After spending 19 years of her professional life as a North Carolina educator, retired teacher Judy Krahenbuhl is seeking the Democratic nomination for the District 1 N.C. Senate seat with a victory in May’s primary.

Krahenbuhl grew up in Swansboro and is a 1980 graduate of UNC-Wilmington. She taught U.S. History, civics and economics in Wilmington, and later earned her masters of arts degree and became a school administrator.

During the early portion of the twenty-first century, she felt North Carolina education was improving.

“Former Governor Jim Hunt had a lot to do with North Carolina schools improving because he brought teachers salaries up to national standards. The last three years though we have just fallen backwards and we are in bad shape.”

Krahenbuhl wants the N.C. House to know there is a need for an understanding of public education.  According to her, over 50 percent of the North Carolina budget is spent on education.

Outside of her work in the classroom, Krahenbuhl has worked in the community with small businesses.

“It is very difficult for small business to compete with these large chains,” Krahenbuhl said. “It allows them to come in and compete, which wipes out the mom and pop stores.”

Upon her retirement from education, Krahenbuhl worked with the Dare County League of Women Voters as vice president and became the chair of the Dare County Democratic Party.

She resigned as chair of the Dare County Democratic Party to run in the May primary.

Krahenbuhl is running against former senator, Stan White, who lost his reelection bid in 2012 to Republican Bill Cook.

A resident of Dare County for the last five years, and of North Carolina for 50, Krahenbuhl said one of the reasons she is running because there are only eight women in the senate — not a true representation of a true democracy.

Her campaign emphasis is focusing on a strong public education system, voters and women’s rights, along with the need to create a business climate that provides new opportunity for growth through technology and education.

Krahenbuhl feels it is against women’s right to have government involved in a woman’s body.

“One of the things I taught my students they are a part of the election process and what democracy means. I wanted to tell them about the responsibility of voting,” Krahenbuhl said. “They (government) are making it harder for people to vote, and we should tell people to participate and not keep them from it – especially women, minorities and the elderly.”

The Manteo resident feels the government needs to start becoming known for supporting equal opportunity and the representation of all residents.

“In North Carolina when they cut that top five-percent of the income tax on the high wage earners, the state loses a half billion a year in recourses. So the state makes it up by cutting the education budget.”