Yvonne Lewis Holley

Yvonne Lewis Holley

Democratic Party

Prior offices

North Carolina House of Representatives District 38

Successor: Abraham P. Jones

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Elections and appointments

Last election

November 3, 2020

Education

Bachelor's

Howard University, 1974

Personal

Birthplace

Raleigh, N.C.

Religion

Baptist

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Campaign Instagram

Campaign YouTube

Personal Facebook

Personal LinkedIn

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Yvonne Lewis Holley (Democratic Party) was a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives, representing District 38. She assumed office in 2013. She left office on December 31, 2020.

Holley (Democratic Party) ran for election for Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina. She lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.

Holley completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Yvonne Lewis Holley was born in Raleigh, North Carolina. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Howard University in 1974. Holley was a state procurement and contract specialist before retirement.

Committee assignments

2019-2020

Holley was assigned to the following committees:

• Alcoholic Beverage Control Committee
• Election Law and Campaign Finance Reform
• Insurance Committee
• House Finance Committee
• Energy and Public Utilities Committee
• Regulatory Reform Committee, Vice Chair
• Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House Committee
• House Transportation Committee

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2017 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:

2015 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Holley served on the following committees:

2013-2014

In the 2013-2014 legislative session, Holley served on the following committees:

Sponsored legislation

The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.

Elections

2020

Note: Van Duyn announced March 10 she would not request a Democratic primary runoff, making Lewis Holley the Democratic nominee.

See also: North Carolina lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2020

North Carolina lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2020 (March 3 Republican primary)

North Carolina lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2020 (March 3 Democratic primary)

General election

General election for Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina

Mark K. Robinson defeated Yvonne Lewis Holley in the general election for Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mark K. Robinson (R)	51.6	2,800,656
		Yvonne Lewis Holley (D)	48.4	2,623,458

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 5,424,114
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Yvonne Lewis Holley	26.6	309,274
		Terry Van Duyn	20.4	237,885
		Chaz Beasley	18.9	219,503
		Allen Thomas Jr.	18.8	219,229
		Bill Toole	9.6	111,843
	Submit photo	Ronald L. Newton	5.7	65,970

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,163,704
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mark K. Robinson	32.5	240,843
		Andy Wells	14.6	107,824
		Mark Johnson	12.0	89,200
	Submit photo	John Ritter	11.5	85,023
		Renee Ellmers	6.8	50,526
		Greg Gebhardt	6.8	50,474
		Deborah Cochran	6.5	48,234
		Scott Stone	6.5	48,193
	Submit photo	Buddy Bengel	2.8	20,395

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 740,712
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

To view Lewis Holley's endorsements in the 2020 election, please click here.

2018

See also: North Carolina House of Representatives elections, 2018

General election

General election for North Carolina House of Representatives District 38

Incumbent Yvonne Lewis Holley defeated Kenneth Bagnal and Bobby Emory in the general election for North Carolina House of Representatives District 38 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Yvonne Lewis Holley (D)	81.9	23,985
	Submit photo	Kenneth Bagnal (R)	15.5	4,532
	Submit photo	Bobby Emory (L)	2.6	768

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 29,285
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for North Carolina House of Representatives District 38

Incumbent Yvonne Lewis Holley advanced from the Democratic primary for North Carolina House of Representatives District 38 on May 8, 2018.

		Candidate
✔		Yvonne Lewis Holley

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for North Carolina House of Representatives District 38

Kenneth Bagnal advanced from the Republican primary for North Carolina House of Representatives District 38 on May 8, 2018.

		Candidate
✔	Submit photo	Kenneth Bagnal

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2016

See also: North Carolina House of Representatives elections, 2016

Elections for the North Carolina House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election was held on March 15, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was December 21, 2015.

Incumbent Yvonne Lewis Holley defeated Olen Watson III in the North Carolina House of Representatives District 38 general election.

North Carolina House of Representatives, District 38 General Election, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Yvonne Lewis Holley Incumbent	84.80%	28,990
	Libertarian	Olen Watson III	15.20%	5,196
Total Votes				34,186
Source: North Carolina State Board of Elections

Incumbent Yvonne Lewis Holley ran unopposed in the North Carolina House of Representatives District 38 Democratic primary.

North Carolina House of Representatives, District 38 Democratic Primary, 2016
Party		Candidate
	Democratic	Yvonne Lewis Holley Incumbent (unopposed)

2014

See also: North Carolina House of Representatives elections, 2014

Elections for the North Carolina House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election took place on May 6, 2014. The general election took place on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was February 28, 2014. Incumbent Yvonne Lewis Holley was unopposed in the Democratic primary, while Joe Thompson was unopposed in the Republican primary. Holley defeated Thompson in the general election.

North Carolina House of Representatives, District 38 General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Yvonne Lewis Holley Incumbent	79.9%	17,883
	Republican	Joe Thompson	20.1%	4,498
Total Votes				22,381

2012

See also: North Carolina House of Representatives elections, 2012

Holley ran in the 2012 election for North Carolina House of Representatives District 38. She defeated Abeni El-Amin and Lee Sartain in the Democratic primary on May 8, 2012 and defeated Shane Murphy (I) in the general election, which took place on November 6, 2012.

