2012 Burke County Voter's Guide - The News Herald

THE NEWS HERALD
SECTION B
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2012
Election 2012
Official Ballot
Burke County, North Carolina
November 6, 2012
BALLOT MARKING INSTRUCTIONS:
a. With the marking device provided or a black
ball point pen, completely fill in the oval
Q
to
the left of each candidate or selection of your
choice, like this:
R
b. Where authorized, you may write in a
candidate by filling in the oval and writing the
name on the Write-in line.
c. If you tear, deface or wrongly mark this ballot,
return it to request a replacement.
E
-- VOTE BOTH SIDES --
Continue voting
next side
*G0001*
0001 G
PRESIDENTIAL CONTEST
The offices of President and Vice President of
the United States are not included in a
Straight Party vote. This contest must be
voted separately.
President and Vice President
of the United States
(You may vote for ONE)
Barack Obama
Joe Biden
Democrat
Mitt Romney
Paul Ryan
Republican
Gary Johnson
James P. Gray
Libertarian
_______________________________
Write-in
STRAIGHT PARTY VOTING
a. Unless otherwise noted, a Straight Party
vote is a vote for ALL candidates of that party
in PARTISAN OFFICES. It is not necessary
to mark individual candidates for PARTISAN
OFFICES if you vote a Straight Party.
b. You may vote a Straight Party AND ALSO
vote for a candidate of a different party in any
individual office.
c. In any multi-seat office, a Straight Party
vote is a vote for ALL candidates of that party.
If you individually vote for any candidate in a
multi-seat office, you must also individually
mark all other candidates in that office for
whom you wish to vote in order for all votes
for that office to be counted.
d. If you do not vote a Straight Party below,
you may vote by marking each office
separately.
e. A Straight Party vote does not include US
President and Vice President, unaffiliated
candidates, nonpartisan offices, issues or
referenda.
Straight Party
Democratic
Republican
Libertarian
PARTISAN OFFICES
US House of Representatives
District 11
Hayden Rogers
Democrat
Mark Meadows
Republican
NC Governor
Walter H. Dalton
Democrat
Pat McCrory
Republican
Barbara Howe
Libertarian
_______________________________
Write-in
NC Lieutenant Governor
Linda D. Coleman
Democrat
Dan Forest
Republican
NC Attorney General
Roy Cooper
Democrat
NC Auditor
Beth A. Wood
Democrat
Debra Goldman
Republican
NC Commissioner of Agriculture
Walter Smith
Democrat
Steve Troxler
Republican
NC Commissioner of Insurance
Wayne Goodwin
Democrat
Mike Causey
Republican
NC Commissioner of Labor
John C. Brooks
Democrat
Cherie Berry
Republican
NC Secretary of State
Elaine Marshall
Democrat
Ed Goodwin
Republican
NC Superintendent of
Public Instruction
June Atkinson
Democrat
John Tedesco
Republican
NC Treasurer
Janet Cowell
Democrat
Steve Royal
Republican
NC State Senate
District 46
John T. McDevitt
Democrat
Warren Daniel
Republican
Richard C. Evey
Libertarian
NC House of Representatives
District 86
Jim Cates
Democrat
Hugh Blackwell
Republican
Board of County Commissioners
(You may vote for THREE)
Debbie Bradley
Democrat
Bruce Atwood Hawkins, Sr.
Democrat
Steven M. Smith
Democrat
Jeff Brittain
Republican
Jack Carroll
Republican
Johnnie Carswell
Republican
County Register of Deeds
Elizabeth T. (Libby) Cooper
Democrat
End of Straight Party Voting
Ballot Style G0001
North Carolina
A
A
B
B
C
C
Official Ballot
Burke County, North Carolina
November 6, 2012
BALLOT MARKING INSTRUCTIONS:
a. With the marking device provided or a black
ball point pen, completely fill in the oval
Q
to
the left of each candidate or selection of your
choice, like this:
R
b. Where authorized, you may write in a
candidate by filling in the oval and writing the
name on the Write-in line.
c. If you tear, deface or wrongly mark this ballot,
return it to request a replacement.
E
-- VOTE BOTH SIDES --
Continue voting
next side
*G0002*
0002 G
The offices of President and Vice President of
the United States are not included in a
Straight Party vote. This contest must be
voted separately.
President and Vice President
Barack Obama
Joe Biden
Democrat
Mitt Romney
Paul Ryan
Republican
Gary Johnson
James P. Gray
Libertarian
_______________________________
Write-in
STRAIGHT PARTY VOTING
a. Unless otherwise noted, a Straight Party
vote is a vote for ALL candidates of that party
in PARTISAN OFFICES. It is not necessary
to mark individual candidates for PARTISAN
OFFICES if you vote a Straight Party.
b. You may vote a Straight Party AND ALSO
vote for a candidate of a different party in any
individual office.
c. In any multi-seat office, a Straight Party
vote is a vote for ALL candidates of that party.
If you individually vote for any candidate in a
multi-seat office, you must also individually
mark all other candidates in that office for
whom you wish to vote in order for all votes
for that office to be counted.
d. If you do not vote a Straight Party below,
you may vote by marking each office
separately.
e. A Straight Party vote does not include US
President and Vice President, unaffiliated
candidates, nonpartisan offices, issues or
referenda.
Straight Party
Democratic
Republican
Libertarian
PARTISAN OFFICES
US House of Representatives
District 11
Hayden Rogers
Democrat
Mark Meadows
Republican
NC Governor
Walter H. Dalton
Democrat
Pat McCrory
Republican
Barbara Howe
Libertarian
_______________________________
Write-in
NC Lieutenant Governor
Linda D. Coleman
Democrat
Dan Forest
Republican
NC Attorney General
Roy Cooper
Democrat
NC Auditor
Beth A. Wood
Democrat
Debra Goldman
Republican
NC Commissioner of Agriculture
Walter Smith
Democrat
Steve Troxler
Republican
NC Commissioner of Insurance
Wayne Goodwin
Democrat
Mike Causey
Republican
NC Commissioner of Labor
John C. Brooks
Democrat
Cherie Berry
Republican
NC Secretary of State
Elaine Marshall
Democrat
Ed Goodwin
Republican
NC Superintendent of
Public Instruction
June Atkinson
Democrat
John Tedesco
Republican
NC Treasurer
Janet Cowell
Democrat
Steve Royal
Republican
NC State Senate
District 46
John T. McDevitt
Democrat
Warren Daniel
Republican
Richard C. Evey
Libertarian
NC House of Representatives
District 112
Mark Brown
Democrat
Mike Hager
Republican
(You may vote for THREE)
Debbie Bradley
Democrat
Bruce Atwood Hawkins, Sr.
Democrat
Steven M. Smith
Democrat
Jeff Brittain
Republican
Jack Carroll
Republican
Johnnie Carswell
Republican
County Register of Deeds
Elizabeth T. (Libby) Cooper
Democrat
End of Straight Party Voting
Ballot Style G0002
North Carolina
A
A
B
B
C
C
BYJULIE N. CHANG
jchang@morganton.com
MORGANTON There
are still two weeks to go
until Election Day, but
if youve got your mind
made up and want to
avoid long lines at the
polls Nov. 6, cast your bal-
lot starting today.
There are three early
voting locations in Burke
County: the board of elec-
tions ofce, 2128 S. Ster-
ling St.; the Morganton-
Burke Senior Center, 501
N. GreenSt.; andConnelly
Springs Town Hall, 1030
U.S. 70.
Early voting contin-
ues until Nov. 3. Polls are
open from8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Monday through Friday
and from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
on Nov. 3.
Burke County Board of
Elections Director Debbie
Mace encourages every-
one to vote early so they
can avoid long lines and
any issues that may arise
such as a change of ad-
dress can be taken care
of at the time.
I would love to see
more people come out for
early voting, Mace said.
It makes Election Day a
lot less crowded.
The elections ofce is
expecting a very, very
busy election, Mace said.
She predicts as many peo-
ple will show up for the
General Election as they
did for the Primary Elec-
tion in May.
Voter turnout for the
primary was high, likely
due to the inclusion of
Amendment One on the
ballot, Mace said.
Nearly 35 percent of
57,497 registered voters
cast a ballot in May.
This is the one thing
nobody can tell you how
to do or how to vote,
Mace said of the impor-
tance of voting. This is a
right and a privilege and
people need to exercise
that.
The presidential elec-
tion is important, but
electing local candidates
is vital, too, because their
decisions affect county
residents daily, Mace said.
Mace encourages any-
one who has moved
since he or she last voted
to contact the elections
ofce.
Youraddressdetermines
your voting precinct. If,
on Election Day, you have
not changed your ad-
dress, you will not be able
to vote at your old polling
location and must report
to the elections ofce.
Changing your address
is simple, Mace said, and
part of the process can be
done over the phone.
Its not too late to re-
quest an absentee ballot.
The deadline to do so is
Oct. 30. Absentee ballots
for sickness or disabil-
ity can be requested until
Nov. 5.
Anyone, for any reason,
may request an absen-
tee ballot, which must be
received by 5 p.m. Nov.
5 at the elections ofce.
Mailed absentee ballots
will be counted if they are
postmarked on or before
Election Day and received
no later than 5 p.m. Nov.
9.
If a person requests an
absenteeballot but choos-
es to vote in-person, the
elections ofce will void
the absentee ballot, Mace
said. Anyone who chang-
es their mind can call the
elections ofce to void the
absentee ballot.
You cannot vote twice
no matter how hard you
try, Mace said.
Attempts to do so will
be agged in the system,
Mace said. Voter fraud is a
felony crime.
On Nov. 6, Election
Day, voters should head
to their assigned polling
locations, which will be
open from 6:30 a.m. to
7:30 p.m.
One poll location, for-
merly at the Valdese Fire
Department, has moved.
Lovelady No. 4 voters will
now vote at Valdese Town
Hall, 102 Massel Ave., S.W.
Town hall will be closed
that day for business
and will remain open for
voters.
All precincts now have
voter rolls on laptops
and poll workers have
been training for the
past month, Mace said.
The laptops will provide
quicker and easier ac-
cess than the books used
previously.
Polls, depending on the
size, will have fromfour to
10 voting machines, Mace
said.
Burke voters will vote on
one of two ballots. Voters
in ve precincts Burke-
mont, Lower Fork A and
B, Silver Creek No. 3 and
Upper Fork will see the
N.C. House 112 race on
their ballot. The other 28
precincts will see the N.C.
House 86 race.
Mace encourages every-
one to vote. People have
three ways to vote: from
home by absentee, during
early voting at three loca-
tions or on Election Day.
This ballot with House 112 only applies to ve precincts: Burkemont, Lower Fork A and B, Silver Creek No. 3 and Upper
Early voting
begins today
Burke County elections ofce
expects a very busy election
Sample Ballots
THE NEWS HERALD FILE PHOTO
Election results scroll in on a big screen at the Foothills
Higher Education Center following Mays primary elections.
NONPARTISAN OFFICES
NC Supreme Court
Associate Justice
Sam J. Ervin IV
Paul Martin Newby
NC Court of Appeals Judge
Linda McGee
David S. Robinson
Wanda Bryant
Marty McGee
Chris Dillon
Cressie Thigpen
NC District Court Judge
District 25
Burford A. Cherry
District 25
Gary Dellinger
Soil and Water Conservation
District Supervisor
William F. Brown III
_______________________________
Write-in
End of Ballot
D
NONPARTISAN OFFICES
NC Supreme Court
Associate Justice
Sam J. Ervin IV
Paul Martin Newby
Linda McGee
David S. Robinson
Wanda Bryant
Marty McGee
Chris Dillon
Cressie Thigpen
District 25
Burford A. Cherry
District 25
Gary Dellinger
Soil and Water Conservation
District Supervisor
William F. Brown III
_______________________________
Write-in
End of Ballot
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2B N THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2012 THE NEWS HERALD N www.morganton.com
ELECTION 2012
WARREN DANIEL
Republican
Residence: Morganton
Education: University of North
Car ol i na- Cha-
pel Hill School of
Law, J.D., 2000;
United States
Military Academy
at West Point, B.S.
in national secu-
rity/public affairs;
Freedom High
School, 1987
Occupation and employer:
Member of the N.C. Senate, at-
torney at the Daniel Law Firm,
P.A.
Current and past ofces held:
N.C. Senate, 2011-present
Endorsements: N.C. Chamber
of Commerce, National Rie As-
sociation, N.C. Right to Life, N.C.
Voters for Animal Welfare, Mayor
Pat McCrory, retired Sen. Dan
Simpson, retired Sen. Don Kin-
caid, retired Sen. Jim Jacumin
Candidates statement:
I ranfor the N.C. Senate in2010
because our state was heading in
the wrong direction. I was con-
cerned about what the future
would hold for my children and
grandchildren.
Despite an unemployment
rate of more than 10 percent, the
Democrats in Raleigh continued
increasing the size of govern-
ment, raising our taxes year after
year and adding newregulations
that hurt businesses and cost us
jobs.
In 2010, the people of N.C.
chose a different course for our
state, electing a new majority
in the General Assembly for the
rst time since 1871. Faced with
a budget decit of almost $3 bil-
lion, we worked to reduce the
size of government, streamline
inefcient departments and re-
duce regulations on businesses.
To improve education, I co-
sponsored legislation that re-
forms our education system and
ends social promotion, ensuring
that third-graders can read prior
to being promoted to the fourth
grade.
I workedtonally endthe tem-
porary sales tax and to stop Gov.
Perdues plan to increase taxes
by over $1 billion, while at the
same time giving a raise to state
employees and teachers for the
rst time in ve years.
I believe in the sanctity of hu-
man life and sponsored two new
laws that will protect unborn
children and are estimated to
save 3,000 newborn lives each
year.
While we have made a lot of
progress over the past two years,
including a $200 million sur-
plus, there is still much work to
be done. But despite the chal-
lenges we face, I believe that
North Carolinas best days are
still ahead.
