Position/philosophy statement
Mountain Democrat and farmer working to bring people together and make life better for Western North Carolina.
Current Occupation
Farmer and Business Owner
Age (optional)
48
Campaign Youtube URL
As a local farmer and the founder of Hickory Nut Gap, I’ve spent my life bringing people together across backgrounds, beliefs, and communities to solve real problems. Running a farm and business taught me how to listen, build trust, and deliver results even when resources are limited and stakes are high. I understand what it takes to keep a local operation running, support working families, and protect the land that sustains us. In Congress, I’ll bring that same practical leadership, compassion, and commitment to uniting Western North Carolina and getting things done.
My top priority in Congress from day one will be to deliver Hurricane Helene funding and help steward long-term recovery. Too many families, small businesses, and communities are still waiting on help they were promised. I will fight to cut through red tape, bring federal recovery dollars home, and make sure aid actually reaches the people who need it, not get stuck behind excuses on some unelected bureaucrat’s desk in Washington.
Too many working families are doing everything right and still falling behind. I’ll fight to lower the cost of everyday essentials like child care, groceries, housing, health care, and prescription drugs. That means taking on corporate price-gouging, protecting Social Security and Medicare, and investing in small businesses, family farms, and modern manufacturing so good jobs stay here in Western North Carolina. We should cut taxes for working people and make sure hard work leads to real economic security and a fair shot at getting ahead, not reward corporations that exploit communities or ship jobs overseas.
I’ll start by focusing on restoring trust and working to change how accountability in Washington works. That starts with banning stock trading by members of Congress, working to overturn Citizens United, and reducing the influence of lobbyists and special interests. I’ll also hold myself to higher ethical standards and push for transparency and accountability across every aspect of government. When people see that their representatives aren’t profiting from the system, it becomes easier to work together and make government effective again.
Farming is one of the best tools we have to protect our environment. We should work to create policies that give incentives for farmers to adopt regenerative practices that have been shown to improve soil health, protect waterways, and strengthen long-term farm viability. These practices help reduce erosion, improve resilience to floods and droughts, and keep farms productive for future generations. Scaling these up will make a major positive impact on the productivity of the land, while capturing and using carbon. Our environmental policy should work hand-in-hand with agriculture, we can reward stewardship while strengthening our rural communities through these policies.
At Hickory Nut Gap, we work every day to build community through agriculture — understanding that the land, the animals, and the people we impact are all connected. That same collaborative mindset is what Washington is missing. My great-grandfather was a minister who helped start a local farmers co-op here over 100 years ago. The values of service, hard work, and leadership have been passed down through generations. For the past 25 years, my wife Amy and I have grown Hickory Nut Gap into a successful business supporting dozens of local employees and farmers. Above all, I’m a patriot and a proud native of Western North Carolina, and I believe that our communities and this place we all call home will always be more important than political affiliations. My job is to be a representative of all of us here. Regardless of political party, I will always fight for what’s best for our region.
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Position/philosophy statement
Live Free
Current Occupation
Safety Specialist
Age (optional)
48
Campaign Phone
404-312-4392
The most important thing that makes me the best candidate is that I'm very non-partisan. I believe that both major parties are equally responsible for the mess we're in, so my decisions are made without partiality for the left or the right.
FEMA should be thoroughly investigated for their attempted disaster recovery efforts. The good folks of western NC deserve better. They got in the way of quick and responsive recovery. I would support any and all productive efforts to help the affected area rebuild what was lost.
We must audit the fed. They’re causing the inflation, which is just another tax that Americans pay. We also need to immediately abolish all taxes on income, food, gas and necessities. This is only the beginning of what needs to be done.
Reforming our elections can give voters more choice, lower the temperature of our politics, and give lawmakers incentives to work together for all of us. Specifically, ranked choice voting and proportional representation would make politicians reach across the aisle and deliver for their constituents in order to win and keep their seats.
Protecting the environment requires a clear definition and enforcement of individual rights and responsibilities regarding resources like land, water, air, and wildlife. Where damages can be proven and quantified in a court of law, restitution to the injured parties must be required. The businesses who cause pollution should be 100% responsible for the remediation and cleanup. It should never fall on taxpayers.
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