(WGHP) — Although Cheri Beasley has run for office – she was elected to the North Carolina Supreme Court and later elevated to chief justice by Governor Roy Cooper – judges aren’t typically thought of as politicians, and Beasley is emphasizing her outsider status as she runs for the US Senate as the Democratic Party nominee.

Unlike some in her party, Beasley isn’t down on America, though she is ready to criticize the way some in federal elected office go about their jobs.

“We have an amazing country, and I think much of what we see on display in Washington is disheartening,” Beasley said.  “But I truly believe that folks here in North Carolina have shared values, and we see the political games and…the pettiness of partisan politics in Washington, but here we focus so much on family values and what works in our communities. And I hope that what that really means is that folks here in NC…want someone who is going to focus on what’s going on here in NC, who’s going to put us first and not corporate and special interests and themselves first, and that’s exactly what I’m hearing: that folks want to know that the next senator really understands that people are struggling, that people are feeling everything from pain at the pump to the cost of prescription drugs and everything in between.”

That last part – the cost of medicines – is at the heart of Beasley’s pitch as it is for many Democrats. Though recent estimates show that it costs about $800 million to bring a new medicine to market, Beasley believes their cost to the public remains too high.

“These pharmaceutical companies are doing pretty dog gone good…they are part of the ones making…record profits…we can figure this out, but what it does mean is that we can’t be bilking the American public,” she said.

Beasley breaks from her party to a degree, on border security. The Biden administration, through both the president and Vice President Kamala Harris, has said the southern border is secure. Beasley thinks more can be done.

“We know that Republicans and Democrats agree that we absolutely must reform our immigration system, and it does mean we must secure our border which means that the folks that shouldn’t be here, shouldn’t come in. And we have to reform immigration, and we can do it in a way that strengthens our economy, keeps us safe…these are our values: the American dream,” Beasley said.

She believes the natural extension of border security is security in our communities. But that goes beyond police budgets.

“The one thing that I’m confident of is that we absolutely must fund law enforcement officers so that they have the resources to keep themselves and our communities safe,” Beasley said. “And we also have to invest in community-based intervention programs to stop the cycle of violence. We have a state system and a federal system, and it seems to me that bonds should be set fairly. And there are a whole host of factors…that have to go into play when a bond is set. If somebody has a history of being violent, they shouldn’t have a bond where they can get out and be a danger to our communities.”

See more of where Cheri Beasley stands on the key issues in this Your Local Election Headquarters edition of The Buckley Report.