Working together, we can re-
build the North Carolina that
we once knew and preserve the
American Dream for our chil-
dren and grandchildren. Thank
you for allowing me the honor
of representing you in the N.C.
Senate.
I am Warren Daniel and I am
asking for your vote.
RICHARD EVEY
Libertarian
Education: I made it through
high school
Occupation and
employer: Retired
from the federal
government
Endorsements:
Gary Johnson, the
Libertarian candi-
date for president
I have a plan to reduce taxes,
reduce state government, make
your life more free, safer and
bring jobs and businesses to the
state of North Carolina.
This will be done with legisla-
tion that I have already drafted.
Legislation that will eliminate
the state department of revenue
and put in place a consumption
tax.
Legislation to crack down on
drunk driving, change domestic
violence law to be tougher plus
fairer.
Legislation for free and open
elections, tort reform, to repeal
the Certicate of Need law and
make NorthCarolina anEnglish-
only state.
JOHNT. MCDEVITT
Democrat
Education: Western Piedmont
Community Col-
lege, A.A.S. in po-
lice science
Occupation and
employer: retired
sheriff of Burke
County
Current and past
ofces held: Burke
County Sheriff, 1998-2011
Endorsements: Fraternal Or-
der of Police, North Carolina
Association of Educators, State
Employees Association of North
Carolina
I am running for the N.C.
Senate to represent Burke and
Cleveland County. I just retired
after a 37-year law enforcement
career.
One of the reasons that I am
running is because I am sick
of the Democrat-Republican
game. Our state and nation
are so politically deadlocked
that nothing is getting accom-
plished. I am not going to fall
into the trap of playing dirty po-
litical games.
Youelectedmetobeyour sher-
iff four times and most of you
probably dont know whether
Im a Republican or Democrat,
because it never mattered. You
knowthe man that I amand you
know that I will work tirelessly
to represent you in Raleigh.
This election is about jobs and
the economy and which candi-
date can work with others to ef-
fect positive change. I took the
crime rate inBurke County from
its highest in recorded history
when I was elected to the lowest
crime rate in our history.
I promise you that I will work
hard for you and I would appre-
ciate your vote on Nov. 6th.
NC Senate District 46 Candidates
Daniel
Evey
McDevitt
HUGH BLACKWELL
Republican
Residence: Valdese
Education: University of North
Car ol i na- Cha-
pel Hill, A.B. with
highest honors in
economics; Har-
vard Law School,
J.D.
Occupation and
employer: Self-em-
ployed attorney;
member of N.C. House of Repre-
sentatives
N.C. House of Representa-
tives, 2008-present; two terms
on the Burke County Board of
Education
I am pleased to have the op-
portunity to serve as Burke
Countys current member of the
N.C. House of Representatives
in Raleigh. I have voted conser-
vatively to support control of
spending, lower taxes and avoid-
ance of unjustied instances of
expensive over-regulation.
Our primary focus must be
on our economy with new ap-
proaches to help create condi-
tions to give employers con-
dence to invest, expand and
employ our citizens.
At thesametime, I haveworked
hardtosupport soundeducation
policies, our state agencies and
employees here in Burke County
and a new look at mental health
and disability policies.
I ampleasedthat, after onlytwo
years in Raleigh, I was chosen
to co-chair signicant commit-
tees: the House Appropriations
Subcommittee on Education,
the House Select Committee on
Education Reform and the joint
Senate-House Committee on Ef-
ciencies in Government.
I also now serve, through des-
ignation of the state Depart-
ment of Justice as co-chair of a
state Task Force on Preventing
Abuse and Fraud against Senior
Citizens.
These appointments are evi-
dence, I believe, that Burke
County has a capable, effective
representative in position to do
more than just cast votes.
I believe my role in education
appropriations was crucial in
maintaining funding for North
Carolina School for the Deaf in
Morganton and avoiding the
threat of its being closed.
I hope voters will allow me to
continue to work for them in
Raleigh to support the effective,
result-oriented, common-sense
policies we need.
JIM CATES
Democrat
Education: Campbell College,
A.A. in business
admi ni strati on;
Appalachian State
University, B.S. in
business educa-
tion, M.A. in busi-
ness education,
Ed.S. in higher ed-
ucation/business
education; Nova Southeastern
University, Ed.D. in community
college education; McDowell
Technical Community College,
auto mechanics diploma; West-
ern Carolina University, school
principal certicate
Occupationandemployer: Retired
Burke County Board of Commis-
sioners, seven years, chairman
for two years; Western Piedmont
Community College Board of
Trustees, two years
I am asking for Burke County
voters to vote during early voting
and Nov. 6. One of my goals as
a candidate for the N.C. House
of Representatives is to be the
hardest working, most open and
communicative representative
that has beeninRaleigh ina long
time.
I take the title representative
literally. I do not want to espouse
any preconceived issues that I
have personally. I believe that,
once elected, the representative
should seek out and determine
what the local constituency
would like to be done in Raleigh,
regardless of whether he is a
Democrat, Republican, Inde-
pendent or Libertarian.
I amnot aliberal Democrat and
consider myself a moderate. My
goal is to represent all the people
and not be closed-minded just
because someone happens to be
registered differently from me.
I was reared in Buies Creek
from very humble beginnings.
My sister, brother and I were the
local not very well off kids. The
local doctor treated us for free,
and the local dentist xed our
teeth for free.
The business manager at
Campbell College allowed me to
charge my two years of tuition
to him and allowed me to work
it off by cleaning classrooms,
washing windows and cutting
acres of grass in the summers.
Taking the next year off, I
worked to save enough to at-
tend Appalachian. Thus, my en-
tire educational endeavors were
paid for by myself with no family
assistance.
This background gave me em-
pathy for those folks who are
struggling to make ends meet
and to try to give their children
a better opportunity than they
were afforded.
I am pro-education, pro-en-
vironment, pro-small business
development and share former
Sen. Sam Ervins feelings about
government infringement on
civil liberties.
REP. MIKE HAGER, R-112, did
not submit a re-
sponse by press
deadline. Hager,
the incumbent, is
seeking his sec-
ond term in of-
ce. He resides in
Rutherfordton.
MARK BROWN
Democrat
Residence: Forest City
Education: Davidson College,
A.B. in English; Gardner-Webb
University, M.A. in English
Occupation and employer: Iso-
thermal Community College,
adjunct instructor, English;
Rutherford County Schools, re-
tired teacher and coach
Endorsements: Lt. Gov. Walter
Dalton, former
N.C. Rep. Bob
England, former
N.C. Sen. Joe Sam
Queen, N.C. Rep.
Ray Rapp
C a n d i d a t e s
statement:
I want to provide
a common-sense approach to
representing the people of state
House District 112 because I
believe we can work together
to solve our problems without
dividing and distrusting our
friends and neighbors.
I want to serve you in the
N.C. General Assembly with a
commitment to integrity and
a pledge to restore honest dia-
logue with my constituents and
colleagues.
Mypolicyfocus is tostrengthen
and revitalize our local economy
while completely funding public
education.
I was borninRutherfordCoun-
ty, grew up here and attended
public schools under the guid-
ance of some of the nest teach-
ers in the world. They prepared
me, and scholarships enabled
me, to attend and graduate from
Davidson College.
I am a combat veteran of two
tours inVietnam and, fortunate-
ly, came home to enjoy success
in the business community. First
with Duke Power Company in
Charlotte as corporate commu-
nication director then as a small
business owner in sports mar-
keting and sales.
At age 50, I returned to gradu-
ate school at Gardner-Webb
where I earned a masters degree
in English and began a new ca-
reer in Rutherford County public
schools as a teacher and coach
for 16 years.
I also worked as an adjunct
instructor at Isothermal Com-
munity College, where I gained a
profoundrespect, not onlyfor the
young students who are just be-
ginning their pathway to success
but especially for the older adults
whohadreturnedtothe academ-
ic world to re-train and acquire
new skills for a fast-changing, of-
ten uncertain economy.
When people are afforded ac-
cess to quality education, we
have the additional responsibil-
ity of creating a growth economy
that offers good jobs that pay a
living wage.
Facebook has blazeda trail that
shows the world our people have
the education, skills and work
ethic that will attract other inno-
vative companies to our part of
North Carolina.
NC House of Representatives District 86 Candidates
Blackwell
Cates
NC House of Representatives District 112 Candidates
Hager
Brown
1-800-VI SI T NC WWW. VI SI TNC. COM.
Discover the state youre in.
DEBBIE BRADLEY
Democrat
Residence: Valdese
Education: Appalachian
State Uni-
versity, M.A.
in political
science with
a concentra-
tion in town
and county
m a n a g e -
ment; Uni-
versity of North Carolina-
Chapel Hill Institute of
Government, administra-
tion course and munici-
pal administration course;
other local government
courses covering human
resources, insurance and
risk management and con-
ict resolution
Occupation and employer:
Retired human resources
director, Catawba County;
contractor with Catawba
and Caldwell counties for
Juvenile Crime Prevention
Council
I have over 31 years of
county and city experi-
ence in human resources,
nance and budget. Im a
lifelong member of North
Morganton Methodist.
I volunteer in the com-
munity. I attended bud-
get workshops this spring
(the only non-incumbent
present).
My platform is educa-
tion, accountability and
progress. Those three is-
sues are critical to the eco-
nomic development and
efciency of our county.
Education and our pub-
lic education system is a
driver that impacts our
future.
We should rank higher
than111of 115inour state.
I have served on the Safe
Schools/Healthy Students
Core Management Team.
It is the main reason I de-
cided to run for ofce. This
grant shows how dollars
can make short- and long-
termimpact that helps stu-
dents, teachers and several
outside agencies.
Accountability means
wise use of tax dollars by
identifying needs, having
the right conversations
and asking the right ques-
tions and planning for the
future.
Progress is planning for
the future.
We need to set short-
and long-term goals and
plans. We must plan for
the most critical needs.
We should have one-, ve-
and 10-year plans for all
critical services and each
department.
An example is the new
PSAP system; we need to
reassure those dependent
on the system, that the
county will maintain the
new system. The county
technologyissofar behind,
computers are purchased
and not installed. This is
a problem that impacts
everyone.
We need to work with
our fellow elected ofcials
on these goals. We need
to educate the public and
develop support for the
plans.
Since any plan includes
cost estimates, the public
needs to understand the
plan, the purpose, and
then the cost.
We need to remember
who we serve and be com-
mitted toward working to
have the best county in the
state.
JEFF BRITTAIN
Republican
Education: N.C. State
University,
B.S. in elec-
trical engi-
neering
O c c u p a -
tion and em-
ployer: Vice
president of
engineering,
Rutherford Electric Mem-
bership Corporation
I have chosen to run for
Burke County Commis-
sion because I believe I
can make a positive differ-
ence in our county. With
my whole life invested in
Burke County, I long to see
our county ourish and
grow.
During this long eco-
nomic downturn, our
county has lost many jobs
and families, and it is time
for us to work together to
rebuild Burke County for
the future.
Economic development
and educationmust be top
priorities if our county is
to grow and thrive. These
two priorities go hand-in-
hand.
As prospective and long-
time employers look at our
work force, they expect the
best and most qualied
employees. A top-notch
education system, both
primary and secondary, is
vital for success.
Our county commission,
board of education and
community college must
work together to build the
best system possible as we
plan for the future.
Ive had the opportunity
to work in leadership posi-
tions, both professionally
and personally, and un-
derstand the importance
of working with others for
the common good of all.
County efciency con-
tinues to be another area
of concern.
The recent Efciency
Assessment and Stafng
Level Analysis indicated
below average rankings in
nearly every area as com-
pared to other counties of
similar size. Burke County
should never be satised
with below average perfor-
mance across the board.
A systematic effort to ad-
dress these needs should
be put in place. Our citi-
zens deserve and expect
the best from our county
government.
Lastly, we must think
past tomorrow and devel-
op a long range plan that
will keep us on track for
the future of our families.
We all expect our county
to plan for the future, not
just today. With that in
mind, we should be mak-
ing smart decisions that
will adequately serve our
children and grandchil-
dren for many years to
come.
JACK CARROLL
Republican
Education: Fayetteville
Community
College, A.A.
in criminal
justice
O c c u p a -
tion and
e mp l oy e r :
Retired rst
s e r g e a n t ,
U.S. Army; retired lieuten-
ant, N.C. Department of
Corrections
Current and past ofces
held: Burke County Board
of Commissioners, 2004-
2008
My campaign sloganisA
New Direction For Burke
County. As a commis-
sioner my agenda consists
of ve issues. I also under-
stand there are several is-
sues facing the new board
of commissioners. I will
discuss the issues we must
address rst.
Most important is devel-
oping a short- and long-
range plan to move this
county forward. Currently,
there are no plans that
will give us a road map on
what direction we need to
take. This county has been
governed by a meeting to
meeting process for sev-
eral years.
We must develop a new
strategy to bring more jobs
to Burke County. An un-
employment rate of more
than 10 percent is not
acceptable.
We need to focus more
on our infrastructure
needs: making water avail-
able to more residents, im-
proving our sewer system
andmaintainingour build-
ings and structures. We
also need to focus more on
our jail situation.
We need to take a close
look at the relationship be-
tween the county and the
school system on funding.
The issue we must face is
trust.
Inorder tohaveaccount-
ability in government, we
need to have some sun
shine on how our tax dol-
lars are being spent. That
can be accomplished by
implementing a zero-base
budget process. I support
appointing a committee
that will assure this takes
place.
We can not afford to
continue with the status
quo. A new direction for
Burke County will make a
difference.
I ask for your support on
Nov. 6.
JOHNNIE CARSWELL
Republican
Education: Valdese High
School, 1965
O c c u p a -
tion and
e mp l oy e r :
Correctional
t r a i n i n g
specialist II
at Western
Youth Insti-
tution, N.C. Department
of Public Safety
present; Burke County
Republican Party, past
chairman
I have had the honor of
serving you as a commis-
sioner sinceFebruary2011.
