of Representatives is made up of 120 members of the General Assembly who are elected for two-year terms. The House has lawmaking powers, along with the N.C. Senate. Additionally, House members have the authority to tax and spend, allocate funds, override a gubernatorial veto, provide state agency oversight and elect UNC Board of Governors members. They also conduct constituent services and have the sole power of impeachment.
Candidates must be 21 years old to run for the House and they must have lived in their district for at least one year before the general election.
The N.C. House of Representatives has 47 Democrats, 71 Republicans and 2 unaffiliated members. To override a veto of any bill by the governor, three-fifths of both chambers (72 House members and 30 senators) must vote to override it.
District 99 is in the area around UNC Charlotte. More than 64% of its residents are Black or Hispanic. The median age of residents in this district is younger than the state median (29 versus 39 years of age) and median household income in this district is lower than the state median ($63,000 versus $72,000). Nearly 20% of residents live at or below the poverty line.
Democrat Veleria Levy is unopposed in the general election but ousted incumbent Democrat Nasif Majeed in the primary. Majeed had sided with Republicans in key votes, including two votes to overturn Democratic Gov. Josh Stein’s vetoes.
This district has one of the highest concentrations of Democrats in the state: 51% of registered voters are Democrats, 41% are unaffiliated and 8% are Republicans.
Veleria Levy
Party: Democrat
Incumbent: No
Age: Approximately 58
Previous experience in elected office: None; defeated four-term incumbent Nasif Majeed in the March primary
Occupation: "Public health strategist"; former pharmaceutical account representative
Description: Levy’s top issues focus on increasing funding for public education, including expanded childcare access and higher teacher pay; addressing affordable housing and manageable energy costs; and ensuring comprehensive healthcare for women, including Medicaid and preventative care. She was an organizer in North Carolina for Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign and was the 2nd vice chair of the N.C. Democratic Party.
Other personal: Levy has lived in Charlotte for two decades. She has spent many years as a healthcare and HIV advocacy leader, serving as interim executive director and former board chair of the North Carolina AIDS Action Network. She is the mother of a son with epilepsy. She holds a bachelor’s from North Carolina A&T State University and a master's degree from Wake Forest University School of Law.
