Politics

Democrat announces bid for McGrady seat

Danae Jones Aicher announced her candidacy for the House 117 District seat that Rep. Chuck McGrady is leaving.

By Bill Moss, Published: July 30, 2019

Danae Jones Aicher, a former journalist and campaign aide who now works for an Asheville private school, has announced her candidacy for North Carolina House District 117.

Aicher is a diversity, equity and inclusion professional who works to build bridges in communities and organizations. She says her most cherished role is being a mother and that is what’s prompted her to run for office.

“We need representation in Raleigh that really represents us; our values and our needs,” Aicher said. “One of the most important issues for so many of us parents is our families’ financial security. Having access to affordable health care fits hand in hand with that economic security. No one should have to live life one doctor’s visit away from bankruptcy.”

Half a million more people would have access to health care if our state legislature would simply expand Medicaid. That not only means more security for our families, it means almost 40-thousand new jobs and millions of additional dollars added to our state’s economy.

She said that as a state representative, she would listen to the needs of her community and represent their interests in Raleigh.

Aicher currently serves as the Equity Director at Rainbow Community School and Rainbow Institute. There, her primary focus is keeping the school family connected to each other and the broader community by expanding their understanding of and commitment to equity and inclusion. Aicher was a journalist for almost 20 years, covering local and state politics and also spent time professionally handling press and media for large political campaigns, her campaign website says. Her Facebook page says she is originally from Tampa.

"By far, however, her most important and cherished job has been her role as a mother. In fact, she set aside her professional career for a few years to dedicate herself full-time to raising her young family," the bio went on. It quoted her saying: “This is a choice I made with my husband, and I recognize that it’s a choice I was fortunate to be able to make.”