I would count it as a privi-
lege if you would consider
giving me the opportunity
to continue to serve again
as your representative on
the Burke County Board of
Commissioners.
I know, just as you do,
that Burke County has
been hit hard by the loss
of jobs. A number of our
friends and relatives have
been out of work for a long
time and have felt the pain
of dealing with the uncer-
tainty of what the future
holds for all of us.
My wife Brenda and I
have lived in Burke Coun-
ty all of our lives with our
children and our grand-
children. When I look at
our grandchildren, I am
concerned about their fu-
ture, and I can assure you
that it is my sincere desire
to see Burke County pros-
per again as I remember it
when I was growing up in
Valdese.
I took an oath as your
commissioner to ensure
the taxes you pay are used
responsibly, and I have
lived up to that oath so far.
I have fullled that duty
by voting for a respon-
sible budget; one that was
balanced both in an ac-
counting sense and in its
priorities.
I believe Burke County
needs to continue to make
smart investments while
being cognizant of the tax
burden that our residents
have faced in this long
sluggish economy.
As your commissioner,
I will continue to ensure
that our spending is nei-
ther short-sighted nor
wasteful, no matter the de-
mands that are placed on
us from any source. I will
make the correct decision
about what constitutes a
needed expense.
This election, like all oth-
er local elections, is about
trust. I am asking that you
place your trust in me,
and cast your vote for me
in the November General
Election.
BRUCE ATWOOD
HAWKINS, SR.
Democrat
Residence: Valdese
Education: Livingstone
C o l l e g e ,
bachelor in
social work,
1978; N.C.
A&T State
University,
B.S. in soci-
ology, 1966;
O c c u p a -
tion and employer: Retired
social worker, Broughton
Hospital
present, chairman for one
year, vice-chairman for
past three years; Burke
County Board of Educa-
tion, 1979-1987, chairman
and vice-chairman for one
year each
Endorsements: North
Carolina Association of
Educators
During the next four
years, the Burke County
Board of Commission-
ers will be faced with a
number of issues that do
not have easy answers or
quick xes.
I am again offering my
services to you, the citi-
zens of Burke County, and
if re-elected, I will contin-
ue to work in a cooperative
manner with other board
members in addressing all
concerns and issues.
Imseeking re-electionto
the Board of Commission-
ers as I continue to have a
deep and sincere interest
in county government.
My most sincere desire
is for Burke County to be
a place where our citizens
want to continue to reside,
work and raise a family. I
have served the board of
commissioners responsi-
bly with integrity and will
continue to do so.
I have the necessary ex-
perience with proven lead-
ership abilities. I have not
allowed my political afli-
ation to compromise my
ability to serve all citizens.
If re-elected, I will work
to ensure adequate fund-
ing for our school system,
as we should not be 111
out of 115 school systems
in our state per pupil
funding.
The funding of educa-
tion should and must be
a priority. Education is the
key to economic recovery.
I will work with Burke
Development Inc., with
our municipalities, exist-
ing businesses and other
commissioners to contin-
ue to improve our econo-
my to the extent whereas
our citizens can continue
to enjoy the level of ser-
vices that they need and
deserve, continue to create
jobs for every citizen that
wants to work, especially
jobs that will allow them
to pay for a home and edu-
cate their children.
I will continue to work to
improveour countys infra-
structure, improve salaries
for our employees, request
increased funding for our
sheriffs department and
address property revalu-
ation in a timely manner
and with an outcome that
will be fair to all of our tax-
paying citizens.
STEVEN MICHAEL SMITH
Democrat
Education: Western Pied-
mont Com-
munity Col-
lege, A.A. in
police sci-
ence
O c c u p a -
tion and
e m p l o y -
ment: Semi-
retired; self-employed in
construction
present
Endorsements: North
Carolina Association of
Educators
I have served as your
county commissioner for
almost four years now.
As we, as a county, start
to come out of this Great
Recession, we, as a county
commission body, have to
decide what kindof county
we want to become.
The recession has all but
drained our fund balance
and many needs have
been put aside. I think
Burke County can become
a great place to live, work
and retire. It will take long
range planning and com-
mitment to carry out the
plan.
Education is key to turn-
ing our county around to
success. We and the school
board will work together
and bring out a newhigher
trained high school gradu-
ate that will be ready to go
to college or start work at a
high technology job or be
able to start a business of
his own.
I have learnedfromother
counties that are thriving
with business and employ-
ment that they fund their
county with enough funds
to build and improve their
infrastructure. That re-
building brought growth
and with growth brought a
higher tax base.
We in Burke County can
do the same. If we build
our infrastructure and
provide adequate funds
for education, our county
can attract new residents
and in turn will bring new
jobs and industry to the
county.
The investment we make
now will pay off with a
higher tax base in business
and industry that will low-
er the tax burden on the
individual taxpayer.
Family Man
West Point Graduate
Conservative Leader
www.DanielforSenate.com
Paid for by Warren Daniel for NC Senate
THE NEWS HERALD N www.morganton.com THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2012 N 3B
ELECTION 2012
Board of County Commissioners Candidates
Bradley
Brittain
Carswell
Carroll
Hawkins
Smith
ELECTION 2012
BYJULIE N. CHANG
MORGANTON When
talking about his cam-
paign, its clear that there
are two things that have
shaped Mark Meadows:
his conservative values
and busi-
ness experi-
ence.Mead-
ows is the
Republican
candi dat e
for North
Carol i nas
11th Con-
gressional District.
Meadows, a Christian,
is a proponent of den-
ing marriage as between
one man and one woman.
He called monogamous,
heterosexual marriage the
bedrock of society.
When you have mar-
riage between one man
and one woman, weve
found children of those
parents do better in
school. They perform
better across the board,
Meadows said. Economi-
cally, what happens is we
see the viability of any
society is based on how
strong the family is. Any-
thing we do to undermine
that is a real concern to
me.
Meadows says he has
proposed a plan to get the
economy moving again.
We put a whole lot of
emphasis on trying to
make sure we understand
the needs of every com-
munity and that we come
up with a real plan and
not just words, Meadows
said.
Meadows, during the
primary, released his
20/20 plan for economic
growth, which consists of
four components: close
loopholes and reduce cor-
porate taxes to 20 percent,
allow repatriation of earn-
ings for 20 months, reduce
regulations by 20 percent
across the board in all
federal agencies to allow
small businesses to grow
and reduce dependency
on foreign oil by 20 per-
cent by 2020.
In doing that, its really
the only jobs plan that is
out there that I believe
will promote real growth
and real economic growth
not only for Burke and
Caldwell counties but for
all western North Caro-
lina, Meadows said.
As for addressing the
countrys debt and decit,
Meadows saidhe supports
abalancedbudget amend-
ment. He doesnt want to
see the budget balanced
on the backs of state and
local governments.
Cutting out of control
spending and stopping
decit spending are also
needed, Meadows said.
The nations tax code
needs to be simplied.
Obviously a tax code
that is a simplied tax
code that doesnt pick
winners and losers and
doesnt reward people for
certain types of behaviors
and allows people to cre-
ate businesses and not
have to have a PhD in tax-
es to gure out what de-
ductions they can take is
something that will really
help us move forward,
Meadows said.
Allowing states and lo-
cal governments to deter-
mine their own policies
thus eliminating some
federal agencies would
reduce federal spending,
Meadows said.
If you look at the de-
partment of education
if we allow local teachers
and local superintendents
in the state to make deci-
sions in regards to curric-
ulum and how the federal
dollars are spent and not
have that done by the fed-
eral government, I think
wed be in better shape,
Meadows said.
The Republican can-
didate believes the cur-
rent education system
has put everybody into a
one-size-ts-all for higher
education. He believes
technical training and
community college train-
ing is nowthe way to go to
prepare people for jobs.
Higher education can
lead to great dividends
but in the current econo-
my, people need to train
for the jobs that are here
now, Meadows said.
Meadows has been vo-
cal on the campaign trail
about his opposition and
desire to repeal the Af-
fordable Care Act. Mead-
ows said the plan didnt
do anything to reduce the
cost of health care.
Meadows said one prin-
ciple of the ACA he sup-
ports is that insurance
companies cannot deny
anyone due to a pre-ex-
isting condition, but he
wants to see that upheld
in the private sector.
If werepeal ObamaCare
(the ACA) we can come up
with private sector solu-
tions that will provide for
some of those needs,
Meadows said.
One of the solutions in
the private sector includes
allowing insurance com-
panies to compete against
each other across state
lines, Meadows said.
State regulations affect
the cost of insurance with-
in each state. The result is
that insurers sell policies
at lower rates in another
state because there are
fewer mandates.
The benets of Medicare
need to be protected for
people who will be seniors
within the next 10 years,
Meadows said. Those
people have made plans
to retire and are counting
on those benets.
Deregulating and en-
couraging competition
in the health care sector
would benet Medicare
too, Meadows said.
The government needs
to stop raiding Social
Security funds, Meadows
said. His solution to re-
building the fund is to in-
crease tax revenues not
the tax rate. That could be
accomplished by increas-
ing wages for workers.
Meadows is a supporter
of Second Amendment
rights, and despite gun
violence that has led to
deaths this year does not
believe in more gun con-
trol laws.
When you look at it,
there is not a correlation
between stricter gun con-
trol laws and a safer envi-
ronment, Meadows said.
I believe the laws we
have on the books really
are there to protect us.
The alleged shooters at
mass shootings this year
at a movie theater in
Aurora, Colo. and a Sikh
temple inOak Creek, Wisc.
were in direct violation
of laws that are already
on the books, Meadows
said. If more laws are on
the books, more laws
would be broken but it
wouldnt create a safer
environment.
BYJULIE N. CHANG
MORGANTON
Hayden Rogers, the Dem-
ocratic nominee for North
Carolinas 11th Congres-
sional District, wants
to work together to nd
solutions to the nations
concerns.
I think
the last
thing we
need to do,
or frankly
any con-
gressi onal
d i s t r i c t
needs to do,
is continue to elect these
sort of extreme polarizing
folks who are unwilling
to compromise, Rogers
said. We cannot put party
ahead of country, and I
will not do that.
Rogers said his experi-
ence as U.S. Rep. Heath
Shulers chief of staff
means he can hit the
ground running on day
one. Hes ready to do so,
and hes ready to reach
across the aisle when
necessary to make sure
Congress makes the best
choices for the country.
During his campaign,
Rogers has highlighted his
connection to the district.
Im the only native
western North Carolinian
in the race who truly un-
derstands our values and
culture, Rogers said. I
am one of us, and I made
my family here.
As a small business
owner, parent and hus-
band, Rogers said he un-
derstands the challenges
facing the district and the
country.
A lot of our challenges
today are a result of cur-
rent and past Congresses
not being able to work
together to solve these
problems, Rogers said.
I believe that both par-
ties have good ideas and
solutions to address these
(economic) challenges.
Neither party has all the
answers and neither is
responsible for all the
blame.
Past free trade deals
have basically put Ameri-
can companies at a dis-
advantage and led to job
losses, Rogers said.
Democrats and Re-
publicans need to come
together and craft leg-
islation that would give
American workers amore
level playing eld, Rog-
ers said. Thats essential
for the long-termreturn of
American manufacturing,
an industry that employed
many workers inBurke, he
added.
He supports reversing
tax policies that have en-
couraged companies to
move their manufacturing
overseas and giving incen-
tives to bring those jobs
back, Rogers said.
And the district needs
to invest in infrastructure
adequate roads and
bridges, broadband ac-
cess, cheap and reliable
power sources and access
to commercial quantities
of natural gas to attract
companies to the area,
Rogers said. The same
attention to infrastruc-
ture applies to the whole
country.
An investment in job
training is crucial, too, as it
will prepare workers that
are skilled in an industry
that is no longer as preva-
lent, Rogers said. Training
would help people learn
skills that would make
them employable with
newmanufacturers.
With jobs in the country,
more people will go back
to work, which means an
increase in tax revenue,
Rogers said.
Congress also needs to
work together to reform
healthcare to reduce the
cost, Rogers said.
I think we have a lot of
work to do on our health
care system, Rogers said.
While I would not have
voted for the Affordable
Care Act had I been in
Congress, I think the most
prudent thing to do mov-
ing forward is to address
the concerns and prob-
lems it focuses on: reduc-
ing the cost of health care.
Its a challenge that still
exists.
Rogers said theres no
need to start over com-
pletely as there are some
provisions of the ACA that
are good things. That in-
cludes reducing the cost of
prescriptions for seniors
and ensuring that people
with pre-existing condi-
tions arent rejected by in-
surers.
He believes strongly in
Medicare and Social Se-
curity two more things
that will require Congress
to work together and nd
a solution.
Hes against voucher-
izing Medicare, Rogers
said. Instead the govern-
ment needs to ensure
that delivery is as efcient
as possible, prevent and
weed out fraud and take a
closer look at some of the
costs for services.
A strong proponent of
public education, Rog-
ers said America needs to
have an educated popu-
lace to ensure the nations
success and growth.
I think its essential as
we continue to move in
an increasingly mobile
economy that we have
folks who are trained and
educated to compete for
21st century jobs. It is
absolutely critical. It is
the bedrock of American
success.
Financial circumstances
should not be a barrier to
getting an education and
improving ones life, Rog-
ers said.
Although he believes
states and local school
systems should determine
their curriculums, the fed-
eral government provides
critical funding and estab-
lishes minimumstandards
for learning, Rogers said.
Job opportunities dont
stop at state lines, Rogers
said.Forthatreason, there
havetobesomeguidelines
and standards.
Although the national
Democratic Partys plat-
form includes support for
gay marriage, Rogers is a
supporter of the recently
passed Amendment One
in North Carolina.
I believe in the sanc-
tity of marriage and that
it is between one man and
one woman, Rogers said.
Its consistent with my
faith, and it keeps with the
culture I was brought up
with.
