As of this week, more than 2.3 million people have been vaccinated in the state of North Carolina, amounting to about 24 percent of the state’s population. Data from the Department of Health and Human Services shows 67 percent of those aged 65 and up have been fully vaccinated. And while a recent survey by Kaiser Health News found that Republicans and white evangelical Christians were most likely to say they wouldn’t get vaccinated, it appears that most elected officials in the Triad, regardless of political affiliation, have stated that they have either gotten a vaccine or plan on getting vaccinated soon. Triad City Beat was only able to identify two elected officials — one Congressman and one school board member — who said they were not planning on getting vaccinated.
CONGRESS
Sen. Thom Tillis (R): According to a News & Observer report, Thom Tillis has received the vaccine. Tillis tested positive for coronavirus in Oct. 2020.
Sen. Richard Burr (R): According to a News & Observer report, Richard Burr has received the vaccine.
Rep. Ted Budd (R) — 13th District: According to a News & Observer report, Ted Budd has not received the vaccine. He tested positive for coronavirus in Dec. 2020.
Rep. Kathy Manning (D) — 6th District: Manning has received both doses of the vaccine and is encouraging all members of the NC—06 district to get vaccinated to protect themselves and their loved ones.
Rep. Patrick McHenry (R) — 10th District: According to McHenry’s Twitter account, he received his first vaccine on Dec. 21. “I am thankful to all the men and women who have worked so hard to develop this safe and effective vaccine,” he wrote.
GUILFORD COUNTY
State Representatives
Cecil Brockman (D) — House, D60: TCB was not able to reach Brockman for comment.
Ashton Clemmons (D) — House, D57: Clemmons told TCB that she has been fully vaccinated.
John Faircloth (R) — House, D62: Faircloth told TCB that he has received a vaccine and that he has urged his friends and family to do the same. “I believe the vaccine is a major part of the overall efforts to get our citizens back to good health,” he said.
Jon Hardister (R) — House, D59: Hardister told TCB that he has not gotten the vaccine but that he plans to. He said that he actually tested positive for COVID-19 six months ago so he still has antibodies. “I’ve been tested for the antibodies three times and the last time was about a week ago,” Hardister said. “So, I’m going to wait a little bit longer but I will get vaccinated maybe next month.”
Pricey Harrison (D) — House, D61: Harrison told TCB that she has received both doses of the Moderna vaccine.
Amos Quick III (D) — House, D58: Quick told TCB that he has received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine. He said he has also sponsored HB 214 which would provide grant awards up to $10,000 for agencies/organizations that serve primarily minority populations to address vaccine hesitancy among these groups. The bill is currently in committee.
David Craven Jr. (R) — Senate, D26: TCB was not able to reach Craven Jr. for comment.
Amy Galey (R) — Senate, D24: Galey told TCB that she has gotten her first dose and is scheduled to get her second dose soon. “I don’t like to miss work for any reason, including due to being sick,” she said.
Michael Garrett (D) — Senate, D27: Garrett told TCB that he has received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine. “For me, getting vaccinated was a no-brainer,” he said. “I believe getting vaccinated is the most impactful thing an eligible person can do to help end this pandemic.”
Gladys Robinson (D) — Senate, D28: A spokesperson for Robinson’s office confirmed that she has been vaccinated.
Guilford County Commission
Board Chair Skip Alston (D): Alston confirmed that he has received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Carlvena Foster (D): Foster said she has received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine. “I definitely received the vaccine because I believe it is the only way we can help decrease the spread of this disease,” she said. “As an elected official I cannot advocate for others to be vaccinated without leading by example.”
Kay Cashion (D): Cashion has received both doses of the Moderna vaccine. “It was a smart thing to do,” she said. “I did it to protect myself, my family and all those I come in contact with.”
Carolyn Coleman (D): TCB was not able to reach Coleman for comment.
Justin Conrad (R): Conrad told TCB via email that he has had both shots.
Carly Cooke (D): Cooke has received both shots of the Pfizer vaccine. “First and foremost, I did so because I want to do my part to limit the spread of COVID in every way possible in order to keep people safe,” she said. “Additionally, vaccines offer the only path forward that leads us back to school and work full time, to economic recovery and to doing things together that we all love and miss.”
Mary Beth Murphy (D): Murphy has received her vaccines. “I chose to get vaccinated for my family, my students, my community and my own health,” she said. “It’s something small and easy I could do to help protect the people I care most about. I am grateful to all the scientists who dedicated countless hours to producing highly effective vaccines that make it safe for me to see my family, return students to my classroom and hopefully to resume travel soon!”
Alan Perdue (R): TCB could not reach Perdue for comment.
