AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
The election for North Carolina Senate District 16 features candidates Gale Adcock, Philip Hensley and Jonathan Miller. The News & Observer asked all candidates in this race to complete a questionnaire to inform voters about their opinions on big issues facing voters. Hensley and Miller did not reply.
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Political party: Democrat
Age as of Nov. 3, 2026: 72
Campaign website: GaleAdcock.com
Current occupation: Family nurse practitioner
Professional experience: SAS chief health officer
Education: Bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing; national board certification as a family nurse practitioner
Please list any notable government or civic involvement.: Cary Town Council, 2007-2014; North Carolina House, 2015-2022; North Carolina Senate, 2023-present. Appointment by four different governors to statewide commissions including the State Health Coordinating Council and North Carolina Health Care Affordability Commission.
What do you see as the most important issue that you would have control over if you win, and what is your position on it?: Access to healthcare services and healthcare providers is a nonpartisan issue I will continue to champion.
Name one area where you disagree with your own party, and why.: I think there is a place for private school vouchers in situations where a local public school does not meet the learning needs of a student and family income makes tuition cost-prohibitive.
If a constitutional amendment passes, the 2027 General Assembly will decide how to limit local property tax increases. What is your position?: The legislature should not steal more local government authority. Property taxes are the only stable source of income for local governments, which need flexibility to make necessary financial investments in their communities.
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Should the General Assembly help fund a Major League Baseball stadium in NC, and if so, where?: When the legislature fully funds these priorities — preschool, K-12, the UNC system and community college system; healthcare, including mental health and substance abuse, and the lengthy Innovations Waiver waiting list; state employee salaries and retired state employees’ cost-of-living adjustments; and critical infrastructure — then it should consider putting public dollars into an MLB stadium.
How should the state regulate hemp and marijuana?: Prohibit the marketing and sale of intoxicating hemp to minors.
Should there be a state law about data centers, and what should it be?: The state has no role in where, when and how these facilities are built. These are local government land-use decisions.
Do you think the economy is getting better or worse in your district, and how?: Overall, my central Cary and west Raleigh district remains economically vibrant with lower than state/national average unemployment, higher than average state education level, household income and median home price.
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Did you use AI to answer any of these questions?: No.