By M.H. Cavanugh
Christian Action League
January 23, 2015
RALEIGH – This week Sen. Earline Parmon (D-Forsyth) resigned her seat to take a job with U.S. Representative Alma Adams.
Parmon served in the North Carolina House for five terms, before announcing she would run for the Senate in 2012. She has served two terms in the State Senate.
Parmon told the Raleigh News and Observer she plans to be Congresswoman Alma Adams’ outreach director in the Winston-Salem, Greensboro, Lexington and Thomasville region.
Rev. Mark Creech, executive director of the Christian Action League, noted that Sen. Parmon is an associate minister at Exodus Baptist Church in Winston Salem. “Of course, you would expect that I would have a great interest in any member of the General Assembly that’s a part of the clergy,” said Rev. Creech. “She’s a most gracious individual. We don’t agree on much politically, but we have great respect for each other and have prayed together.”
Both Adams and Parmon are long-time friends and colleagues from when Adams previously served in the N.C. House. Adams was appointed to her seat in the N.C. House in 1994 by Governor Jim Hunt and afterward won re-election each time until she decided to run for Congress in 2014. Adams started serving her first year in Washington this year as a U.S. Representative. Parmon was first elected to the N.C. House in 2002.
Parmon said she was looking forward to working with Adams on a number of issues that were important to both of them.
Parmon describes herself as a woman, mother, and former education administrator who has been concerned about issues such as education and healthcare.
She was a zealous advocate for the compensation of eugenics sterilization survivors and sponsored legislation on the matter – a measure many Republicans supported such as former House Speaker, Thom Tillis.
She also took the lead in questioning the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services about its backlog of food stamp applications.
Sen. Parmon told the Christian Action League that she has enjoyed working and serving the people of her district and the state of North Carolina. She said, “It has been a humbling and blessed experience.”
Democrats for Parmon’s district will recommend her replacement. Gov. Pat McCrory will officially appoint their choice.
Sen. Parmon’s resignation is effective, Wednesday, January 28th.