Rogers is a strong pro-
ponent of the Second
Amendment, calling
the right to bear arms
fundamental.
Circumstances vary in
shooting incidents, but
criminals will nd a way
to get the things they
need, Rogers said. Tight-
ening gun control laws
wouldnt necessarily help.
I think this is a larger
issue, and I dont support
restricting law abiding cit-
izens rights to purchase or
own legal weapons, Rog-
ers said.
US House of Representatives District 11 Candidates
PHOTOS BYJULIE N. CHANG/THE NEWS HERALD
U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-10, (left) chats with N.C. 11th Congressional District candidate
Mark Meadows in July during a breakfast event for Meadows at Timberwoods Restaurant.
McHenry endorsed Meadows after the May 8 primary. The congressman said Meadows would
be the most effective at serving the district due to his conservative values and credibility.
PHOTOS BYJULIE N. CHANG/THE NEWS HERALD
Candace Forney (left) an employee of Duralee, speaks on with Hayden Rogers (right) the
Democratic candidate for the North Carolina 11th Congressional District.
Meadows guided by
conservative values
Rogers advocates
bipartisan solutions
Meadows
Rogers
in July, EJ Victor Vice-Chairman Ed Phifer (right) led Democratic Congressional candidate
Hayden Rogers (center) on a tour of the furniture manufacturers Morganton plants. The pair
spoke with and watched Donald Brown (left) applying brass nails to a chair.
N.C. 11th Congressional District candidate Mark Meadows,
right, greets Bobbi (left) and David (center) Gillette of
Valdese in July at a breakfast event at Timberwoods
Restaurant. The mother and son attended the breakfast to
reconnect with Rep. Patrick McHenry, who has endorsed
Meadows, and to learn more about Meadows.
ELECTION 2012
GARYJOHNSON (LIBERTARIAN)
Age: 59
Education: B.S., University of
New Mexico
Website: gary
johnson2012.com
Economy
The U.S. must
adopt 3 approach-
es.
1. Cut Spending:
This recession has forced
families and businesses across
America to make hard choices
and limit their expenditures. We
must now expect our elected of-
cials to make the tough calls
that will keepour government on
a sustainable path moving for-
ward. We must restrain spending
across the board.
2. Cut taxes:
The U.S. tax system imposes
an enormous toll on productiv-
ity through high marginal rates,
absurd complexity, loopholes for
the well-connected, and incen-
tives for wasteful decisions.
3. Reduce federal involvement
in the economy:
Much federal intervention is
a payout to special interests or
counterproductive meddling
that sties competition, innova-
tion, and growth.
Source: http://www.garyjohnson2012.com
National Security
1. Bring the troops home:
American military activities
in Afghanistan should end, our
troops returned home, and the
focus of our foreign policy reori-
ented toward the protection of
U.S. citizens and interests. With
Osama bin Laden nowkilled and
after 10 years of ghting, U.S.
forces shouldleave Afghanistans
challenges to the Afghan people.
Decades after the collapse
of the Soviet Union, Ameri-
can troops remain scattered
throughout Europe. It is time to
reevaluate these deployments.
The U.S. must make better use
of military alliances which allow
greater sharing of the human
andnancial burdens at less cost
of protecting national interests.
2. Lead by example:
America can achieve our for-
eign policy goals without sacri-
cing American values.
No criminal or terrorist sus-
pect captured by the U.S. should
be subject to physical or psycho-
logical torture.
Individuals incarcerated un-
justly by the U.S. should have
the ability to seek compensation
through the courts.
Individuals detained by the
U.S., whether it be at Guanta-
namo Bay or elsewhere, must be
given due process via the courts
or military tribunals, and must
not be held indenitely without
regard to those fundamental
processes.
Energy
Clean air, clean water and a
healthy environment are impor-
tant to all Americans. Affordable
energy is critical not only to our
quality of life, but to economic
prosperity.
When it comes to the environ-
ment, the federal governments
responsibility is no different
thaninother aspects of our lives.
It is simply to protect us from
those who would do us harm
and damage our property. There
are bad actors who would pol-
lute our water supplies and our
air if allowed to do so, and we
must have laws and regulations
to protect innocent Americans
from the harm those bad ac-
tors would do. However, com-
mon sense must prevail, and the
costs of all regulations must be
weighed against the benets.
Thegovernment shouldsimply
stay out of the business of trying
to promote or manage energy
development. The marketplace
will meet our energy needs in
the most economical and ef-
cient manner possible if gov-
ernment will stay out of the way.
Health care
When President Obama rst
called for health care reform, he
talked about reducing costs and
increasing access to care. That
sounded good.
But, by the time President
Obama and Congress were n-
ished with the Affordable Care
Act, we ended up with unprec-
edented government mandates,
tax increases, and a federal in-
trusion into the marketplace like
none we have ever seen.
The result: Higher insurance
costs, job-killing regulations,
andnoevidence that anyone will
enjoy improved health care.
Reduced costs and better ser-
vice are what a free, functional
marketplace will provide if
the government stays out of the
way. Health care is no exception.
Competition, price transparen-
cy, and the innovation that will
result froma robust marketplace
will accomplishthefundamental
goals of affordability and access
in ways the government cannot
possibly accomplish.
Debt
Gary Johnson: Government
spends too much because it
does too much. Unchecked de-
cits are the single greatest threat
to our national security. Unless
we take signicant steps soon,
our federal debt will equal the
entire economic production of
the United States.
We must fundamentally reas-
sess the role of the federal gov-
ernment, alwaysaskingtheques-
tion: Should the government be
doing this in the rst place? That
reassessment should begin with
the President submitting a truly
balanced budget in 2013.
From garyjohnson2012, ncvoterguide.org
BARACK OBAMA (DEMOCRAT)
Age: 51
Education: B.A., Columbia Uni-
versity; J.D., Har-
vard Law School
Website: barack
obama.com
Economy
The president
is taking aggres-
sive steps to put
Americans back to work, and
restore middle-class security for
decades to come. For years be-
fore the economic crisis, middle-
class security had been slipping
away. Wages stagnated while
health care costs soared. Weve
added back 2.6 million private
sector jobs as of September 2011,
but theres more work to do.
When President Obama took
ofce, he both addressed the
immediate economic crisis and
laid the foundation for a U.S.
economy that can out-innovate
and out-build the world.
National Security
When President Obama took
ofce, the U.S. was engaged
in two wars and faced terror-
ist threats at home and abroad.
President Obama has refocused
our security priorities toconcen-
trate on the most serious threats,
promote our values, and im-
prove our standing in the world.
President Obama is committed
to strengthening Americas lead-
ership by maintaining a strong
military and staying true to our
values and ideals. President
Obama has fullled his promise
to bring our soldiers home from
Iraq responsibly and safely.
Energy
President Obama has made
the environment a priority, mov-
ing us towards energy indepen-
dence, investing in clean-energy
jobs, andtaking steps to improve
the quality of our air and wa-
ter. As of November 2010, the
Obama administrations policies
have helped the private sector
create 1 million jobs through
public investments that jump-
started additional private invest-
mentnearly a quarter of those
jobs inthe cleanenergy industry.
The clean energy sector creates
the jobs of today and tomorrow,
helps protect our environment,
and reduces our dependence
on foreign oil. President Obama
signed a law that provided for
one of the largest expansions of
federally protected wilderness in
decades.
Health care
President Obama passed the
Affordable Care Act to restore
health care as a basic corner-
stone of middle-class security
in America. When fully imple-
mented, the Affordable Care
Act will end the worst insurance
company abuses including
denying coverage to people with
pre-existing conditions or can-
celling coverage when someone
gets sick. The Affordable Care Act
makes health care more afford-
able for families and small busi-
nesses and brings much-needed
transparency to the insurance
industry. Because of the new
law, 32 million more Americans
will be able to afford insurance
for the rst time. Ninety-ve per-
cent of Americans under age 65
will have insurance.
Debt
For the last decade, we have
spent more money than we take
in. In the year 2000, the govern-
ment had a budget surplus. But
instead of using it to pay off our
debt, the money was spent on
trillions of dollars in new tax
cuts, while two wars and an ex-
pensive prescription drug pro-
gram were simply added to our
nations credit card. As a result,
the decit was on track to top $1
trillion the year I took ofce. To
make matters worse, the reces-
sion meant that there was less
moneycomingin, andit required
us to spend even more on tax
cuts for middle-class families; on
unemployment insurance; on
aid to states so we could prevent
more teachers and reghters
and police ofcers from being
laid off. These emergency steps
also added to the decit.
Now, every family knows that a
little credit card debt is manage-
able. But if we stay onthe current
path, our growing debt could
cost us jobs and do serious dam-
age to the economy. More of our
tax dollars will go toward pay-
ing off the interest on our loans.
Businesses will be less likely to
open up shop and hire workers
ina country that cant balance its
books. Interest rates could climb
foreveryonewhoborrowsmoney
the homeowner with a mort-
gage, the student with a college
loan, the corner store that wants
to expand. And we wont have
enough money to make job-cre-
ating investments in things like
education and infrastructure, or
pay for vital programs like Medi-
care and Medicaid.
Because neither party is
blameless for the decisions that
led to this problem, both parties
have a responsibility to solve it.
Andover the last several months,
thats what weve been trying to
do. I wont bore you with the de-
tails of every plan or proposal,
but basically, the debate has
centered around two different
approaches. The rst approach
says, lets live within our means
by making serious, historic cuts
in government spending. Lets
cut domestic spending to the
lowest level itsbeensinceDwight
Eisenhower was president. Lets
cut defense spending at the Pen-
tagon by hundreds of billions of
dollars. Lets cut out the waste
and fraud in health care pro-
grams like Medicare and at
the same time, lets make modest
adjustments so that Medicare is
still there for future generations.
Finally, lets ask the wealthiest
Americans and biggest corpora-
tions to give up some of their tax
breaks and special deductions.
This balanced approach asks
everyone to give a little without
requiring anyone to sacrice too
much. It wouldreduce the decit
by around $4 trillion and put us
on a path to pay down our debt.
And the cuts wouldnt happen
so abruptly that theyd be a drag
on our economy, or prevent us
from helping small business and
middle-class families get back
on their feet right now.
From barackobama.com, whitehouse.gov,
ncvoterguide.org
MITT ROMNEY (REPUBLICAN)
Age: 65
Education: B.A.,
Brigham Young
University; J.D.,
Harvard Law
School; MBA,
Harvard Business
School
Website: mit
tromney.com
Economy
Mitt Romney will rebuild the
foundations of the American
economy on the principles of
free enterprise, hard work, and
innovation. His plan seeks to
reduce taxes, spending, regula-
tion, and government programs.
It seeks to increase trade, energy
production, human capital, and
labor exibility. It relinquishes
power to the states instead of
claiming to have the solution to
every problem. Any American
living through this economic
crisis will immediately recog-
nize the severity of the break
that Mitt Romney proposes from
our current course. He is call-
ing for a fundamental change in
Washingtons view of how eco-
nomic growth and prosperity
are achieved, how jobs are cre-
ated, and how government can
support these endeavors. It is at
once a deeply conservative re-
turn to policies that have served
our nation well and a highly am-
bitious departure from the poli-
cies of our current leadership. In
short, it is a plan to get America
back to work.
National Security
Our country today faces a be-
wildering array of threats and
opportunities. As president, Mitt
Romney will safeguard America
and secure our countrys inter-
ests and most cherished ideals.
The unifying thread of his na-
tional security strategy is Ameri-
can strength. When America is
strong, the world is safer. It is
only American power con-
ceived in the broadest terms
that can provide the foundation
for an international system that
ensures the security and pros-
perity of the United States and
our friends and allies. A Romney
foreign policy will proceed with
clarity and resolve. Our friends
and allies will not have doubts
about where we stand and what
we will do to safeguard our in-
terests and theirs. Neither will
our rivals, competitors, and ad-
versaries. The best ally world
peace has ever known is a strong
America. The last best hope of
earth was what Abraham Lin-
coln called our country. Mitt
Romney believes in fullling the
promise of Lincolns words and
will defend America abroad in
word and in deed.
Energy
As president, Mitt Romney will
make every effort to safeguard
the environment, but he will
be mindful at every step of also
protecting the jobs of American
workers. This will require put-
ting conservative principles into
action. The rst step will be a ra-
tional andstreamlinedapproach
to regulation, which would facil-
itate rapid progress in the devel-
opment of our domestic reserves
of oil and natural gas and allow
for further investment innuclear
power.
Establish xed timetables for
all resource development ap-
provals Create one-stop shop
to streamline permitting pro-
cess for approval of common
activities Implement fast-track
procedures for companies with
established safety records to
conduct pre-approved activities
in pre-approved areas Ensure
that environmental laws prop-
erly account for cost in regula-
tory process Amend Clean Air
Act to exclude carbon dioxide
from its purview Expand NRC
capabilities for approval of ad-
ditional nuclear reactor designs
Streamline NRC processes to
ensure that licensing decisions
for reactors on or adjacent to ap-
proved sites, using approved de-
signs, are complete within two
years Increasing Production The
United States is blessed with a
cornucopia of carbon-based en-
ergy resources. Developing them
has been a pathway to prosper-
ity for the nation in the past and
offers similar promise for the
future. Conduct comprehen-
sive survey of Americas energy
reserves Open Americas en-
ergy reserves for development
Expand opportunities for U.S.
resource developers to forge
partnerships with neighboring
countries Support construc-
tion of pipelines to bring Cana-
dian oil to the United States
Prevent overregulation of shale
gas development and extraction
ResearchandDevelopment Gov-
ernment has a role to play in in-
novation in the energy industry.
