Womack, Lakesha

Meet the Candidate

Party Legend

  • DDemocrat
  • GGreen
  • LLibertarian
  • RRepublican
  • UUnaffiliated

Running For:
US House
District:
14
Political Affiliation:
D
Candidate Website:
http://womack4nc14.com

Survey

Response Legend

  • YYes
  • NNo
  • UUndecided
  • WView Candidate Comments
  • −No response given by candidate
  • *Comment provided, see Candidate page

Question Response Comments/Notes
1. Should Congress pass legislation that expressly prohibits the distribution of abortion inducing drugs across state lines? N* Maternal health care decisions should be between a woman, her family, and her doctor—not politicians. I would oppose federal legislation that prohibits the distribution of abortion-inducing medication across state lines. Instead, I would support legislation that protects a woman’s ability to access safe, medically appropriate reproductive health care, regardless of where she lives, while maintaining appropriate standards for the safe prescribing and distribution of medications. Current congressional proposals illustrate that interstate access to abortion medication remains an active federal policy issue.
2. Should Congress pass legislation to ban sports gambling across the United States? N* I do not support a nationwide federal ban on sports gambling. Like state lotteries, I believe states should have the authority to decide whether to permit and regulate sports betting within their borders. Where it is legal, states should require strong consumer protections, age restrictions, responsible-gaming safeguards, and transparency to protect consumers and the integrity of sports. This approach also aligns with the federalism principles recognized by the Supreme Court in Murphy v. NCAA, which restored states’ ability to make their own decisions about sports gambling.
3. Should North Carolina voters be required to show a photo ID in order to vote in North Carolina? −
4. Should Congress pass legislation that would protect citizens from being charged with discrimination because of their sincerely held religious beliefs about marriage? Y* I support protecting Americans' First Amendment right to hold and practice sincerely held religious beliefs about marriage. No one should face government discrimination solely because of their faith or religious convictions. At the same time, religious-liberty protections should not be used as a license to deny others their civil rights or equal protection under the law. Congress has already recognized this balance in the Respect for Marriage Act, which preserves existing religious-liberty and conscience protections while protecting legally recognized marriages. I believe we can protect religious freedom and protect people from discrimination at the same time.
5. Should Congress legalize the use of marijuana for medical purposes? Y* I support legalizing marijuana for legitimate medical purposes when recommended by a qualified health care provider. Patients and their doctors should have access to appropriate treatment options without unnecessary federal barriers. Congress should establish clear federal standards for medical use, including appropriate regulation, quality and safety requirements, and continued research into benefits and risks. Federal law currently creates significant conflicts with state medical-marijuana laws, and Congress has the authority to address marijuana’s status under the Controlled Substances Act.
6. Should Congress pass legislation that prohibits biological males who identify as female from participating on female sports teams? Y* I support protecting the fairness, safety, and opportunities that Title IX created for women and girls in competitive athletics. Congress may establish standards for federally funded school athletic programs, and legislation currently before Congress has proposed defining eligibility for women’s and girls’ teams based on sex at birth.
7. Should Congress continue to provide funding for abstinence-until-marriage sexual education programs? Y* I support continued federal funding for programs that encourage young people to delay sexual activity, including abstinence until marriage, as part of age-appropriate, medically accurate sexual health education. Abstinence remains the only 100% effective way to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections resulting from sexual activity. The United States has made significant progress in reducing teen pregnancies and births. According to the CDC, the teen birth rate declined 78% between 1991 and 2021. The CDC attributes that decline to a combination of more teenagers abstaining from sexual activity and increased contraceptive use among sexually active teenagers. I would support programs that encourage abstinence while also ensuring young people receive medically accurate information that equips them to make responsible decisions and protect their health.
8. Should organizations that provide abortions be allowed to receive federal taxpayer dollars? Y* Yes, for other eligible health care services—not for elective abortions themselves. Organizations that provide abortions may also provide contraception, cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment, pregnancy care, and other essential health services. I do not believe an organization should automatically be excluded from federal programs simply because abortion is one of the legal services it provides. Federal law already generally prohibits federal dollars from paying for abortions through the Hyde Amendment, except in cases of rape, incest, or when the woman’s life is endangered.
9. Should Congress pass legislation requiring a health care practitioner, who is present at the time a child is born alive after a failed abortion attempt, to exercise the same degree of skill, care, and diligence to preserve the life and health of the child as would be expected for any other child born alive at the same gestational age? Y* Once a child is born alive, regardless of the circumstances of the birth, that child should receive the same appropriate medical care and protection as any other child born at the same gestational age. The circumstances surrounding the birth should not determine the standard of care provided. I support requiring health care practitioners to exercise appropriate medical judgment, skill, and diligence to protect the life and health of a child born alive, while recognizing that the medically appropriate treatment will depend on gestational age, viability, and the individual circumstances. This is essentially the standard proposed in the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act (H.R. 21), which passed the House in January 2025 and would require the same degree of care provided to another child born alive at the same gestational age.
10. Should Congress prohibit "gender transition procedures" on minors, including the administration of puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones and the performance of "gender reassignment surgery?" -
11. Should a person’s religious beliefs influence the decisions they make while serving in public office? Y* Personal beliefs can inform a public official’s decisions, but they should not be imposed on others through government. Every person is guided by a value system—whether rooted in religious faith, moral convictions, personal experience, or other principles. It would be unrealistic to expect elected officials to separate themselves from the values that shape them. However, public officials have a responsibility to represent people of all faiths and no faith at all. My religious beliefs may inform my values and commitment to service, but I should not try to legislate my religion or require others to live by my beliefs. The Constitution protects both the free exercise of religion and government neutrality toward religion. My responsibility in public office is to uphold the Constitution and work to ensure that every person receives equal rights, equal protection, and equal treatment under the law.
12. Should churches and other qualified religious organizations continue to receive tax-exempt status? Y* Churches and other qualified religious organizations should continue to receive tax-exempt status when they meet the requirements established for nonprofit religious and charitable organizations. Religious institutions often provide significant public benefits through worship, food assistance, disaster relief, education, counseling, community programs, and other charitable services.
13. Should the number of terms an individual may serve in the U.S. Senate or U.S. House be limited? N* I do not support imposing term limits on members of Congress. The Constitution already requires House members to face voters every two years and senators every six years. I believe voters should decide term limits at the ballot box. If constituents believe their representative or senator is serving them effectively, they should have the right to return that person to office. If they believe it is time for new leadership, elections provide the opportunity to make that change. Rather than limiting voter choice, I support competitive elections, transparency, accountability, and strong ethics standards so voters have the information and power necessary to hold elected officials accountable.
14. Should the U.S. Constitution be amended to require Congress to balance the federal budget every year? * I support fiscal responsibility and believe Congress must be more disciplined about spending, deficits, and the national debt. However, I do not support amending the Constitution to require a balanced federal budget every year. Unlike a household or state government, the federal government must respond to recessions, wars, natural disasters, public health emergencies, and other national crises. During economic downturns, federal revenues naturally decline while expenditures such as unemployment assistance increase; CBO notes that these “automatic stabilizers” help stabilize the economy. A rigid annual balanced-budget requirement could therefore force spending cuts or tax increases at precisely the wrong time. CRS has also identified concerns that such an amendment could be too inflexible and difficult to implement or enforce. Instead, I support responsible budgeting, greater oversight of federal spending, reducing waste and fraud, and developing a sustainable long-term plan to reduce deficits and manage the national debt without tying Congress’s hands during emergencies.