James Upchurch (D): TCB could not reach Upchurch for comment.
Guilford County School Board
Board Chair Deena Hayes-Green (D): Hayes—Green told TCB that she has not gotten vaccinated. “Right now, I’m not planning to get vaccinated but am in full support of all those that are getting vaccinated and support modern medicine very much,” she said. “For myself, I’m still weighing a lot of the information. I have alternative medical advisors and trust and believe them too. I’m still vetting and weighing what’s best for me personally but I am fully in support of people making their own decisions like my parents, for whom I set up appointments for their vaccinations.”
Dianne Bellamy-Small (D): Told TCB that she has gotten vaccinated.
Anita Sharpe (R): TCB could not reach Sharpe for comment.
Pat Tillman (R): Tillman said that he hasn’t gotten the vaccine yet but plans to as part of a program for military veterans soon. “I’m definitely going to do mine,” he said. “My family just got theirs last week…. I think it’s an important opportunity to keep our community safe, but I also understand people that may be reluctant.”
Linda Welborn (R): TCB could not reach Welborn for comment.
Deborah Napper (D): Napper told TCB that she has not gotten vaccinated yet because she is pregnant but plans to after she has her baby. She said she’s also been participating in antibody testing through Wake Forest Baptist Hospital for several months and that she is antibody positive.
Khem Irby (D): Irby, reached by phone, declined to comment on whether or not she has been vaccinated.
Bettye Jenkins (D): Jenkins told TCB that she has received both doses of the vaccine.
Winston McGregor (D): McGregor told TCB that she has received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine.
Guilford County Sheriff’s Office
Sheriff Danny Rogers (D): According to a department spokesperson, Rogers has received his COVID-19 vaccine. All deputies were also offered the opportunity to get vaccinated, but the vaccines were not required.
GREENSBORO
City Council
Mayor Nancy Vaughan (D): Vaughan confirmed to TCB that she has received both of her COVID-19 shots.
Sharon Hightower (D): Hightower told TCB that she has gotten both of her vaccines. “African Americans have been disproportionally impacted by COVID-19 and as a Black female with underlying health issues, taking the vaccine was a life-saving decision,” she said. “I implore my Black people, young and old to vaccinate to protect themselves and family.”
Tammi Thurm (D): Thurm told TCB that she has received both of the Pfizer vaccines.
Justin Outling (D): Outling told TCB that he has gotten both shots.
Michelle Kennedy (D): Kennedy told TCB that she has gotten both Pfizer shots. “Vaccination is critical,” she said. “I want Greensboro to thrive. In order to protect public health and allow our economy to fully reopen, we need to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The most effective way to protect myself and others around me to achieve those goals, is by getting vaccinated.”
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Justin Outling receives his Covid-19 shot. (courtesy photo) -
Michelle Kennedy receives her Covid-19 vaccine. (courtesy photo)
Marikay Abuzuaiter (D): Abuzuaiter has gotten both doses of the Pfizer vaccine. “I was grateful I could become vaccinated to help protect my family, my friends, neighbors and community,” she said. “While I am still following the protocol of wearing a mask, social distancing and washing my hands, I believe that getting the vaccine can help get us all to the point where we can gather without fear of contracting COVID-19.”
Mayor Pro Tem Yvonne Johnson (D): Johnson, who said she remembers getting the Polio vaccine, told TCB that she has gotten both of her COVID-19 shots. “I don’t want to catch the stuff and if I do get it, I want it to be as noninvasive as possible,” she said.
Goldie Wells (D): TCB could not reach Wells for comment.
Nancy Hoffmann (D): Hoffmann confirmed that she has gotten both of her shots. “Not only is it the responsible thing to do for our personal protection, but it is for the protection of our family, friends, and fellow citizens,” she said. “We cannot return to what we considered a ‘normal’ lifestyle until a majority of our population is vaccinated.”
Greensboro Police Department
Police Chief Brian James (D): TCB could not reach James for comment.
FORSYTH COUNTY
State Representatives
Amber Baker (D) — House, D72: Baker did not tell TCB whether or not she has been vaccinated. Instead, she responded by stating that “the decision to take the vaccine or not is a personal one. Understanding that the vaccine is one component to curving the impact of the spread, along with continuing to social distance, wearing of mask and using precautionary judgement when interacting with others are equally important.”
Donny Lambeth (R) — House, D75: Lambeth told TCB that he has received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine.
Evelyn Terry (D) — House, D71: TCB could not reach Terry for comment.
Lee Zachary (R) — House, D73: Zachary told TCB that he has received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine. “The vaccine is fairly old science in a new book,” he said. “It’s like an old wire connected phone compared to a cordless phone. I don’t feel it is dangerous. This crazy COVID-19 and the potential side effects are much, much more dangerous.”