History shows that the United
States has moved forward in as-
tonishing ways thanks to nation-
al investment in basic research
and advanced technology. How-
ever, we should not be in the
business of steering investment
toward particular politically
favored approaches. That is a
recipe for both time and money
wasted on projects that do not
bring us dividends. The failure
of windmills and solar plants to
become economically viable or
make a signicant contribution
to our energy supply is a prime
example. Concentrate alter-
native energy funding on basic
research Utilize long-term,
apolitical funding mechanisms
like ARPA-E for basic research
Health care
Mitt Romney believes that
Obamacare must be repealed.
On his rst day in ofce, he will
issue an executive order paving
the way for waivers from Obam-
acare for all 50 states. Subse-
quently, he will call on Congress
to fully repeal Obamacare, and
advocate reforms that return
power to the states, improve ac-
cess by slowing health care cost
increases, and make health in-
surance portable and exible for
todays economy. The central ad-
vantage of our federalist system
is that different states will ex-
periment with and settle on the
health care solutions that suit
their residents best. We can em-
power states to expand health
care access tolow-income Amer-
icans by block-granting funds
for Medicaid and the uninsured.
Mitt Romneys reforms also offer
the states resources to help the
chronically ill, to improve their
access to care, and to improve
the functioning of insurance
markets for others. The tax code
currently offers open-ended
subsidies for the purchase of
insurance through employers.
Mitt Romney will expand the
tax deduction to also include
those who buy their own health
insurance. This simple change
creates the best of both worlds.
Absolutely nothing will change
for those who like their current
coverage. And individuals who
dont get coverage through their
employers will have portable,
lower-cost options. The current
medical liability system encour-
ages defensive medicine and
drives up health care costs. To
address these problems, Mitt
Romney will cap non-economic
damages in medical malprac-
tice litigation. He also believes
in providing innovation grants
to states for additional medi-
cal liability reforms, such as al-
ternative dispute resolution or
health care courts. Make health
care more like a market and less
like a government program Mitt
Romney will strengthen health
savings accounts (HSAs), which
help consumers save for health
expenses and choose cost-effec-
tive insurance. For example, he
believes that we should permit
HSA funds to be used to pay for
health insurance premiums. The
market reforms Mitt is propos-
ing will drive down costs, better
inform consumers, and improve
the quality of health care in our
nation.
Debt
Exercise scal responsibility to
restore economic opportunity.
Washington is addicted to de-
cit spending. As President, Mitt
Romney will cut spending to
nally move our nation toward
a balanced budget. During the
Bush years, the nations decit
the gap between what Wash-
ington collects and spends each
year hovered between 2 per-
cent and 4 percent of GDP. These
levels were already problematic
and a cause for concern. Dur-
ing the Obama administration,
however, the decit exploded to
10 percent of GDP. One major
problem with sky-high decit
spending is that it necessar-
ily leads to another practice that
undermines the nations s-
cal foundation: borrowing un-
healthy sums to pay for what we
already cannot afford. America
is on an unsustainable path that,
within just a few short years, will
cripple the economy and fore-
close any opportunity for recov-
ery. Mitt Romney will bring scal
restraint to Washington by plac-
ing a hard cap on federal spend-
ing to force our government to
live within its means and put
an end to decit spending. Mitt
will also curb federal spending
by repealing Obamacare, the
federal takeover of health care
that is scheduled to cost taxpay-
ers one trillion dollars over the
next ten years. He will also focus
on eliminating wasteful govern-
ment spending and right-sizing
the federal government to save
taxpayer dollars. Mitt Romneys
goal is to put the federal gov-
ernment on a course toward a
balanced budget and true scal
responsibility.
From mittromney.com, ncvoterguide.org
President of the United States of America Candidates
Johnson
Obama
Romney
Republicans raised gas tax 4 per gallon.
VOTE DEMOCRATIC
3 Republican Burke County Commissioners voted to reduce
Burke County School funding by more than 10 million
dollars. VOTE DEMOCRATIC
Burke County is now 111th out of 115 school systems in NC
in per pupil funding. VOTE DEMOCRATIC
NC is 47th out of 50 states in per student funding.
VOTE DEMOCRATIC
3 Republican county commissioners voted against funding
for courthouse security. VOTE DEMOCRATIC
Republicans decision to sell our jail now costs Burke County
taxpayers $400,000 a year to rent beds in the jail we used
to own. VOTE DEMOCRATIC
6,000 fewer students will attend college next year because of
Republicans cuts to education. VOTE DEMOCRATIC
www.burkecountydemocrats.org
PAID FOR BY BURKE COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY
VOTE DEMOCRATIC
VOTE DEMOCRATIC
John T. McDevitt
NC Senate District 46
Jim Cates
NC House District 86
Mark Brown
NC House District 112
Debbie Bradley
Burke County
Board of Commissioners
Bruce Hawkins, Sr.
Burke County
Steve Smith
Burke County
Burke County NCAE and the North
Carolina Association of Educators
proudly endorses:
NC General Assembly - Senate 46 - John McDevitt
House 86 - Hugh Blackwell
Governor - Walter Dalton
Lt. Governor - Linda Coleman
Burke County Commission - Debbie Bradley,
Bruce Hawkins, Steven Smith
Paidfor byNCAE-PAC-
Not authorizedbyanycandidate
ELECTION 2012
LINDA COLEMAN
(DEMOCRAT)
Website: LindaColeman.
org
Candidate Biography
(submitted by candidate):
I was born
in Green-
ville, N.C.,
and earned
my BA from
N.C. A&T
State Uni-
versity, and
an MA in
public administration
from the University of
Pittsburgh.
A distinguished man-
agement career followed
my early experience as
a public school teacher:
Personnel Director for the
N.C. Department of Com-
munity Colleges, and Hu-
man Resources Director
for the Departments of
Administration, and Ag-
riculture and Consumer
Services. I was also the di-
rector of state personnel.
My public service re-
cord is substantial. I have
been a Commissioner and
Chair of the Wake County
Board of Commissioners,
and served three terms in
the state House of Repre-
sentatives.
Candidate Statement: As
Lt. Governor, I will use my
experience, commitment,
passion and long history
of relationships built over
decades of service to build
partnerships that will help
ordinary people.
The key issue facing
families in 2012 is jobs.
Weve got to maintain
and enhance our reputa-
tion as a state that is busi-
ness-friendlyandnurtures
innovation. I want tobring
the industries of the future
here: green, bio-tech, soft-
ware and digital.
That takes an educated
workforce. I will ght for a
pre-K to 12 public educa-
tion in every county that
prepares students to par-
ticipate in a cutting edge
economy.
I will ght for more life-
long training and skill de-
velopment opportunities
by working with business,
our K-12 schools and
community colleges to
improve course offerings.
I will ght the forces
of prejudice, of that old
North Carolina we need
to leave behind. We dont
need the business disrup-
tion that comes from the
proposed change to the
constitution. Amendment
1, if passed, will harmcou-
ples in domestic unions
and their children.
Im a consensus builder.
We need a leader who will
speak for all of us. My plat-
form is built on the prem-
ise of moving our state
forward.
DAN FOREST
(REPUBLICAN)
Website: DanForest.com
Candidate Biography
Dan has
over 23
years of ex-
perience as
a business
leader, ar-
chitect and
ent r epr e-
neur. He is a
former senior partner with
Little Diversied Architec-
tural Consulting having
served as president of the
rms Durham ofce. Dan
holds two undergraduate
degrees from UNC Char-
lotte and is a graduate of
UNC Charlotte College of
Architecture.
He is the founder of the
Triangle Leadership Fo-
rum where he serves as
president of the board.
Dan serves on the board
of The Faith Driven Con-
sumer and is the former
chairman of the board of
Wake Forest Pregnancy
Support Services. Dan
and his wife Alice live in
Raleigh with their four
children.
Candidate Statement:
We need a Lt. Governor
who is willing to ght to
reduce the tax burden
so our businesses can
put people back to work.
North Carolina ranks 44th
in the nation in business
tax climate. We have the
highest corporate income
tax rate and the highest
gas tax in the southeast,
and one of the highest
personal income tax rates
in the nation.
My proven history of
business leadership (for-
mer ofce president and
senior partner with N.C.s
largest architecture rm),
as well as my experience
as an architect make me
well suited to help lead
our state. Architects are
visionaries, planners,
creative problem solvers
and consensus builders
I believe that is what we
need more of in Raleigh.
From ncvoterguide.org
WALTER DALTON
(DEMOCRAT)
Website: DaltonForNC.
com
Candidate Biography
W a l t e r
Dalton is
a proven
leader who
has been na-
tionally rec-
ognized for
his efforts to
recruit jobs
and improve education.
Key Accomplishments:
Recruited 21st-century
jobs to North Carolina,
sponsored the states
award-winning early col-
lege system, led success-
ful foreclosure prevention
efforts, created a fund to
help small businesses re-
tain jobs, led programs to
spark entrepreneurship in
rural areas
Experience: Lieutenant
Governor, 2009-present;
State Senator, 1997-2009;
Attorney, 1975-2009
Education: Juris Doctor,
UNC-Chapel Hill, 1975;
Bachelor of Business
Admin., UNC-Chapel Hill,
1971
Family: Married to Lucille
Hodge Dalton for 41 years;
two adult children, Brian
and Elizabeth
Candidate statement: Im
running for governor to
move North Carolina for-
ward as we turn the corner
on this national recession.
I will work to put North
Carolinians back to work
now and invest in educa-
tion innovation to protect
our states future economy.
Job creation will be my
top priority as governor.
We will recruit 21st-cen-
tury jobs across the state
and expand existing em-
ployers. We will actively
encourage innovation and
entrepreneurship and bet-
ter coordinate job training
through our community
college system.
As governor, I will invest
in education innovation
to create a recession-proof
economy. A proven meth-
od of education innova-
tion is North Carolinas
early college system, a pro-
gram I sponsored in 2003.
Early colleges are ve-year
programs in which stu-
dents earn a high school
diploma, along with an
associates degree or two
years of college credit.
Early colleges up the
academic rigor, save par-
ents money and allow stu-
dents to go directly into
the workforce. They have
also been proven to eradi-
cate the dropout rate and
help rst-generation col-
lege students achieve ca-
reer success. If we can bet-
ter prepare our students,
we can make sure North
Carolina is competitive
with other states and even
other countries, including
China and India, for jobs.
BARBARA HOWE
(LIBERTARIAN)
Website: BarbaraHowe.
net
Candidate Biography
I grew up in Wingate,
North Caro-
lina, and
have spent
almost my
entire life in
the state. I
gr aduat ed
from Pfei-
ffer College
in 1975 with a bachelors
degree in English and
psychology.
After the birth of my rst
child in 1979, I became
a full-time stay-at-home
mom. In addition to rear-
ing my two sons and one
daughter, I have cham-
pioned three important
causes: home schooling,
volunteering for La Leche
League (an international
support group for breast-
feeding mothers), and
working to share the mes-
sage of individual freedom
and personal responsibil-
ity through my involve-
ment with the Libertarian
Party of North Carolina.
Imagine a world where
government does one
thing and one thing only:
that is, to help you protect
yourself from those who
might hurt you through
force or fraud, but other-
wise leaves you alone. In
that world, you would be
able to live your life as you
see t as long as you re-
spect everyone elses right
to do the same.
Decisions on how to
form a family, how to rear
and educate your children,
how and with whom to do
business, how to manage
your health care, and how
plan for your retirement
would be in your hands,
not governments. This is
the philosophy of govern-
ment that I will take to
Raleigh. People want to be
able to work to provide for
themselves and their fami-
lies, and want to be free to
enjoy their lives. It will take
leadership from a person
who respects the fact that
you own your life to bring
about a government that
respects your right to life,
liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness.
Are you ready for a fresh
perspective to business
in Raleigh? Check out
my website and feel free
to contact me with any
questions.
Freedom works. Heres
Howe. I want your vote on
Nov. 6. Be Libertarian with
me this one time and lets
see where we can go.
PAT MCCRORY
(REPUBLICAN)
Website: PatMcCrory.
com
Candidate Biography
Pat McCro-
ry was raised
in Guilford
County and
attendedCa-
tawba Col-
lege in Row-
an County,
where he
earned degrees in educa-
tion and political science.
He went on to work for
Duke Energy for 29 years.
After serving on the
Charlotte City Council,
Pat was elected mayor
and served a record seven
terms. More than 200,000
jobs were created while Pat
served as mayor as he was
the consummate cham-
pion for economic devel-
opment and job creation.
Pat also reduced the citys
property tax rate as well as
the crime rate.
Pat and his wife Ann re-
side in Charlotte with their
dog Mo.
NorthCarolina is the great-
est state inthe country, but
we need a different vision
in order to get back on
track. We have one of the
highest unemployment
rates in the country but
lack an economic strategy.
We have toomuchpolitical
bickering and not enough
problem solving. Its time
to x North Carolinas bro-
ken government and bro-
ken economy, and put our
resources back to work.
We must foster an eco-
nomic environment with
less costly and burden-
some regulations and tax-
es, not only to compete for
out of state jobs, but also
help our existing business-
es create jobs. We need to
reward the productivity
and innovation of North
Carolina businesses and
entrepreneurs rather than
giving away upfront cash
to out of state corporations
offering promises. We need
to get into the energy busi-
ness so we can be more
energy independent and
create a new economic
engine.
We also must reform ed-
ucation to ensure that all
of our children are learn-
ing the vital skills like read-
ing and math and reward
our best teachers. And we
must have dual tracks for
high school students to
choose either a vocational
path or to attend college.
We can do better in edu-
cating our children.
