The North Carolina House of Representatives is the lower house of the North Carolina General Assembly. The House of Representatives consists of 120 members who serve a term of two years. Each member represents an average of 87,116 residents *, as of the 2020 Census . The presiding officer of the House of Representatives is the Speaker of the House, who holds powers similar to those of the Senate President pro-tem. The Speaker is elected by the members from their membership for a two-year term. The Speaker’s duties include maintaining order in the House and appointing members to the House standing committees.The North Carolina General Assembly, of which the House is a part, is to convene a new regular session every two years, and the dates for these sessions are set by law. The NC legislature makes decisions on the budget: taxes, tax credits, economic development, education funding, Pre-K, the courts, Medicaid, etc. It also passes laws that set environmental standards such as water and air quality, tax rates, tax credits, criminal justice. Legislators in both chambers serve two-year terms without term limits. Sessions begin at noon on the third Wednesday after the second Monday in January.* https://ballotpedia.org/Population_represented_by_state_legislators
Position/philosophy statement
I believe in putting people first and making sure those that come after me have the same opportunities I had. It's about making sure my distict remains a place where families can build a life, businesses succeed, and communities can thrive.
Current Occupation
Retired Judge/Active Mediator
Age (optional)
73
Campaign Phone
8285068385
Campaign Youtube URL
I bring a lifetime of service rooted in Western North Carolina. I worked as a stockboy, custodian, and trade jobs before becoming an attorney, so I understand both the dignity of work and the pressures working families face. During 33 years as a District Court judge, including service as Chief Judge, I learned to listen carefully, apply the law fairly, and make difficult decisions with real consequences. As a certified mediator and former chair of the Haywood County Board of Elections, I also gained experience building trust, protecting election integrity, and finding practical solutions. I will bring fairness, independence, compassion, and common sense to the General Assembly.
My most important priority is making Western North Carolina affordable enough for working people and the next generation to build a life here. Families are being squeezed by housing, childcare, healthcare, groceries, utilities, and wages that have not kept pace. I will work to lower household costs, remove unfair taxes on essential utility bills, support better wages, expand affordable housing and childcare, and strengthen locally owned businesses and family farms. Affordability also means protecting access to healthcare, strong schools, and reliable infrastructure. Every decision I make will begin with a simple question: Does this help the people of Haywood and Madison counties live, work, and thrive here?
North Carolina must treat public education as an investment in our future, not an expense to minimize. In the coming year, we should increase funding for public schools and ensure rural districts have the resources to offer every child a fair opportunity. Lottery proceeds should reach the classrooms they were intended to support, with clear public accountability. We should expand affordable childcare and pre-K, strengthen career and technical education, and reduce the cost of community college, university, and job training. Public dollars should prioritize strong, accountable public schools while giving educators stability and allowing local communities a meaningful voice.
Tax policy should reward work, strengthen locally owned businesses and family farms, and help families afford the necessities of life. North Carolina should stop shifting the burden onto working people while granting huge tax breaks to large corporations. I support a fair, transparent tax system that asks all of us to contribute our fair share, removes or reduces taxes on essential services such as utility bills, and protects small businesses from being placed at a disadvantage. Tax revenue should be invested wisely in our public schools, healthcare, childcare, infrastructure and disaster recovery which are foundations for a strong economy, with clear accountability for every dollar.
After 33 years on the District Court bench, I know public safety requires both accountability and prevention. I would promote clear, consistently applied laws; protect judicial independence from political interference; and ensure law enforcement, courts, and emergency services have the staffing, training, and resources they need. We must strengthen treatment and recovery services for people facing addiction or mental illness, address domestic violence, and support victims throughout the justice process. Effective laws should reduce repeat offenses, hold dangerous people accountable, and give those who can safely change their path back to productive lives. Safety grows when people trust that justice is fair, timely and just.
Western North Carolina deserves a representative who listens before speaking, puts people over politics, and remembers that every law affects a real person, family, or small business. I have spent my career helping neighbors through conflict, addiction, family crisis, and difficult transitions. I have seen where government works and where it fails people. If elected, I will work across party lines whenever it helps our district and stand my ground when fairness, local needs, or basic dignity are at stake. I will fight for full disaster recovery and stronger resilience, affordable healthcare and housing, excellent public schools, good jobs, and honest government. Haywood and Madison counties will not be an afterthought. Others may have forgotten about you. I won’t.
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