Get to know Rep. Marcia Morey

July 18, 2022 at 11:38 a.m.

By Colin Campbell
NC Tribune

Rep. Marcia Morey has represented Durham since 2017, when she made the switch to the legislature after a long tenure as a District Court judge. That background has made her a key figure in the House on criminal justice and court issues.

She was also an Olympic swimmer who competed in the 1976 Olympics.

Age: 33 x 2

What are the current and past jobs you’ve held outside of politics? Investigator with NCAA, journalist, assistant district attorney, sandwich chef

What lessons from those roles have you applied to my elected position? Fairness, integrity and justice matter the most. I learned the most working as a prosecutor in juvenile court. The stories of hardship and struggles of children who were born and raised under very challenging conditions will always stay with me. And as a former sandwich chef in college, I once made the mistake of confusing the tongue with the roast beef. Now in the legislature making sausage, it's a good lesson to know the ingredients of what goes into a bill. 

If you could enact a single piece of legislation into law today, what would it be? Pass a gun safety red flag law.

Where do you most enjoy taking an out-of-town visitor in your district? Hike on the Eno River with a visit to Duke Garden.

What is your favorite hobby outside of work? Running and swimming

Who do you most admire, and why? It’s hard to single out one person, but at the top of the list is retired judge and DA Ron Stephens. Ron hired me in 1989 as an assistant DA.  I had no court experience and a lot of doubts but he believed in my potential. Ron’s sense of justice and fairness was impeccable. I always knew him to make the right and just decision on tough cases.  

What’s the best advice you’ve received about how to get legislation passed? Being in the majority would definitely help. But working with other members on shared values without having to always fold issues into partisan divides would help stop some of the gridlock.