By SCOTT MCKIE B.P.
One Feather Asst. Editor
CHEROKEE, N.C. – Anna Ferguson, a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), has been selected by the Republican Party to serve the remainder of the late Rep. Mike Clampitt’s (District 119) seat in the North Carolina House of Representatives.
She told the One Feather, “The decision to appoint me to finish the current term came after a very challenging voting process. When it was finally confirmed, it didn’t feel real. Only after a good night’s sleep could I begin processing what this would mean and prepare to jump in immediately.”
Anna Ferguson (Photo contributed)
When asked what her focus will be, she noted, “My main objective when I enter chambers next week is to leave with a budget in place. I will do what I can to help move this process forward quickly and correctly!”
In a statement posted on Facebook, EBCI Ugvwiyuhi (Principal Chief) Michell Hicks congratulated Ferguson on being the first EBCI tribal member to serve in the N.C. House of Representatives.
He wrote, “We are proud to see her step forward to represent western North Carolina, as we remember Representative Clampitt’s service and dedication to the people of this region. We wish her the very best in the months ahead.”
In a February interview with the One Feather prior to the Republican Primary, she noted, “My big overall message is I’m hoping, if I’m elected, to go down there and to be able to make enough noise to say, ‘hey, we’re here. I know we’re geographically about as far as we can get from Raleigh, but because of that we are often overlooked and that needs to not be happening. So many resources are being sent east or central, you need to start distributing to the west’. We’re rural, but that makes us no less important to the state.
For the Tribe, specifically, we need someone in there that has our voice. There are other people in there that do not have our voice and who actively are working against our voice. So, we’ve got to just get our foot in there so somebody’s in there saying, ‘hey, we’re first in line when legalized marijuana comes because it will come to the state. When it comes, we need to be the ones that are first in line. We’ve established ourselves in that industry. Recognize us. We’re your first federally recognized tribe here’.”
Ferguson serves on the EBCI Planning Board, the EBCI Governing Board of Audit and Ethics, the advisory board of the Eastern Band of Cherokees Community Foundation and has served in many other capacities over the years.
She finished second in the March primary behind Rep. Mike Clampitt who passed away on March 18, just weeks after the primary election.
Ferguson will face Mark Burrows, Democrat, in the Nov. 3 general election for the District 119 seat.