Jeff Zenger (R) — House, D74: TCB could not reach Zenger for comment.
Joyce Krawiec (R) — Senate, D31: Krawiec told TCB that she has received both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Paul Lowe Jr. (D) — Senate, D32: Lowe Jr. told TCB that he has received both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Forsyth County Commission
Board Chair David Plyer (R): Plyler told TCB that he has received both shots of a COVID-19 vaccine. “I got it primarily because I am 82 years old,” he said. “I don’t want to get sick…. We’ve got a lot of citizens in this county who really need to be vaccinated…. The fact is, we have the FDA and if it wasn’t the right thing, they wouldn’t allow it to happen.”
Don Martin (R): Martin told TCB that he has received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine.
Fleming El-Amin (D): El-Amin told TCB that he has received both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Ted Kaplan (D): Kaplan told TCB that he’s gotten both doses of the Pfizer vaccine. “It’s the healthy, smart thing to do to affect the virus and try to stop it in its tracks,” he said. “We need the herd immunity to come in; I hope everybody gets it.”
Richard Linville (R): TCB could not reach Linville for comment.
Tonya McDaniel (D): According to a video posted by the city of Winston-Salem on Feb. 11, McDaniel has received her COVID-19 vaccine. “
Gloria Whisenhunt (R): Whisenhunt told TCB that she has received both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. “I was happy to receive the vaccine in order to help stop the spread of COVID,” she said.
Forsyth County School Board
Board Chair Malishai Woodbury (D): TCB could not reach Woodbury for comment.
Lida Calvert—Hayes (R): Calvert-Hayes told TCB that she has gotten both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. “I feel like a different person knowing I have some protection,” she said. “Thank goodness for the shot.”
Alex Bohannon (D): TCB could not reach Bohannon for comment.
Andrea Bramer (D): Bramer said that she has received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine. “This year I lost my aunt to COVID-19 and I almost lost my mother,” she said. “I have two children in my home and elderly in-laws and my mom. It is worth every bit of effort to prevent spread and try to get this illness under our belts prior to it mutating to a possibly far more dangerous variant than we have seen so far.”
Dana Caudill Jones (R): TCB could not reach Jones for comment.
Leah Crowley (R): Crowley told TCB that she has received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine.
Deanna Kaplan (D): Kaplan’s husband, Ted, who serves as county commissioner, told TCB that Deanna has also been vaccinated.
Elisabeth Motsinger (D): Motsinger told TCB that she has received both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Marilyn Parker (R): Parker said that she has received both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office
Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough (D): TCB did not receive a response from the department about whether or not Sheriff Kimbrough has received the COVID-19 vaccine.
WINSTON-SALEM
City Council
Mayor Allen Joines (D): A spokesperson for Joines’ office told TCB that he has received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine.
Mayor Pro Tem DD Adams (D): According to a Facebook post by the city of Winston—Salem, Adams received her COVID-19 vaccine in February.
Annette Scippio (D): Scippio told TCB that she has received both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.. Scippio tested positive for COVID-19 in June 2020.
Barbara Burke (D): According to a video posted by the city of Winston-Salem on April 13, Burke has received her vaccine. “Don’t be nervous,” she said to those who are nervous about getting the vaccine. “Think about what we do know about COVID-19. Think about the fact that over a half million people have died from COVID-19. We do know that. And we do know that many who have had who have survived have been left with debilitating side effects…. I think that when we weigh the deaths and when we weigh these debilitating side effects to the vaccine, I think it’s very clear what we need to do.”
Jeff MacIntosh (D): MacIntosh told TCB that he has received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine.
John Larson (D): Larson told TCB that he has received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine.
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Barbara Burke receives her Covid-19 shot. (courtesy photo) -
John Larson receives his Covid-19 shot. (courtesy photo)
James Taylor Jr. (D): Taylor declined to comment on whether or not he has been vaccinated.
Kevin Mundy (D): Mundy told TCB that he has received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine. “I’m a firm believer in science and the scientific method,” he said. “Even though these vaccines moved quickly through the approval process, I believe them to be as safe as those that take much longer to work through the system. I care about my own health, and I don’t want to contract COVID-19 or any other preventable illness…. I care about and respect the health of others. If I’m unvaccinated, I can put others at risk. I’m ready to get back to a safe normal, where we can interact with each other, hug friends and family, gather in crowds, freely eat in restaurants and drink in bars, worship in churches, attend live theatre and music performances, and do all the other things that we’ve missed over the last year.”
Robert Clark (R): Clark told TCB that he has received both shots of the Moderna vaccine.
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