NC Governor Candidates NC Lieutenant Governor Candidates
Dalton
Howe
McCrory
Coleman
Forest
LocaI PeopIe, PIaces, and Events
Morganton.com
# #
President - Mitt Romney
Vice President - Paul Ryan
U.S. House of Representatives - Dist.11 - Mark Meadows
NC Governor - Pat McCrory
NC Lieutenant Governor - Dan Forest
NCAuditor - Debra Goldman
NC Comissioner of Agriculture - Steve Troxler
NC Commissioner of Insurance - Mike Causey
NC Commissioner of Labor - Cherie Berry
NC Secretary of State - Ed Goodwin
NC Superintendent of Public Instruction - John Tedesco
NC Treasurer - Steve Royal
NC State Senate - Dist. 46 - Warren Daniel
NC House of Representatives - Dist. 86 -Hugh Blackwell**
NC House of Representatives - Dist. 112 - Mike Hagar**
Jeff Brittain * Jack Carroll * Johnnie Carswell
NON PARTISAN OFFICES
NC Supreme Court Associate Justice - Paul Martin Newby
NC Court of Appeals Judge - David S. Robinson
NC Court of Appeals Judge - Marty McGee
NC Court of Appeals Judge - Chris Dillon
NC District Court Judge - Dist. 25 - Burford A. Cherry
One Stop Early Voting - Register and Vote
Begins Thursday, October 18, 2012
8:00 AM ~ 5:00 PM Daily
Early Voting Ends on Saturday, November 3 at 1:00 PM
Burke Board of Elections Burke-Morganton Senior Center Connelly Springs Town Hall
Election Day ~ Tuesday ~ November 6, 2012
Polls OPEN at 6:30 AM and CLOSE at 7:30 PM
Burke County GOP Headquarters
213 Avery Avenue, Morganton, NC
(828) 430-3099
* Straight Party Vote does not include presidential and nonpartisan ofces.
** Candidates for House of Representative vary by district.
Paid for by the Burke County Republican Party
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BURKE COUNTY
CONSERVATIVE
VOTER GUIDE
Step 1: Cast your vote for the Romney/Ryan ticket.*
Step 2: Cast your vote for each ofce/candidate or the Straight Party ticket.*
Step 3: Cast your vote for each ofce/judicial candidate.*
ELECTION 2012
WALTER SMITH
(DEMOCRAT)
Website: VoteWalter
Smith.com
Candidate Biography
Born and
raised on
a tobacco,
row crop
and live-
stock farm
in eastern
N.C.; Cur-
rently live
in Yadkin County with my
wife Sherri where I oper-
ate a poultry farm; Worked
for the U.S. Department
of Agriculture for 30-plus
years administering feder-
al farm programs; Taught
Vocational Agriculture;
Former NCSU College of
Agriculture Alumni Board
president; Member of the
Yadkin Agricultural Dis-
trict Board, Horne Creek
Living Historical Farm
Board, Yadkin Community
Schools Board, and the
NC Ag Foundation Board;
Received a BS from NCSU
in technical and biologi-
cal engineering; Assistant
Sunday school teacher at
North Oak Ridge Baptist
Church; former mayor of
Boonville.
Candidate Statement: I
have a unique and diverse
background that is well
suited for North Carolina
AgricultureCommissioner.
I have been involved in ag-
riculture my entire life. We
need a full-time commis-
sioner who will be a strong
voice for agriculture, agri-
business, and consumer
safety.
I will make NCDA the
most responsive and ef-
cient department in state
government. My rst pri-
ority, if elected, will be to
establish a hotline for any-
one needing assistance,
voicing concerns or offer-
ing suggestions.
We must keep our family
farms protable and nd
new young farmers.
We need to maintain all
our ag research stations.
Their research leads to
higher productivity, reduc-
tion in operating costs,
increased farm income
and more employment
opportunities.
It is important that NCDA
provide a safe and healthy
food supply. NCDA is also
responsible for many other
areas of consumer safety
that affect every consumer
in the state. We must place
a stronger emphasis on
consumer safety.
I will cut red tape in
NCDA. I worked with
USDA for 30-plus years
and I know red tape. There
are ways to reduce it.
I will dedicate resources
within NCDAto encourage
and promote agriculture
and agribusiness to go
green.
We must increase our ef-
forts to nd new markets
for our very diverse agri-
cultural products.
STEVE TROXLER
(REPUBLICAN)
Website: SteveTroxler.com
Candidate Biography
Commissioner Steve Trox-
ler was elect-
ed as North
Car ol i nas
rst Repub-
lican Com-
missioner of
Agriculture
in 2004. He
is owner and
operator of Troxler Farms,
a family-owned farming
operation north of Greens-
boro. Troxler is incoming
president of the National
Association of State De-
partments of Agriculture.
He has received the Out-
standing Young Farmer
award, the N.C. Agricultur-
al Extension Service Out-
standingServiceAwardand
theConservationGuardian
Award. A Browns Summit
native, Troxler received his
BS degree in conservation
from N.C. State University
in 1974. He and his wife,
Sharon, have two sons and
three grandchildren.
Candidate Statement: On
my very rst day as com-
missioner, I promised to
workwiththeemployees of
the Department of Agricul-
ture and Consumer Servic-
es to make the department
the best inthe nation. Now,
seven years later, I can tell
you that were doing just
that. Insuring food safety
is an area of concern for all
North Carolinians.
The departments Food
and Drug Protection Di-
vision is the leading food
protection agency in the
United States and Canada.
More thana millionpeople
came to the State Fair for
two straight years. Preserv-
ing our scarce farmland
for future generations has
been one of my top pri-
orities, and we have made
signicant progress.
Weve even done our part
to make sure school stu-
dents have a healthy edu-
cation by delivering nearly
a million dollars worth of
fresh North Carolina fruits
and vegetables to the pub-
lic schools. At the same
time, we have been ag-
gressive in helping farm-
ers and agribusiness grow
and expand their markets.
We even opened an ofce
in Beijing, China, to intro-
duce the worlds largest
country to North Carolina
products.
It is my goal to continue
to expand the agricultural
economy, keep our food
safe and grow the number
of jobs in agriculture.
Fromwww.ncvoterguide.org
DEBRA GOLDMAN
(REPUBLICAN)
Website: DebraGoldman
NC.com
Candidate Biography
D e b r a
Gol dmans
remarkable
21-year re-
cord of con-
s e r v a t i v e
l eadershi p
and busi-
ness man-
agement reects her un-
tiring dedication to public
service.
Goldman is an experi-
enced leader, managing
multimillion dollar bud-
gets. Elected to the Wake
tion in 2009, Debra leads
the ght for reform. Shes
been praised by commu-
nity leaders, educators and
administrators, saving mil-
lions of taxpayer dollars,
acting as the boards policy
and scal watchdog for her
guiding ethics of govern-
ment accountability.
As state auditor, Gold-
man will crack down on
scal mismanagement,
fraud and waste. Debra
is a proud member of the
NRA, a nationally certied
reghter and EMT.
Debra Goldman has al-
ways held in highest re-
gard her role as a trusted,
public servant. Since her
election in 2009, Gold-
man has twice served as
the vice chair of the Wake
tion North Carolinas
largest. Goldmans greatest
personal and professional
success has been to hold
fast the line to tirelessly
advocate for the principles
of scal conservatism in
exercising the public trust,
and to hammer home the
guiding ethics of govern-
ment accountability and
transparency.
As state auditor, Gold-
man will revolutionize the
way North Carolina state
government is assessed.
The taxpayers of North
Carolina have grown fear-
ful of the end result of
the increasing number of
public nancial scandals,
reports of scal misman-
agement, and the dire
emergency resulting from
shoddy and fraudulent
casework. North Carolin-
ians have lost faith and
condence to the point of
becoming cynical of their
own state government and
inured to the abuse of trust
by our elected ofcials.
Goldman has a proven
record of standing rm,
and nding answers. In
taking on the role of North
Carolina state chief ac-
countability ofcer, Debra
will take on yet another
challenge and extend her
vision once more to begin
a new ght in service to
North Carolina.
BETHA. WOOD
(DEMOCRAT)
Website: BethWood
Campaign.com
Candidate Biography
Education: Bachelor of
Science De-
gree in Ac-
c o unt i ng ,
East Caro-
lina Univer-
sity, Green-
ville, NC
C r e d e n -
tials: Certi-
ed Public Accountant
25 years; First woman
elected State Auditor;
Governmental Experi-
ence: 19 years experience
in state government; 16
years experience with Of-
ce of State Auditor; Au-
dited cities, counties, large
nonprots; Reviewed au-
dit reports of cities, coun-
ties and school boards for
compliance with auditing
standards; Assisted state
agencies with preparation
of States guidance for au-
diting federal and state
grants; Taught CPAs across
the nation governmental
auditing and accounting
Corporate Experience:
Nine years corporate ex-
perience Ray-O-Vac
Corp (cost accountant);
McGladrey & Pullen CPAs
(auditor); Turner Tolson,
Inc. (assistant chief nan-
cial ofcer)
CandidateStatement: The
ofce of state auditor is
critical to taxpayers in that
it provides oversight tohow
taxpayer dollars are spent. I
amthe only candidate run-
ning that has the qualica-
tions to meet the demands
of the ofce to ensure that
N.C. citizens tax dollars
are being properly ac-
counted for and reported
and to identify fraudulent
and wasteful spending in
state government.
Several accomplish-
ments during my term
with a direct impact on the
spending of tax dollars:
Identied numerous
poor contracting practices
in state government, re-
vealing hundreds of mil-
lions of dollars of waste
over the last decade
Revealed that, for in-
mate health care services
provided by local hospitals,
N.C. hasbeenpayingalmost
ve times more for those
services than Medicare or
Medicaid would have paid
for the same services
Revealed the states
permitting processes do
not include complete and
accurate data, making the
tracking of permit process-
ing impossible
Other Accomplishments:
Produced audits to the
General Assembly with ir-
refutable ndings result-
ing in legislation to stop
wasteful spending
Initiated the perfor-
mance of follow-up audits
to ensure agency correc-
tive actions are in place
and working
Createdanon-partisan,
non-political environment
within the State Auditors
Ofce
ED GOODWIN
(REPUBLICAN)
Website: Goodwin2012.
com
Candidate Biography
Goodwin
p r o u d l y
served four
years in
the U.S. Air
Force and
returned to
ECU and
graduated
with a degree in criminal
justice. Afterward, he was
recruited into NCIS (Na-
val Criminal Investigative
Services) and was an INF
(Nuclear Arms) Treaty
Inspector in the former
Soviet Union from 1989-
1992. He retired in 2004
after 23 years. He started
two businesses and sold
the majority shares.
In 2008, he was elected
as a Chowan County com-
missioner and was voted
to be chairman. Under
Goodwins leadership,
Chowan County has come
back from a -4 percent
fund balance ($20 million
decit) to +19 percent in
three years.
I am running for North
Carolina Secretary of State
because the current void
in leadership has held our
state back and resulted
in lost opportunity. The
challenges we face require
new conservative solu-
tions. My goal as secretary
of state is to get our busi-
ness climate back to one
which is conducive to job
creationandnewindustry
recruitment.
Reducing burdensome
regulations, cutting taxes
and providing a more
transparent government
will be at the forefront of
my agenda. The secretary
of states ofce should be
a business conduit to the
governor and the General
Assembly.
With my extensive back-
ground in government
and proven diplomatic
and entrepreneurial
knowledge, I believe I am
the most qualied candi-
date for N.C. secretary of
state.
ELAINE MARSHALL
(DEMOCRAT)
Website: ElaineMarshall.
com
Candidate Biography
(submitted
by candi-
date): In
1996, Elaine
Ma r s h a l l
became the
rst women
elected to
execut i ve
ofce in North Carolina.
As secretary of state, she
immediately established
herself as a competent
administrator with an
eye toward reform. She
received national recogni-
tion for modernizing the
ofce and reducing red
tape.
Marshall has served in
the state Senate, where
she was a powerful voice
for women, health care
and small business. Mar-
shall earned her law de-
gree from Campbell Uni-
versity and distinguished
herself as a tough advo-
cate for her clients in the
courtroom.
Marshall was borninru-
ral Maryland. Her father
was a farmer and a volun-
teer reghter. Her moth-
er was the church organist
for more than 60 years.
When I rst became sec-
retary of state, I began an
effort to modernize the
ofce by embracing tech-
nology and streamlining
processes. We have been
recognized by organiza-
tions across the country
for reducing red tape and
making it easier for busi-
nesses to start in North
Carolina.
We have worked to re-
main a dynamic orga-
nization that adapts to
changing economic and
technological realities.
Our goal is to serve the
people and businesses
of North Carolina in the
most efcient and effec-
tive manner.
We are cops on the beat
and have busted numer-
ous producers of counter-
feit andbootleggoods that
steal prots from legiti-
mate companies and take
jobs from North Carolina
workers. Weve cracked
down on con artists who
use Ponzi schemes to prey
on our citizens, especially
seniors. Weve protected
investors and charitable
organizations from those
using deceptive sales
practices.
Weve promoted trans-
parency in government
by strengthening lobby-
ist disclosure laws. We
recently received an A
from the Center for Pub-
lic Integrity for our lob-
bying work. I believe that
open government is good
government.
Ive looked for ways to
make our ofce better
serve the people of North
Carolina, and I want to
continue that record for
four more years.
NC Commissioner of Agriculture Candidates
NC Secretary of State Candidates
NC Auditor Candidates
Smith
Troxler
Goldman
Wood
Goodwin
Marshall
Make A Difference
Recycle!
* *
ELECTION 2012
JUNE ATKINSON (DEMOCRAT)
Website: JuneAtkinsonNC.com
Candidate Biography (submit-
ted by candidate):
Atkinsongrewup
in a rural commu-
nity, went to pub-
lic schools, and
graduated with a
B.S. in business
education, Rad-
ford University;
M.S. in vocational
education, Virginia Tech; and a
doctorate in educational leader-
ship, NCSU. She taught in Roa-
noke, Va., and Charlotte. While
serving in various educational
leadership positions, she has vis-
ited all N.C. school districts.
At least 14 associations have
honored her with awards for her
leadership and commitment
to public education. Married
to Dr. William Gurley, an ortho-
dontist, she a is a member of the
First United Methodist Church
in Cary.
Candidate Statement: While
serving as state superintendent,
North Carolinas high school
graduation rate has gone from
68 percent to over 80 percent,
the highest in our states history.
