Over the next few years, I was extremely fortunate to graduate from the University of California at Berkeley with an Integrated Biology and Physical Education degree.

While attending Cal, I taught Anatomy in the Berkeley Unified School District and Physical Education in the Oakland School District.

I also volunteered as a medic at the Berkeley Free Clinic, growing “a community that is empowered to sustain its own health”.

The knowledge and experience gained by helping the people in Berkeley led me to pursue a Master of Public Health in Chicago.

Meet Maria

After graduate school, California was not the same. In seeking a place with a hometown feel; the first stop was Austin, Texas. While there, I was blessed to meet my husband of almost 20 years, Jon. After a brief stop in Phoenix, Arizona, the growth of Jon’s tech career brought us to North Carolina.

Maria Cervania graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a degree in integrated biology and physical education. She and her husband, Jon, moved to North Carolina after briefly living in Phoenix, Arizona.

Maria Cervania graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a degree in integrated biology and physical education. She is married.

2025-2026 Session
Democrat - District 41

Wake

Terms in House:

2 ( 0 in Senate )

Occupation:

Epidemiologist/ Biostatistician

Representative Maria Cervania - Biography - North Carolina General Assembly

Maria Cervania currently works as an epidemiologist and biostatistician. She previously taught anatomy in the Berkeley Unified School District and physical education in the Oakland School District.

Representative Maria Cervania - Biography - North Carolina ...

Maria is serving her second term in the North Carolina House of Representatives for District 41.

2026 North Carolina General Election

4. Do you support raising North Carolina’s minimum wage, and if so, by how much?

I support increasing the minimum wage to a living and thriving one. According to the MIT Living Wage Calculator, the minimum wage in Wake County should be at least $18.95 an hour for a person without children. A solid argument can be made that it should be higher.

Raising the minimum wage strengthens workers’ purchasing power and, in turn, boosts the overall economy.

Candidate Questionnaire: Maria Cervania, NC House District 41

I also support adjusting the tipped minimum wage to equal a thriving wage across other industries. Jobs based on tips are massively employed by women who need to support their families. Eliminating the subminimum wage for tipped employees, especially women, would allow servers to take home more, have more reliable pay, and earn a living wage for themselves and their loved ones.

If re-elected, as a legislator, I will:
– prioritize our initiatives surrounding social determinants of health, especially with housing affordability and preservation, thriving wage/income equity, multi-modal transportation, food security, integrative healthcare, broadband for all, and environmental quality (e.g., air, water, soil, etc.).
– work with our municipalities to understand their current Land Use Ordinance regarding infrastructure, connectivity, open space, and mixed land use to help with decision-making.
– collaborate in implementing and planning regional transportation initiatives with Federal, State, and local leaders.
– mobilize the neighborhoods to provide input regarding transit, traffic, and road improvements.
– propose property tax relief aligned to Annual Median Income by county (instead of an annual salary averaged throughout the state).

Highest Quality of Life

Maria will continue to advocate for balanced growth; thriving wages; affordable housing; a multi-modal public transportation system; parks, open spaces, and greenways; and equity and equality for all people in North Carolina.

Maria for NC

Supports raising the minimum wage to at least $18.95 an hour in Wake County and eliminating the tipped subminimum wage.

Proposes county property-tax relief based on annual median income.

Advocates for affordable housing and a multimodal public transportation system.

- Supports raising the minimum wage to at least $18.95 an hour in Wake County and eliminating the tipped subminimum wage.
- Proposes county property-tax relief based on annual median income.
- Advocates for affordable housing and a multimodal public transportation system.

Economy

My vision of transit in North Carolina is one of progress and connectivity. It includes:

A fully integrated regional transit network that connects all major municipalities in the state, including each major municipality having level entry transit to their respective airports.
Transit-oriented development that promotes development around major transit hubs, creating mixed-use areas where people can live, work, and grow.
Expansion of biking lanes, greenways, and pedestrian pathways to reduce car dependency.
Growth of electric vehicle charging infrastructure and incentives for EV adoption to reduce carbon emissions from transportation.