North Carolina House of Representatives, District 38, General Election, 2012

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Yvonne Lewis Holley	87.7%	29,665
	Independent	Shane Murphy	12.3%	4,169
Total Votes				33,834

North Carolina House of Representatives District 38 Democratic Primary, 2012

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Yvonne Lewis Holley	60.8%	6,328
Abeni El-Amin	25.6%	2,663
Lee Sartain	13.6%	1,415
Total Votes		10,406

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Yvonne Lewis Holley completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Holley's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Rep. Yvonne Lewis Holley was born and raised in Raleigh and is a product of North Carolina Public Schools. She attended Howard University where she found a calling in public service, one that led to a 25-year career working for the State Government. For the past decade, she has represented Raleigh in the North Carolina State House and has been a strong advocate for disenfranchised communities across the state.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Criminal Justice Reform
• Housing Affordability
• Combating Food Insecurity

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

My ALI platform establishes a state-wide initiative that brings together public/private partnerships, non-profits, urban and rural governments, legislators, environmentalists, homebuilders, and everyday citizens to help solve some of the problems that have become critical needs in communities across NC.

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the state government and legal system?

The Lt. Gov is the only position in North Carolina's state government that sits in both the executive branch and legislative branch of state government.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Honesty and Integrity

What legacy would you like to leave?

One of bringing people together. In this era of divisiveness, we need leaders who can work across the aisle to find common-sense solutions to our common problems.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Lifeguard, from age 15 through 23. I worked as a lifeguard throughout high school and college.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

It is well with my soul

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

The Lt. Governor serves as Chair of the E-Learning Commission

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

Yes, because of the legislative responsibilities in this position it is important for candidates to have experience in state government.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign website

“	The Affordable Living Initiative As your candidate for Lt. Governor, I am running to make living affordable for all North Carolinians. My fellow Democrats and I agree on these things: Medicaid expansion, better public education, access to affordable healthcare (which includes protecting women's reproductive rights), independent redistricting, protecting voting rights, and tackling climate change. However, my time in office has taught me that there are pressing issues not being addressed which have become critical in communities across NC. I’ve put these issues into my platform, a program I hope to champion and lead from the Lt. Governor’s office - I’m calling it The Affordable Living Initiative (ALI). My ALI platform establishes a state-wide initiative that brings together public/private partnerships, non-profits, urban and rural governments, legislators, environmentalists, homebuilders, and everyday citizens to help solve some of the problems that have become critical needs in communities across NC Affordable & Attainable Housing At least 310,000 people in North Carolina are spending more than half of their income on housing. This means families across the state are having trouble putting food on the table due to skyrocketing rent prices. This isn’t the quality of life our North Carolina families deserve. Housing is an essential component to everyday North Carolinians and frankly, human life. As your next Lieutenant Governor, I will work with residents, developers and local governments to find solutions to build fair cities and expand affordable housing. ALI is dedicated to having diverse voices at the table - we’ll come up with practical, applicable solutions: Comprehensive Legislative Study to review laws/policies that hamper affordable housing Eviction expungement program Increase financial resources for the NC Housing Finance Agency Implement energy efficiency conversion programs for existing stick built/mobile/modular homes Study ways to upgrade inaccessible homes or repair “sick homes” Study tax structures in areas of rapid gentrification which may push people out of their homes I started a bipartisan workgroup committee with House and Senate members studying ways to make housing affordable and attainable in both urban and rural communities. As a result of the vast information and problems identified, I introduced and got a bill passed in the House for a comprehensive study addressing this issue. Unfortunately, my bill never got picked up by the NC Senate. As President of the NC Senate, I will make attainable housing one of my driving issues. Access to Affordable and Healthy Food One of the first issues that I worked on in the General Assembly has been food security. I introduced HB 387, which would create the Healthy Food Small Retailer Fund in the Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services for food desert relief purposes by providing micro-grants for equipment and shelving, initial expense offsets, and food and nutrition education. Governor Cooper signed this bill into law in 2019. This law will continue to need funding, and the battle will continue as budget wars persist in the General Assembly. Your support for my candidacy as Lt. Governor would push this issue to the forefront, and I will work to expand this program until there are no food deserts in NC. Economic and Workforce Development Both rural and urban communities want and need opportunities for citizens and businesses to thrive. This means working together to give citizens from all economic classes access to North Carolina’s growth and opportunities. Economic development doesn’t just mean business and community growth, it also means giving our citizens access to this growth, by providing them with workforce development through education and training. In doing this, we expand the workforce and turn laborers that feel left behind into a ready, able, and skilled workforce. Preparing our hardworking labor force will encourage growth and create an environment that will build greater communities. As Lt. Governor, I will work with new and existing companies that want to be in NC, to get them to commit to being community partners, not just "investors". As a member of the NC Board of Community Colleges, I will promote using and enhancing our educational institutions and job training programs to produce living wage and above living wage jobs. By providing a ready, able, and skilled workforce, industries will consider NC the destination for success. Transportation People need access to reliable public transportation to get to their jobs, medical appointments and live their day to day life. I recommend expanding transportation options, like Bus Rapid Transit, micro transportation systems, and light rail systems wherever possible. Public Education I want to bring back respect to public education and teachers. I believe that who you are and where you live should not dictate access to quality education. For too long, public education has not received the proper attention it deserves. Our students and teachers deserve respect and support. As a member of the State Board of Education, I will fight for an increase in per-student spending to equal the national average, as well as an increase in teacher pay to match the national average. Increased public education funding should go toward the increase in the number of school librarians, psychologists, social workers, counselors, nurses, and other health professionals. I am a proponent of PUBLIC education and believe that public money should go toward public schools.	”
—Yvonne Lewis Holley 2020 campaign website

