Candidate Biography (submitted by campaign):

Julia Boseman was born and raised in New Hanover County and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in 1989.  She received her law degree from North Carolina Central University in 1992 and has been a practicing attorney in Wilmington for more than a decade. 

She was elected to the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners in 2000 to serve a four-year term.   In 2004 she was elected to the North Carolina Senate.  The North Carolina Center for Public Policy Research ranked Senator Boseman as the second most effective freshman legislator in the 28 year history of their research.

She has served on the Transportation Advisory Committee for New Hanover County, Girls, Inc., the UNCW Seahawk Club Board of Directors, UNCW Board of Visitors, Board of Trustees for New Hanover Regional Medical Center and the Legion Stadium Commission.

I was first elected to serve my constituents of the 9th Senate District in 2004.   In my first session in the Senate we raised teacher salaries closer to the national average, cut taxes on small businesses, and passed legislation to boost our local film industry.  

After my first term, I returned to Wilmington with the news that the Center for Public Policy and Research ranked me the second most effective freshman Senator in the 28 year history of its rankings. 

During the 2008 short session, we've continued our focus on improving our education system by again raising teacher salaries, lowering class sizes and funding drop-out prevention programs.

We invested in critical economic growth initiatives to strengthen our economy during these difficult times, including 4.3 million for an oyster hatchery at UNC Wilmington, increased funding for our ports, and extended tax incentives for our local film industry.   

This year, we passed Jessica's Law which requires a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years for sexual predators convicted of rape or sexual offenses against a young child. This legislation also shortens the notification period that offenders have if they move to a new address. 

Recently I was asked to serve on a commission that investigated the spike in gang violence across our state. To address the growing threat from the over 550 gangs identified in North Carolina, we passed legislation that focuses on successful methods for preventing gang membership, including funding for community programs.

We've made great progress in New Hanover County in the last four years and there is more to do to improve our schools, create new jobs, and address the growing costs of healthcare.