Our Environment

Maria believes everyone benefits from clean water, air, fuels, and the environment. Legislators have a large responsibility to protect our natural resources. If elected, Maria will fight for a clean, abundant, and long-term water supply, reductions to net-zero emissions, and protection of our farmland, open space, and greenways

Proposes expanding electric-vehicle charging infrastructure and adoption incentives to reduce transportation emissions.

Plans to protect water supplies, farmland, open space, and greenways while pursuing emissions reductions toward net zero.

- Proposes expanding electric-vehicle charging infrastructure and adoption incentives to reduce transportation emissions.
- Plans to protect water supplies, farmland, open space, and greenways while pursuing emissions reductions toward net zero.

Energy & the Environment

10. North Carolina bans abortion after 12 weeks’ gestation. Do you think abortion access in North Carolina should be expanded or further restricted, or do you support the current law?
There should be no restrictions on abortion.
The issue is about taking away individual reproductive rights and removing the ability to control one’s reproductive healthcare and reproductive freedom. Individuals with their medical health professionals should make these decisions under the protection and right to privacy.

11. Do you support reforming North Carolina’s marijuana laws? Do you support full legalization? Please explain your position.
I support the legalization of recreational or medical marijuana in North Carolina with some added public health guidance. Marijuana legalization boosts the economy and creates thousands of needed jobs, especially in agricultural states like North Carolina.

My community, professional, and life experience have prepared me to be the best choice in this race. I have:

– worked to expand Medicaid, improve access to quality healthcare, and close the healthcare coverage gap.

– taught in the classroom and always support public education, including educators, administration, school health providers, staff (especially our bus drivers, cafeteria workers, building managers), and, most importantly, students.

MARIA’S VISION FOR NC

Access to Affordable Health Care

Maria is committed to addressing the barriers that limit access to health care and supporting people who experience health challenges, especially behavioral health, crisis services, and substance use treatment.

Supports abortion access without restrictions.

Supports legalizing recreational or medical marijuana with additional public-health guidance.

Said she has worked to expand Medicaid and close the health-care coverage gap.

Committed to reducing barriers to health care, particularly behavioral health, crisis services, and substance-use treatment.

- Supports abortion access without restrictions.
- Supports legalizing recreational or medical marijuana with additional public-health guidance.
- Said she has worked to expand Medicaid and close the health-care coverage gap.
- Committed to reducing barriers to health care, particularly behavioral health, crisis services, and substance-use treatment.

Healthcare

The three most pressing issues facing the next General Assembly are to:

Ensure that individual rights and freedoms — especially abortion care and contraception access — are protected and maintained.
Address access to voting by reforming Voter ID laws, eliminating Absentee Voting restrictions, and overhauling the redistricting process.
Fully fund and support public education from pre-K to university graduate programs.

7. Would you support an independent process for drawing new legislative and congressional districts?
I support the creation of an independent, nonpartisan commission to draw electoral maps, efforts to end gerrymandering and fair and expanded ballot access. The independent, nonpartisan commission should comprise of an interdisciplinary team with demographers, constituents, and voting experts led by citizens. As in Arizona and California, they should be wholly divorced from the state legislature and, therefore, able to produce maps without the pressure to further or hinder the electoral fortunes of representatives or parties.

Calls for reforming voter-identification laws, ending absentee-voting restrictions, and overhauling redistricting.

Supports an independent, nonpartisan commission to draw electoral maps.

- Calls for reforming voter-identification laws, ending absentee-voting restrictions, and overhauling redistricting.
- Supports an independent, nonpartisan commission to draw electoral maps.

Voting & Elections

Local governments know their communities’ needs and provide services that affect them daily. Although we are in a Dillon rule state, we must trust our municipalities to inform us of what they see as the priorities for their people and growth. I fully support municipalities exerting local control over issues such as regulating greenhouse gas emissions, criminal justice reforms and police oversight, and passing development-regulating ordinances.

12. Do you support strengthening gun safety regulations such as expanding background checks, banning bump stocks, and raising the age to buy or otherwise regulating the sales of assault-style weapons? Please explain.

