In the race for North Carolina Senate District 25, Incumbent Tom McInnis defeated first-time candidate Helen Probst Mills with 57 percent of the votes.
Senate District 25 is a newly drawn district and stretches from Scotland County to Pinehurst.
Both candidates accumulated six-figure campaign funds, making this one of the more expensive state legislative races this year. Mills nearly matched McInnis’ $474,327 raising $440,703. Mills received her donation from 771 donators while McInnis benefited from more traditional sources of outside revenue including State Party Money and Political Action Groups (PAC).
Helen Probst Mills (All photos contributed)
Senator McInnis won his third term to the North Carolina Senate first being elected in 2014. McInnis is committed to reducing unnecessary government rules, regulations and restrictions while continuing to protect the health, safety and welfare of all North Carolinians. He wants to raise teacher pay and supports school choice programs. McInnis is very concerned about the ongoing fight against opioid addictions.
He currently serves as the Chairperson of the Senate Transportation Committee for Policy and Appropriations and also serves on the committees for Commerce and Insurance, State and Local Government, Agriculture, Environmental and Natural Resources.
McInnis is the president of Iron Horse Auctions which was listed as one of the 10 best auction companies in the United States in 2013. Additionally, McInnis has raised millions of dollars for various charities through his work as a professional auctioneer.
McInnis’ wife, Janice, is a retired Richmond County School Teacher. They have four children and 10 grandchildren.
Mills received a law degree from Case Western Reserve University but has spent the last few years as a very active community activist, volunteering for many community events and organizing fundraisers and community groups.
Last year, Mills was appointed by Gov. Roy Cooper to the Sandhills Community College Board of Trustees. She also serves on the college’s Foundation Board, where she helped develop a program allowing high school graduates to attend for two years without having to pay tuition.
Article written by Sandhills Sentinel Reporter, Chris Prentice.