North Carolinas educationrank-
ingbyaleadingeducational pub-
lication is at an all time high. A
recent research report indicates
that North Carolina is among six
states getting the most student
achievement out of each educa-
tional dollar spent.
While pleased with our prog-
ress during my service as state
superintendent, we must con-
tinue to improve education for
all students. I will work to move
North Carolinas graduation rate
to nearly 100 percent, focus on
improving reading achievement
and ensure that our teachers are
respected, valued and compen-
sated well for the challenging
work they do.
Through partnerships I have
already developed, I will contin-
ue involving parents, businesses
and educators to accelerate the
progress students are making. I
will work in a nonpartisan way
to put the education of our stu-
dents rst and to make North
Carolinas investment in educa-
tion count. A vote for Atkinson
in November will be a positive
vote for North Carolinas nearly
1.5 million children.
JOHNTEDESCO (REPUBLICAN)
Website: Tedesco4kids.com
ted by candidate): The oldest of
six children, Tedesco grew up
in Pittsburgh, Pa.,
andattendedThiel
College earning a
degree in political
science. John, his
wife, Jennifer, and
their son, Gabri-
el, live in Garner
where they attend
Victory Church.
A proven public sector leader,
Tedesco has served in senior
executive posts with a national
educational foundation, major
university, nonprot organiza-
tions and as a city manager. He is
the president of the N.C. Center
for Education Reformand serves
on the Wake County Board of
Education where he has been a
force for student achievement.
Tedesco is a skilled administra-
tor and champion for children.
Candidate Statement: Tedesco
has a proven track record lead-
ing the largest school system
in North Carolina and the 16th
largest in America; the Wake
School System serves 147,000
children with 18,000 employees
and a $1.5 billion budget. His
colleagues have selected him
to serve as vice chairman of the
board, chair of the Student As-
signment Committee, chair of
the E.D. Task Force andvice chair
of the Student Achievement
Committee and Facilities Com-
mittee. His work in these roles
have lead to millions of dollars
in savings, expanded parental
choice, reduced school suspen-
sions, strong academic gains,
increased program innovations
and more.
Tedesco has a bold vision to
challenge our most gifted, raise
our most vulnerable and build a
promising future for North Car-
olina. Endorsed by political and
educational leaders across N.C.,
Tedescos vision is built on four
key focus areas.
1. Protect, develop and em-
power our teachers by trimming
wasteful spending and burden-
some bureaucracy.
2. Build a better educated
workforce, expand vocational
education and reduce the need
for remediation for students at-
tending our colleges.
3. Reinforce the basics
strengthening math and reading
outcomes while expanding in-
novative programming.
4. Increase local controls, en-
gage parents and strengthen
communities.
Please see our website for ex-
panded details.
JANET COWELL (DEMOCRAT)
Website: CowellForTreasurer.
com
ted by candidate): I am the rst
person to run for
ofce in my fam-
ily. My father was a
Methodist minis-
ter and my mother
a school teacher.
Living abroad in
China, Hong Kong
and Indonesia
during and after college gave me
a real appreciation for our life
here in America.
After attending the Wharton
School of Business and working
in the nancial industry, I settled
in North Carolina. I was elected
to the Raleigh City Council in
2000, served two terms in the
North Carolina Senate and was
elected the states rst woman
Treasurer in 2008.
Candidate Statement: During
my rst term in ofce, I have
worked to maintain North Car-
olinas AAA bond rating. North
Carolina is only one of seven
states to have a AAA rating from
each of the rating agencies. De-
spite the tough economic cli-
mate, North Carolina is ranked
as the fth best funded public
pension in the country.
During the 2011 session of the
General Assembly, I stepped up
andagreedtotakeonoversight of
the State Health Plan. Since tak-
ing on this responsibility, I have
brought enhanced governance
and accountability to the system
and improved communication
with its 650,000 members.
Under my direction, we cre-
ated the $230 million innovation
fund that supports investment
in N.C. businesses while earning
a solid rate of return for the pen-
sion fund.
As a member of the state board
of education, I have worked to
integrate nancial literacy into
the k-12 system and created
Advanced Money Management
for Community College Stu-
dents, on online tool that helps
students to make wise decisions
about borrowing money for their
education.
I look forward to serving the
people of our great state in my
capacity as treasurer and have
worked hard to earn their trust
and condence.
STEVE ROYAL (REPUBLICAN)
Website: RoyalForTreasurer.
com
ted by candidate):
Steve Royal is a
native-born and
lifetime resident of
NorthCarolina. He
earned a BSBA de-
gree in accounting
with honors. Steve
has governmental
experience work-
ing for the state of N.C. He also
has much manufacturing experi-
ence, having workedas a control-
ler/owner and a senior cost ac-
countant with large corporation.
With the decline of manu-
facturing in the early 1980s, he
became a Certied Public Ac-
countant, working with private
corporations, partnerships and
individuals, providing assistance
with their taxes, loans and in-
vestments. Whenhe rst became
a CPA, Royal taught accounting
for a community college.
Candidate Statement: Its the
debt! Former chairman Adm.
Mike Mullen described the na-
tions debt as Americas biggest
national security threat. Not
only does our nation face a debt
crisis, so does North Carolina.
Excessive debt cannot only de-
stroy individuals, but also cities,
counties and even states. Debt is
to be respected, even feared.
North Carolina has been rack-
ing up almost $3 billion of debt
to the Feds by overdrawing the
unemployment fund, and this
debt still grows every day. The
complete lack of leadership by
the current governor and trea-
surer is without explanation.
Bigmoneyis destroyingthepo-
litical process. The serious ofce
of N.C. treasurer has been used
as a political milking-machine
for almost 12 years to fund the
ofce-holders political coffers
with hundreds of thousands of
dollars, known as pay-to-play
because the vast amount of this
money came from law rms,
nancial interests and bank in-
terests. The motto shall be: Ab-
solutely No Pay-To-Play.
No more games with the -
nancial reports, period! As with
a $771 million loss on securities
realized by not shown or over $5
billion in questionable mortgag-
es securities not disclosed.
We can grow North Carolina
by investing more in our state,
enough has been lost on Wall
Street.
CHERIE BERRY (REPUBLICAN)
Website: www.CherieBerry.
com
ted by candidate): Cherie Killian
Berry is a native of
Catawba County
and currently re-
sides in Newton.
She is a former
small business
owner of a manu-
facturing facility
that makes spark
plug wires for the automotive
industry.
Berry was rst elected to the
statewide ofce of commission-
er of labor in 2000 after serving
eight years in the N.C. House of
Representatives.
Berry won re-election in 2004
and 2008, and is currently seek-
ing a fourth term. Berry is the
rst elected female labor com-
missioner in North Carolinas
history.
Candidate Statement: Before I
took ofce in 2001, North Caro-
lina was not even in the top ten
safest states in which to work.
Today, we are tied for fourth.
This is a great improvement and
great news for workers and busi-
nesses in terms of having safe
and healthy workplaces, holding
down workers comp costs and
reducing lost work time.
One result of holding public of-
ce is having a record. Since my
opponent is a former labor com-
missioner and Im the current
labor commissioner, voters will
have the luxury of comparing
records not comparing cam-
paign promises and rhetoric.
Lets look at the injury and ill-
ness rate. This rate is regarded
as the most accurate measure to
determine workplace safety and
health performance.
My opponents administra-
tion averaged 7.6 injuries/ill-
nesses per 100 full-time work-
ers. My administrations average
is 3.8. During my opponents
administration, the injury and
illness rate hit an all-time high
of 8.6 in his nal year in ofce.
Under my watch, the rate has
steadily dropped and is current-
ly at an all-time low of 3.1. Sim-
ply put, workplaces are safer and
healthier now than at any other
time in our states history.
I ask for your vote this Novem-
ber. Thank you.
JOHN BROOKS (DEMOCRAT)
Website: BrooksLaborComm.
com
ted by candidate): UNC-More-
head Scholar, AB
economics and
political science,
University of Chi-
cago - J.D., Ameri-
can Bar Associa-
tion, Section on
Employment and
Labor Law, N.C.
Advocates for Justice, N.C. State
Bar, 1st Administrative Ofcer
of N.C. General Assembly, Law
Clerk for Justice William H. Bob-
bitt, North Carolina Commis-
sioner of Labor four terms,
former president National Asso-
ciationof Government Labor Of-
cials, former president of Na-
tional Apprenticeship Program,
former president of National
Association of OSHA State Plans,
former staff attorney for N.C.
Industrial Commission, N.C.
Council of State 16 years
Candidate Statement: It is
time for a change. The working
women and men in N.C. need a
spokesman in the N.C. Depart-
ment of Labor and on the Coun-
cil of State. High on the states
agenda should be the expansion
of providing high tech vocation-
al education throughout N.C.,
especially training in the more
than 500 technical vocations
for which there is currently no
training available in this state.
The presidents new budget re-
quests offer, for the rst time,
federal assistanceinfulllingthis
objective.
For the past eight years, I have
thoroughly reviewed more than
40,000 workers compensation
cases to the end of judging that
their settlements have been fair.
IndoingsoI havebecomeknowl-
edgeable about what kind of in-
juries workers most often suffer
and where these injuries occur.
There are too many work-related
injuries in North Carolina. The
states OSHA enforcement staff
should be doubled.
Every occupied migrant labor
camp should be inspected every
year. Wage and hour complaints
should be promptly investi-
gated and completed. Amuse-
ment rides must be thoroughly
inspected and their safety as-
sured. Public education is under
attack at every level. I pledge to
ght to strengthen free public
education.
MIKE CAUSEY (REPUBLICAN)
Website: GoCausey.com
ted by candidate): Mike Causey is
a common-sense
candidate for
insurance com-
missioner, who
wants to lower car
insurance rates
and homeowners
insurance rates in
North Carolina,
with better service to all.
A North Carolina native, Mike
Causey was raised in rural Guil-
ford County, where he still lives
on the family farm. He earned
his college degrees in civil engi-
neering, business administra-
tion and MBA studies.
Mike Causey is a veteran, farm-
er, small business owner and has
30 years experience in the insur-
ance business, as well as 10 years
legislative lobbying experience
on consumer rights issues and
small business issues.
Candidate Statement: Lower
car insurance rates and lower
homeowners insurance rates
will be my top priority.
I needyour support andvote in
the upcoming election. Tell your
friends and neighbors to vote for
Mike Causey. Visit my campaign
website: GoCausey.com
As a common-sense, free mar-
ket conservative, I believe in the
constitution and a free market
system of insurance. We need to
bring more insurance compa-
nies to North Carolina. Lets get
the discounts offered in other
states, but not here.
I will work to bring more in-
surance companies to N.C. with
more competition, more dis-
counts and lower rates.
Priorities: ReformtheN.C. DOI,
the good ol boy network that
now prevails. I will review every
operation in that department,
from bottom to top, will cut the
red tape and make it work for the
people.
Establish an around-the-clock
customer service andcrisis com-
mand center in the Department
of Insurance.
Put real people on the phones.
Make sure consumers are
protected; that your insurance
department provides a fair, ef-
cient and competitive regulatory
environment.
Establish a consumer advo-
cate in the department to help
resolve consumer disputes with
insurers and assist consumers. I
will hold insurance companies
accountable in paying claims.
WAYNE GOODMAN (DEMOCRAT)
Website: WayneGoodwin.org
ted by candidate):
Insurance Com-
missioner Wayne
Goodwin of Ham-
let is the son of
a local grocer/
farmer and textile
worker.
Goodwin ex-
celled academically, both
Morehead Scholar and William
Randolph Hearst/U.S. Sen-
ate Scholar. Earning a B.A. with
Honors and a Juris Doctor from
UNC-Chapel Hill, his businesses
helped individuals and workers.
Voters elected Goodwin four
times to the legislature, rep-
resenting Richmond and sur-
roundingcounties.Waynecham-
pioned education, economic
development, public safety and
consumer protection.
In 2005, Wayne became assis-
tant insurance commissioner,
before electionas N.C. insurance
commissioner in 2008.
Wayne is married to former
legislator Melanie Wade Good-
win. They have two children,
Madison and Jackson.
Candidate Statement: Insur-
ance Commissioner Goodwin
has brought a level-headed, bal-
anced approach to governance,
focusing on consumer protec-
tion, fair pricing of products and
services, a competitive/solvent
market, strong anti-fraud efforts
and transparency.
During his term, Goodwin
has saved North Carolinians
$1.3-plus billion through rate
cuts, rebates, refunds and other
consumer protection measures.
Goodwin ordered a $50 Million
car insurance refund and rolled
back rates for millions of drivers,
totaling savings of $545 million.
He also ordered historic $156
million health insurance refund
to 215,000 N.C. families.
Furthermore, Wayne cut work-
ers comp rates and reduced N.C.
automobileinsuranceratestothe
lowest average rate in the South
while maintaining one of the
most competitive, stable car in-
surance markets. Meanwhile,
through Goodwins leadership,
N.C. stabilized a coastal insur-
ance crisis. He continues to work
with lawmakers, consumers and
industry on targeted reforms.
In contrast with his oppo-
nent who has worked over 25
years for the insurance industry
and 10 years as a paid lobbyist,
Wayne has never worked for the
insurance industry or any en-
tity he regulates as insurance
commissioner.
NC Commissioner of Insurance Candidates
Causey
Goodman
NC Commissioner of Labor Candidates
Berry
Brooks
NC Superintendent of Public Instruction Candidates
Atkinson
Tedesco
NC Treasurer Candidates
Cowell
Royal
ELECTION 2012
CHRIS DILLON
Website: www.chrisdillonfor
judge.com
ted by candidate): I was raised in
North Carolina by
my parents, C.A.
and Mildred Dil-
lon, and graduat-
ed from its public
schools and UNC-
Chapel Hill.
I have been a li-
censed attorney
for over two decades, represent-
ing people at every level of our
states court system, and have
also worked many years outside
the legal profession working at
a community bank and run-
ning a small real estate services
company.
