Toni Morris (D-NC-2)

Toni does make time for her family though, and they love it when she cooks. Toni smiles as she talks about her cooking, “My parents taught me well. Two of my specialties are my pasta salad and my fruit salad. My daughter always wants me to fix my potato salad and my son wants my meatloaf. My husband says he just likes everything!”

Toni’s immediate family consists of three adults. Toni’s son is 24 and still lives at home as he works and saves his money for a place of his own. Her daughter is 19 and away at college. Toni says she often keeps in touch with her children, especially her daughter, through texts and phone calls. Her supportive husband, Charles, is a retired Air Force first sergeant, who currently works as an assistant manager for Precision Tune. They have been married for 25 years.

Toni Morris also has a full-time job as a Licensed Professional Counselor. When asked why she decided to go back to school to be a family counselor after her children got older, Toni partly credits her husband. “I always had people who came to me, trusted me, and asked me for advice and guidance when it came to their personal lives, their children, or their work. My husband used to tease me about it. I would be on the phone talking to someone and he would say, “You’re still on the phone? You need to be charging people!” I started thinking about what he said more and more. I looked into what it would take to be a therapist and started to pursue that goal. I was in my 30’s when I did that.”

Toni added that like in much of life, “It was about having a goal, then planning how to accomplish the goal, and finally completing that goal.” Toni said she uses that mindset when it comes to running for Congress as well. She added, “You have to be focused but flexible.”

Toni said that what she likes most about being a therapist is helping people. “I like the satisfaction of seeing them arrive in one state and assisting them with moving forward to a place of stability.” Toni adds that she hopes to feel that same sense of accomplishment by doing the same thing as your next member of Congress for District 2.