Position/philosophy statement
I will bring steady leadership, operational expertise, and a strong sense of duty to the work of serving my community.
Current Occupation
Retired Federal Air Traffic Controller
Age (optional)
65
Campaign Phone
9809990147
Campaign Youtube URL
I spent seven years as an officer in the United States Navy and 31 years as a federal air traffic controller. Throughout my career, people counted on me to remain calm under pressure and make responsible decisions. I was directly responsible for the safety of thousands of air passengers every day. I will bring that same steady judgment, accountability, and commitment to public service in the General Assembly.
My top priority is funding public education. North Carolina ranks last in funding effort and near the bottom in per-pupil funding. We must increase teachers’ pay to catch up with inflation and improve the pay schedule to recruit and retain good teachers; expand school capacity to relieve overcrowding in our growing community; and provide enough state funding for public schools to meet federal and state requirements. We must also reevaluate the Opportunity Scholarship program, which directs millions of dollars to private schools while our public schools remain underfunded.
Cabarrus County is growing fast, and our schools need to keep up. I believe North Carolina’s future starts with strong public schools that give every student a real path forward, whether that is college, skilled trades, or military service. I support investing more in teachers, modern classrooms, and career and technical education partnerships that reflect the workforce needs of communities like Cabarrus County. We must also address the strain caused by underfunding and the unchecked expansion of voucher programs that divert millions of taxpayer dollars away from local public-school classrooms.
Our tax policy should provide reliable revenue to support economic growth and meet residents’ needs, while remaining fair and responsive to changing economic conditions. That revenue should support public schools, healthcare, child care, affordable housing, transportation, infrastructure, and workforce training that attracts employers. The corporate income tax is scheduled to be eliminated, and individual income tax rates are scheduled to fall. These large tax cuts should not happen unless the state can demonstrate that the revenue will still be adequate to cover ever-increasing expenditures. The guiding question should be: Does our tax policy improve economic opportunity for everyday residents?
We should require background checks for every firearm sale, with a clear process for lawful purchases. I do not support Senate Bill 50, which would allow eligible people 18 and older to carry a concealed handgun without a permit, bypassing the training, fingerprinting, and sheriff-approval requirements of the permitting process. We should create an extreme-risk protection order system, allowing judges to temporarily remove firearms from someone deemed to pose a serious danger to themselves or others, with due process protections. And we should strengthen firearm restrictions for those convicted of domestic violence.
I entered this race because I want to make a difference for our community. I am not in this for me, but for Cabarrus County. I want to make this a better place to live for our kids and grandkids. We owe it to their future to do everything in our power to give them the opportunity to live in a safe, prosperous community where they can grow, pursue their goals, and raise their families. I believe every person in our community deserves to be treated with respect and dignity. We can do better by working together as one community and supporting each other. It’s not a zero-sum game. When the community supports those who need help, we all benefit.
Current Occupation
Consultant
Age (optional)
48
Campaign Youtube URL
I decided to run for office to help shape the world our children will inherit. My background as a missionary, business owner, and consultant prepared me to approach public service with discipline, responsibility, and an understanding of how decisions made in Raleigh affect households and employers across North Carolina. I come from a biracial, bilingual, and multicultural family, and that background helps me listen respectfully to people from many walks of life and to understand that color does not determine mindset. I believe voters respond to clear ideas, shared values, and a sincere commitment to represent them well.
Many important things will be done over my next term. However, the most urgent piece of legislation I am working on is reforming our 100-year-old property tax system, which regularly puts homeowners, renters, and business owners on the losing end. I plan to advance legislation that strengthens parental rights and improves government transparency, ensuring families remain central to decisions affecting their children and that residents know what is happening with the taxpayers' purse.
In addition to making sure the promise of the education lottery is restored, I support responsible legislation that respects our community and avoids unfunded mandates. When new responsibilities are necessary, sometimes they must be paired with recurring funding to ensure sustainability and fairness. Like we cut regulations for business, we should consider cutting mandates on local governments. The question I often ask when visited by taxpayer funded government associations and lobbyists is what would your government NOT do if not for the state mandate? The answer to that question may be a good starting place for reduced mandates an increasing the money available locally.
Government spending causes inflation, families spending brings economic prosperity. All government money, no matter the source, comes from the people; not a magic funding tree in a D.C., Raleigh, or local committee room. Ensuring that families keep as much of their money as possible to spend on the things they need and excite them is good tax policy. The average Cabarrus County resident is giving 10% of their income to state and local government through taxes and fees. Half of that can change a family's destiny. Whether they pay off a mortgage, save for weddings, retirement, or college, or take an annual family trip that brings them together, it is better for them to do with their money what they deem appropriate.
MORE THAN EVER, North Carolinians want out of the twilight zone. Attacks on common sense, time-tested values, and our families are wearing us all out. Years ago, I would not have guessed we would have to fight over who a boy or girl is and whose private space is whose. My daughter’s opportunities, safety, and privacy are a priority. How about yours? Who imagined that someone murdering their children with an exercise band would require a national discussion about guilt and a single juror to preserve our decency. Clancy murdered children and should be treated as such. We must lock up criminals, stop the cashless, catch & release, bail system for violent criminals, and remember that prosperity and safety matter a lot less if we are not free.
Cynthia and I appreciate our great friends in North Carolina and the opportunity to serve our neighbors. As witnesses to the changes here and across the nation, we see the need for me to serve. As a parent, I understand that we all want to give our families a better future—a future of freedom and better opportunities than we had. We need representatives in our state government who will secure those opportunities. Our children will enjoy greater opportunities in ten years than we have had or far less.
I am a republican, but I ask everyone to vote for me. Democrats should vote for me because public safety, predictable property tax bills, the desire for our children to do well, and a government that doesn’t discriminate don’t have a political party. Unaffiliateds should vote for me because being unaffiliated doesn’t mean that we don’t share values, a desire for a better future, and a need for affordability. We are in this together.