My wife Ann Finley and I have
been married for 17 years. We
live in Raleigh where we are rais-
ing our ve children: Sally, Matt,
Anna, Molly and Sam.
Candidate Statement: The judi-
ciary represents one-third of our
state government. Unfortunate-
ly, about one-third of our voters
typically overlook the down-
ballot judicial races. I appre-
ciate your interest in learning
about the judicial candidates.
I am running for a seat on the
Court of Appeals that recently
became vacant. My opponent
was appointed by the governor
last year to temporarily ll that
vacancy. I ask for your vote this
November.
Experience. The court would
benet by having at least one
judge who has both legal and
business experience. In addition
to my decades of legal experi-
ence, I am a licensed real estate
broker and also worked many
years helping small business
owners, professionals and other
individuals through my work
at a community bank I helped
start.
Fairness. I will strivetorepre-
sent all North Carolinians rather
than a particular constituency. I
am honored to be supported by
Republicans, Democrats and
Independents from all walks of
life. I will apply the law impar-
tially. I will not legislate fromthe
bench.
Service. Finally, I have a great
respect for the law and our Con-
stitution, and I truly want to
serve in this capacity.
So please turn the ballot over
and vote for me, Chris Dillon.
CRESSIE THIGPEN
Website: judgecressiethigpen.
com
ted by candidate): Judge Cressie
Thigpenhas served for two years
on the North Carolina Court of
Appeals. He previously practiced
lawfor 35 years incivil and crim-
inal courts. He is a past member
of the N.C. Board
of Law Examiners
and a former ad-
junct professor of
law at N.C. Central
University School
of Law.
He is past presi-
dent of the N.C.
State Bar and the former chair
of the Board of Trustees of N.C.
Central University. He is a former
Member of the Board of Trustees
at UNC Chapel Hill and a mem-
ber of the N.C. Bar Association
Hall of Fame.
Candidate Statement: Experi-
ence counts on the court. My 35
years as a trial lawyer, former Su-
perior Court Judge, adjunct pro-
fessor of law and past president
of the N.C. State Bar, have pre-
pared me to continue my service
on the Court of Appeals.
My judicial philosophy is sim-
ple. I follow the law. I apply the
law equally to every case. Dur-
ing my years as a judge, I have
made it my priority to be fair to
every citizen by providing a fair
and respectful forum, so that the
people involved in every case
know they have a judge who
makes a decision that is impar-
tial and based on the law.
I am proud to be endorsed
by former Chief Justices Bur-
ley Mitchell and Henry Frye,
former Chief Judge Sid Eagles,
former Governor Jim Hunt, for-
mer Senator Robert Morgan, the
N.C. Troopers Association, the
N.C. Police Benevolent Associa-
tion, the N.C. AFL-CIO, the N.C.
Advocates for Justice, the N.C.
Association of Educators, and
the N.C. Association of Women
Attorneys.
From www.ncvotersguide.org
LINDA MCGEE
Website: judgelindamcgee.
com
ted by candidate): Judge Linda
McGee has servedfor 17 years on
the NorthCarolina
Court of Appeals.
She is the second
most senior judge
on the court and
the longest-serv-
ing woman in the
courts history.
Before her service
on the Court, Judge McGee prac-
ticed law in civil and criminal
courts for 17 years.
She has received the Business
and Professional Woman of the
Year Award, the Pro Bono Ser-
vice Award of the N.C. Bar Asso-
ciation, and the Judge of theYear
Award of the N.C. Association of
Women Attorneys. She is a for-
mer member of the N.C. Board
of Law Examiners.
Candidate Statement: During
17 years on the Court of Appeals,
Ive followedthe law, making fair,
impartial andunbiaseddecisions
in more than 6,000 cases affect-
ing the lives of people across our
state. My decisions are based on
the Constitution, the laws en-
acted by our legislature, and on
fairness. Throughout my career,
Ive worked to protect the rights
of families, businesses and indi-
viduals. Youcanrely onmy expe-
rience as the second most senior
judge on the court and the lon-
gest-serving woman judge in the
courts history.
My commitment to administer
justice fairly and respectfully to
all has been strengthened by my
service as a community college
trustee, member of the N.C. Sen-
tencingCommission, chamber of
commerce vice president, Law-
yers in Schools leader, my family
and church, and appointment by
Chief Justices I. Beverly Lake Jr.
andSarahParker to the Equal Ac-
cess to Justice Commission.
I amhonoredby endorsements
from the N.C. Police Benevolent
Association, N.C. State Troopers
Association, N.C. Fraternal Or-
der of Police, N.C. Association of
Educators, N.C. AFL-CIO, N.C.
Advocates for Justice, N.C. As-
sociation of Women Attorneys,
Governor Jim Hunt, former
Chief Justices Burley Mitchell
and Henry Frye, and former
Chief Judges Gerald Arnold and
Sid Eagles.
DAVID S. ROBINSON
Website: robinsonfornc.com
ted by candidate):
I have been a N.C.
attorney for over
two decades. I
am a graduate of
Georgetown Uni-
versity, School of
Foreign Service
and GeorgeWash-
ington University Law School.
I have been married for 20-
plus years to a former TV news
reporter and entrepreneur; we
have three teenage daughters.
I have traveledto over 40 coun-
tries, am an Ironman triathlete,
and represented the United
States at the World Triathlon
Championships in Beijing,
China last year. I have written
a business ethics curriculum,
chaired a section of the N.C. Bar
Association and was recently
a member of the Wake County
Board of Elections.
Candidate Statement: Courts
should not make laws. I am the
conservative candidate, and I
will approach every case with
diligence, integrity and dedica-
tion. I will not legislate fromthe
bench. I respectfully request
your vote on Nov. 6.
I bring a lot of real-world legal
experience to the bench. Ive
helped form small nonprots
and represented billion-dollar
companies that create jobs for
North Carolinians. Ive helped
North Carolina companies ex-
port their products around the
world. I routinely assist humani-
tarian organizations, veterans
groups andchurchorganizations
with their legal needs. I have
been practicing law in North
Carolina for over two decades,
both in large law rms and as a
small business owner.
Throughout my career, Ive
seen the legal systems of many
nations, up-close and on their
home soil. I have readily con-
cluded that our legal system is
second to none, and that our ap-
pellate courts must play a major
role in creating a stable, reliable
and predictable legal playing
eld for all North Carolinians
and their businesses. As your
conservative candidate, I believe
we achieve this through judicial
restraint, not activism. I need
your vote on Nov. 6, and I will
serve you well.
Thank you for your vote.
From ncvotersguide.org
WANDA BRYANT
Website: judgewandabryant.
com
ted by candidate): Judge Wanda
Bryant has written
more than 1,200
opinions during
her 11 years of ser-
vice on the North
Carolina Court
of Appeals. She is
a former senior
deputy attorney
general of North Carolina and a
former assistant United States
attorney. She is chair of the
Board of Visitors of N.C. Central
University School of Law.
She received the First Amend-
ment Award from the N.C. Press
Association and the Leading
Judges in America Award from
Law Dragon Magazine. A rst
generation college graduate,
Judge Bryant studied at Duke
University, Oxford University
and N.C. Central University.
Candidate Statement: Fairness
and justice are cornerstones of
my life. In 11 years on the court.
Ive written more than 1,200
opinions on issues that touch
North Carolinians, from work-
place injuries and commercial
and employment disputes to
family matters, criminal law and
property rights.
I am passionate about the rule
of law and rm in my conviction
that appellate judges must fairly
and accurately apply the law
in each case. In each opinion, I
have worked to provide a care-
ful analysis of the facts and a fair
and just application of the law.
I enjoy my current service as
chair of the Board of Visitors
of the N.C. Central University
School of Law, the N.C. Bar Asso-
ciationWomen in the Profession
Committee, the Smith Shaver
Scholarship Board, the NC Mu-
seum of Sciences Friends Board
and the Duke University School
of Nursing Board of Advisors.
I have been endorsed by Gov.
Jim Hunt, former Chief Justices
Burley Mitchell and Henry Frye,
former Chief Judges Gerald Ar-
nold and Sid Eagles, former U.S.
Senator Robert Morgan, the NC
AFL-CIO, the NC Association of
Women Attorneys, the NC Police
Benevolent Association, the NC
Association of Educators, the NC
State Troopers Association and
North State Law Enforcement.
MARTY MCGEE
Website: judgemartymcgee.
com
CandidateBiogra-
phy (submitted by
candidate): Judge
Marty McGee has
served as a North
Carolina District
Court Judge in
Cabarrus County
since 2000. He has presided over
tens of thousands of cases in-
volving family law, criminal law,
juvenile law, civil matters and
infractions. Prior to becoming a
judge, he participated in litiga-
tion pending before courts rang-
ing from the Supreme Court of
the United States to small claims
court.
He is a graduate of the Univer-
sity of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill and Wake Forest University
School of Law.
Judge McGee is married to
Debin McGee and they reside in
Concord with their two children.
Candidate Statement: The
Court of Appeals reviews the
work of trial courts to ensure the
proper application of our laws.
I have more experience as a
trial judge than anyone currently
serving on the Court of Appeals.
In the last decade, my work has
involved nearly every aspect of
life in our state. Who is better to
reviewthe workof the trial courts
than an experienced trial judge?
My judicial experience in
some of our states busiest court-
rooms has ideally prepared
me to meet the challenges of re-
viewing the decisions of our trial
courts. I understand our legal
system from the bottom up.
I fairly apply the law to the
facts of each case and believe in
judicial restraint. My judicial re-
cord is one of following the law
regardless of my personal opin-
ions or public pressures.
I teach legal education courses
to judges and lawyers, and I am
a member of the District Court
Judges Education Committee.
I enjoy the academic aspects of
my work, but I never forget that
each case affects the lives of the
persons who appear before me
as well as our community.
Please visit www.judgemarty
mcgee.com. Thank you, and I
would appreciate your vote.
NC Court of Appeals Judge Candidates
Bryant
McGee
Thigpen
Robinson
Dillon
McGee
SAMERVIN
Website: ervinforsupreme
court.com
ted by candidate): I am a native
of Morganton and
have lived there
all my life. I am
a graduate of the
Burke County
public schools,
Davidson College
and Harvard Law
School.
I practiced law in Morganton
from 1981 until 1999, during
which time I handled many dif-
ferent kinds of civil, criminal and
administrative matters.
I served on the utilities com-
mission, a quasi-judicial body re-
sponsible for regulating private-
ly-owned electric, natural gas,
telecommunications and water
and sewer companies, from 1999
until 2009.
In 2008, I was elected to the
Court of Appeals, on which I
have served since taking ofce in
2009.
Candidate Statement: The law
is the glue that holds society to-
gether. However, the legal system
cannot work properly without
fair, impartial and independent
judges.
Such a judge listens carefully to
all sides; thoroughly studies the
record and the law; understands
that each decision that he or she
makes has real impact on real
people and that everyone is en-
titled to be treated equally; and
resolves cases on the basis of a
dispassionate application of the
law to the facts without attempt-
ing to further any particular po-
litical or ideological agenda.
I believe that my work as a
member of the utilities commis-
sion and the Court of Appeals
shows that I can decide the cases
that I am called upon to handle
fairly andimpartially without po-
litical or ideological bias, clearly
explain the reasons that underlie
the decisions that I have made,
and identify and fairly address
complex proceedings of the type
that regularly come before the
Supreme Court.
I have been endorsed by the
North Carolina Association of
Educators, the North Carolina
Troopers Association, the Po-
lice Benevolent Association, the
North Carolina Association of
Women Attorneys, and the North
Carolina Advocates for Justice,
among others.
PAUL MARTIN NEWBY
Website: newbyforcourt.com
CandidateBiography(submitted
by candidate):
Legal Experience:
Justice, N.C. Su-
premeCourt, 2004-
present; Adjunct
Professor, Camp-
bell University Law
School, 2008-pres-
ent; Presenter, NC
Judicial College, 2008-present;
Assistant U.S. Attorney, Raleigh,
1985-2004; General Counsel,
Cannon Mills Realty, Kannapolis;
Associate, Van Winkle Law Firm,
Asheville.
Professional Awards: John Mc-
Neil Smith Constitutional Rights
Award (2012), Citizen Lawyer
Award (2011)
Education: UNC School of Law;
Duke University (public policy
studies) (magna cum laude);
Ragsdale High (Jamestown, NC).
Personal: Married to Macon
Tucker Newby of Wilson since
1983, 4 children; Eagle Scout,
Scout Council Board, Scoutmas-
ter, Cubmaster; Born in Ashe-
boro, raisedinJamestown. Moth-
er was a public school teacher,
father was a printer.
Candidate Statement: For the
last eight years it has been my
privilege to serve our state as a
Justice on the Supreme Court.
I now seek re-election. I have
strived to fairly, impartially and
consistently apply the law in ev-
ery case. I have a reputation of
being a hard-working, honest,
thoughtful Justice. My work has
resulted in widespread biparti-
san support across the state, in-
cluding endorsements from four
former Chief Justices, twoof each
party, as well as fromlawenforce-
ment, legal and business groups.
Because of my legal scholar-
ship and broad experience, I
have been selected to provide
continuing education to judges
andlawyers andteachlawschool
courses. I have lecturedandwrit-
ten a book on the North Carolina
Constitution and received the
N.C. Bar Associations Consti-
tutional Rights Award. I believe
civic education is important
and frequently speak to school
groups and civic organizations.
As an Eagle Scout, I have served
the Boy Scouts of N.C. in a vari-
ety of ways and have been recog-
nized as Scouter of the Year. As a
result of my work with schools
and scouts, I received the Citi-
zen-Lawyer Award. In addition,
I have operated our family farm
since 1996.
I ask for your support.
From www.ncvoterguide.org
NC Supreme Court Associate Justice Candidates
Ervin
Newby
We want your news. Visit www.morganton.comto share your stories.

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