2014

Holley's website highlighted the following campaign themes:

Education

• Excerpt: "I am committed to ensuring that a superior educational environment for all students supersedes political conversations and will work to address such critical issues as tuition hikes, student retention and job retraining."

Economic Development and Jobs

• Excerpt: "I work to ennsure the necessary resources are available for the Community College System to effectively offer educational opportunities for upgrading job skills and retraining displaced workers in areas of emerging technology and sustainable energy."

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Yvonne Lewis Holley campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2016	North Carolina House of Representatives, District 38	Won	$24,099	N/A**
2014	North Carolina House of Representatives, District 38	Won	$32,916	N/A**
Grand total			$57,015	N/A**
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards and State legislative scorecards in North Carolina

A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.

Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.

Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of North Carolina scorecards, email suggestions to [email protected].

2020

In 2020, the North Carolina State Legislature was in session from April 28 to September 3. The legislature was in recess from July 8 to September 1 and then reconvened September 2 to September 3.

• Civitas Action

Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

• National Federation of Independent Business

Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.

• NC Values Coalition

Legislators are scored on their votes on bills relating to family issues.

• North Carolina League of Conservation Voters

Legislators are scored on their votes on environment and conservation issues.

• The American Conservative Union

Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2019

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2019, click [show].
In 2019, the General Assembly of North Carolina was in session from January 9 through August 27. Civitas Action Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues. North Carolina League of Conservation Voters Legislators are scored on their votes on environment and conservation issues. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2018

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2018, click [show].
In 2018, the General Assembly of North Carolina was in session from January 10 through July 4. Civitas Action Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues. North Carolina League of Conservation Voters Legislators are scored on their votes on environment and conservation issues. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2017

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2017, click [show].

In 2017, the General Assembly of North Carolina was in session from January 11 through June 30. Before the legislature adjourned its regular scheduled session, the legislature scheduled the following additional session dates: August 3, August 18 to August 25, August 28 to August 31, and October 4 to October 17. Civitas Action Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues. NC Values Coalition Legislators are scored on their votes on bills relating to family issues. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2016

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2016, click [show].

In 2016, the General Assembly of North Carolina was in session from April 25 through July 1. Civitas Action: 2016 Full Rankings Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues. North Carolina League of Conservation Voters: 2016 Legislative Scorecard Legislators are scored on their votes on environment and conservation issues. N.C. Values Coalition: 2016 scorecard Legislators are scored on their votes on bills relating to family issues. The American Conservative Union: 2016 Legislative Scorecard Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2015

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2015, click [show].

In 2015, the General Assembly of North Carolina was in session from January 14 through September 30. Civitas Action: 2015 Full Rankings Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues. North Carolina League of Conservation Voters: 2015 Legislative Scorecard Legislators are scored on their votes on environment and conservation issues. North Carolina Voters for Animal Welfare: Senate and House Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to animals issues. The American Conservative Union: 2015 Legislative Scorecard Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2014

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2014, click [show].

In 2014, the General Assembly of North Carolina will be in session from May 14 through a date to be determined by the legislature. Civitas Action: 2014 Full Rankings Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues. Environment North Carolina: House and Senate Legislators are scored on their votes on environmental issues. North Carolina League of Conservation Voters: 2014 Legislative Scorecard Legislators are scored on their votes on environment and conservation issues. N.C. Values Coalition: 2014 Pro-family Scorecard Legislators are scored on their votes on bills relating to family issues. North Carolina Voters for Animal Welfare: Senate and House Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to animal issues. The American Conservative Union: 2014 Legislative Scorecard Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2013

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2013, click [show].

In 2013, the General Assembly of North Carolina was in session from January 9 to July 26. Civitas Action: 2013 Full Rankings Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues. Environment North Carolina: 2013 Legislative Scorecard Legislators are scored on their votes on environmental issues. North Carolina League of Conservation Voters: 2013 Legislative Scorecard Legislators are scored on their votes on environment and conservation issues. The American Conservative Union: 2013 Legislative Scorecard Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

Personal

Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Holley has one child and has resided in Raleigh, North Carolina.

See also

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External links

Suggest a link

• Search Google News for this topic
• Official campaign website
• Profile from Open States
• Biography from Project Vote Smart
• Legislative Profile from Project Vote Smart
• Yvonne Lewis Holley on Facebook
• Campaign contributions via Follow the Money

Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Deborah Ross (D)	North Carolina House - District 38 2013–2020	Succeeded by Abraham P. Jones (D)