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
ALL residents of District 16 deserve a voice - I pledge to listen and act to put YOU first, not politics, profit, or loyalty.
Current Occupation
Retired Healthcare IT Systems and Services Executive
Campaign Phone
910-406-8350
I value truth, facts, clear goals and accountability for results. I am committed to serve North Carolina residents proactively and objectively using the skills and experience I’ve accumulated and refined. I will always serve and act in my constituent’s best interests. Honesty, integrity, fairness, open communication, and foresight (avoiding unintended consequences) is crucial to earn the public's trust.
My priorities focus on four elements which NC residents have told me they expect their elected leaders to understand, to negotiate, address in a timely fashion, and enable – namely Affordability (prices, wages, housing, insurance, energy, child care, taxes), Healthcare (access, coverage/inclusion, cost), Education (facilities, a broad curriculum, teacher pay, equity across all Districts), and Transparency and Integrity (ban trading while in office, free & fair elections, campaign finance reform, term limits, restoring oversight, honesty and integrity).
Current funding is woefully insufficient (NC is dead last in per-pupil funding), and it forces NC counties to supplement increasingly burdensome reductions and inflation-impacted expenses. Opportunity Scholarships are detrimental to a sound, basic education for ALL school-age children, and a taxpayer-supported gift to the wealthy in NC. I would propose the repeal of Opportunity Scholarships for those above a certain income level and restore equivalent (e.g., LEANDRO Remediation Plan) funding for all students in NC.
NC is highly desirable to corporate development, but it's time they uphold their fair share contribution to our tax base. And they need to pay their workers a living wage! I believe we should fairly tax large corporations to fund infrastructure, affordable housing, educational excellence, public works/parks, etc. I would propose an increase in the minimum wage, and repeal of Right to Work laws prohibiting union development. On the other hand, I do propose we increase the small business tax deduction (current Federal deduction on the first $20,000 of income) to the larger amount of $50,000.
According to the most recent finalized data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Center for Gun Violence Solutions, 1,835 gun deaths were recorded in North Carolina in 2024. We must address lax gun safety laws and improve mental health services to address the underlying issues and reduce related crime(s). I am also a strong proponent of "drug courts" as well, to help alleviate incarceration as the only (illogical) penalty given to drug offenders.
Gun deaths totals include:
688 homicides
1,059 suicides
88 other firearm‑related deaths (e.g., legal intervention, unintentional discharge)
Our current system of elected officials drawing voting district maps that protect their tenure in office (gerrymandering) is one significant cause of our current divisive approach to governance, where legislators choose their voters instead of the other way around. I will propose an independent commission charged with creating fair District maps, and only ONCE per decade, based on objective census data.
I will commit to listen to and serve the majority regardless of party affiliation. This will support my efforts regarding the District’s top four issues (above) to succeed. I support delegating organized and responsible growth controls, such as land use and UDO re-design, zoning, permitting, negotiated fees and incentives to the Counties. I will act to reverse ALL voter disenfranchisement, starting with a proposal to support District voting for all Counties.
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