Kristen Robinson
2nd Vice Chair
Born and raised in Madison County, I’ve spent the majority of my life in Western North Carolina. I’m proud to call myself an alumni of Madison High School and Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, where I first found an interest in turning my passion for politics into a career. I graduated in the summer of 2020 from UNC Charlotte with a Bachelor’s in Political Science and a double minor in American Studies and Women and Gender Studies. While attending college, I participated in both Model United Nations and NC Student Legislature which taught me extensive knowledge in state and foreign policy, research and writing skills, and public speaking. I also completed a fellowship program with Campus Vote Project and was able to improve voter turnout, engage students with educational information on UNC Charlotte’s campus, and most importantly – helped to keep polling locations open on campus.
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Outside of academics, I have spent my time organizing with the Young Democrats of North Carolina. I am the former Executive Vice President and Western Regional Director for the Young Democrats of NC (YDNC) and current President of Buncombe Young Democrats. I have seen the inside operations and day to day functions of a grassroots led political organization, and I know first hand the amount of work and skill required for success. While working with the Young Democrats, I have had the opportunity to organize college campuses; put together fundraisers for local charities, candidates, and organizations; manage social media accounts; take executive board minutes; plan and execute voter registration efforts; staff tabling shifts, recruit volunteers, and other administrative duties. Additionally, I have been a major fundraiser for the Young Democrats of North Carolina, helping to raise over $40,000 since being involved.
This past election cycle I worked on the North Carolina Coordinated Campaign as a Regional Organizing Director, where I oversaw a team of seven to turn out a historic number of voters in 14 Western North Carolina counties. I recruited volunteers, executed canvasses and phone banks for candidates, and helped to facilitate the most doors knocked in the state of North Carolina in Western NC during 2022.
All of this leads to me where I am today. Helping the people of Western North Carolina to live a better, more healthy, and equitable life is my life’s mission. I believe I can take all of the skills I’ve learned from working on campaigns and organizing the Young Dems to help us all prepare for 2024 and beyond. I want to help usher in a new era of rural, youth empowerment in Western NC, and that starts with organizing and investing in all of NC-11.