Reducing gun violence includes sensible gun laws. Specifically:
1. Have sensible gun laws, including reducing easy access to dangerous weapons and raising the age to buy.

2. Solidify the universal background checks system.

3. Reduce firearm access to youth and individuals who are at risk of harming themselves or others by strengthening the extreme risk or red flag law process.

6. Insist on mandatory training and licensing for owners.

7. Require safe and secure gun storage.

8. Establish a culture of gun safety.

Supports giving municipalities authority over criminal-justice reforms and police oversight.

Supports giving municipalities authority over criminal justice reforms and police oversight.

Supports municipal authority over criminal-justice reforms and police oversight.

Supports municipal authority over criminal justice reforms and police oversight.

Supports universal background checks, a higher firearm-purchase age, strengthened extreme-risk orders, mandatory training and licensing, and safe gun storage.

- Supports municipal authority over criminal justice reforms and police oversight.
- Supports universal background checks, a higher firearm-purchase age, strengthened extreme-risk orders, mandatory training and licensing, and safe gun storage.

Public Safety

8. Do you support expanding funding for Opportunity Scholarships? Do you believe the legislature has a role in ensuring that private schools don’t further raise tuition on families and taxpayers with the infusion of hundreds of millions of dollars into the private school economy? Please explain your answer.
I oppose expanding taxpayer-paid private school vouchers. The program’s original intent was to provide financial assistance to those whose incomes are below the federal poverty threshold so that they could attend private schools if they felt that their local public school could not meet their needs.

Public Education

Maria believes in fully funding and supporting Public Education for our students. She wants to recruit and retain the best educators, administrators, school health professionals, bus drivers, and support staff; invest in Classroom Learning; and commit to the highest educational preparation.

Opposes expanding taxpayer-funded private-school vouchers.

Supports fully funding public education from prekindergarten through university graduate programs and recruiting and retaining school staff.

- Opposes expanding taxpayer-funded private-school vouchers.
- Supports fully funding public education from prekindergarten through university graduate programs and recruiting and retaining school staff.

Education

As of January 5, 2026, Maria Cervania’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Foreign Policy and Immigration

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Maria Cervania

- Advocates for affordable housing and a multimodal public transportation system.

- Plans to protect water supplies, farmland, open space, and greenways while pursuing emissions reductions toward net zero.

- Committed to reducing barriers to health care, particularly behavioral health, crisis services, and substance-use treatment.

- Supports fully funding public education from prekindergarten through university graduate programs and recruiting and retaining school staff.

Maria Cervania is from Sunnyvale, California. She has a bachelor27s degree in integrated biology and physical education from the University of California, Berkeley, and a master27s degree in public health from the University of Illinois. She is married to her husband, Jon.

North Carolina State Rep. Maria Cervania - Biography | LegiStorm

Maria is a public servant. She is currently a North Carolina State Representative. She previously served as a Wake County Commissioner. Before taking public office, she worked as a public health advocate while pursuing her Master of Public Health degree. 

Maria is currently a North Carolina State Representative. She was first elected in 2024 and is currently serving her first term. She previously served as a Wake County Commissioner.

Maria Cervania - Ballotpedia

Said, "I support increasing the minimum wage to a living and thriving one. According to the MIT Living Wage Calculator, the minimum wage in Wake County should be at least $18. 95 an hour for a person without children. A solid argument can be made that it should be higher. Raising the minimum wage strengthens workers’ purchasing power and, in turn, boosts the overall economy. Raising the minimum wage would also help close the racial wealth gap at historic levels. I also support adjusting the tipped minimum wage to equal a thriving wage across other industries. Jobs based on tips are massively employed by women who need to support their families. Eliminating the subminimum wage for tipped employees, especially women, would allow servers to take home more, have more reliable pay, and earn a living wage for themselves and their loved ones."

Supports increasing the minimum wage to at least $18.95 per hour, adjusting the tipped minimum wage to a thriving wage, and believes raising the minimum wage would strengthen workers' purchasing power and help close the racial wealth gap.

Supports increasing the minimum wage to at least $18.95 per hour, adjusting the tipped minimum wage to a thriving wage, and believes raising the minimum wage will strengthen workers' purchasing power and help close the racial wealth gap.

Supports increasing the minimum wage to at least $18.95 per hour, adjusting the tipped minimum wage to a thriving wage, and believes these changes will strengthen workers' purchasing power and help close the racial wealth gap.

Supports the protection of natural resources, emphasizing the importance of clean water, air, and fuels for everyone.

Said, "Maria believes everyone benefits from clean water, air, fuels, and the environment. Legislators have a large responsibility to protect our natural resources."

Supports access to abortion and believes reproductive healthcare decisions should be made by individuals and their medical professionals without government interference.

Supports access to abortion and believes reproductive healthcare decisions should be made between individuals and their medical professionals, free from government interference.

Said, "I support the legalization of recreational or medical marijuana in North Carolina with some added public health guidance. Marijuana legalization boosts the economy and creates thousands of needed jobs, especially in agricultural states like North Carolina. In states where marijuana is legal, it brings more tax revenue than alcohol, which supports critical public programs. Crime goes down when marijuana is legalized and phases out black markets, which takes money away from drug cartels, organized crime, and street gangs. It would end the costly enforcement of marijuana laws and free up police resources. From a public health standpoint, marijuana is less harmful than alcohol and tobacco, which are already legal, and legal marijuana can be regulated for consumer safety. But, there is still much research on its effects on physical and mental health. People need to understand what is known about both the adverse health effects and the potential therapeutic benefits linked to marijuana."

Said, "I support the creation of an independent, nonpartisan commission to draw electoral maps, efforts to end gerrymandering and fair and expanded ballot access. The independent, nonpartisan commission should comprise of an interdisciplinary team with demographers, constituents, and voting experts led by citizens. As in Arizona and California, they should be wholly divorced from the state legislature and, therefore, able to produce maps without the pressure to further or hinder the electoral fortunes of representatives or parties. The hope is that commission-drawn maps will set the stage for fairer and more competitive elections and tend to avoid legal challenges."

Said, "Reducing gun violence includes sensible gun laws. Have sensible gun laws, including reducing easy access to dangerous weapons and raising the age to buy. 2. Solidify the universal background checks system. 3. Reduce firearm access to youth and individuals who are at risk of harming themselves or others by strengthening the extreme risk or red flag law process. 4. Hold the gun industry accountable and ensure adequate oversight over the marketing and sales of guns and ammunition. 5. Engage responsible gun dealers and owners in solutions. 6. Insist on mandatory training and licensing for owners. 7. Require safe and secure gun storage. 8. Establish a culture of gun safety."

Said, "I oppose expanding taxpayer-paid private school vouchers. The program’s original intent was to provide financial assistance to those whose incomes are below the federal poverty threshold so that they could attend private schools if they felt that their local public school could not meet their needs. Without expansion, this would be the provision. As legislators, we have a constitutional responsibility to provide every child access to sound basic education. When more than 90% of our students attend public schools, we cannot let the political environment continue to underfund public education."

Opposes expanding taxpayer-paid private school vouchers and emphasizes the constitutional responsibility to provide access to quality public education for all children.

Opposes expanding taxpayer-paid private school vouchers, emphasizing the need to adequately fund public education for all students.

Supports the creation of an independent, nonpartisan commission to draw electoral maps, aiming to end gerrymandering and ensure fair ballot access.

Isaac Brickman

Buket Urgen

Bruce Forster

- Your State Representative participates in the legislative process at the state level. They are one of 129 members of the North Carolina House of Representatives. The North Carolina House of Representatives is the lower house of the North Carolina General Assembly (the state's lawmaking body).
- Your State Representative drafts laws, approves budgets, has oversight of the state executive branch, and debates and votes on proposed laws.
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- Your State Representative is responsible for representing your interests. They also are responsible for helping you navigate the state's services and bringing back resources to your district.
- State Representatives are elected to a 2-year term. There is no term limit.

Your representative and state lawmaker in North Carolina House of Representatives.