At the age of 26, the factory where I worked since I left high school closed. I saw first-hand the devastation that follows such a traumatic event. Hopelessness, humiliation, suicide, overdose, disability. People are not a line item on a corporate spreadsheet. I will fight hard to make sure nobody else has to experience that kind of despair.

We can, and I believe should, invest in manufacturing clean energy solutions and jobs of the future. But we cannot, and I will not, allow hardworking people working the jobs of now to be left behind. My support for manufacturing workers isn't lip service. I've been there. I will fight for you.

Now, going on 50, I work on the management side. I understand the importance of standing up for small business and the workers who make it all happen. We need to incentivize all businesses in a way that allows them to pay workers not just a living wage, or a decent wage, but a good wage.

Workers are not just the life blood of any business with the services they provide, they are also customers. 

I have never viewed taxes as a "necessary evil." It is just the simplest method of allocating resources for the public good serving a large and diverse group of people. Taxes pay for schools, roads, bridges, police and first responders, and assisting people who are struggling. 

As a legislator, my job would be to evaluate taxes and spending on a case by case basis. Sometimes tax increases will be appropriate, and sometimes tax cuts will be appropriate. In each case, however, I believe in progressive taxation, where the wealthy pay the lion's share and the poor and working class pay the least.

The goal should always be to lift the poor out of poverty, move the working class into the middle class, and give everyone the opportunity to thrive. 

If you asked most of my grade school and high school teachers, they probably would not have expected me to be running for state Senate and extolling the virtues of education. I was not a great student and dropped out of high school in the 12th grade. Because I thought it was boring.

We have to get kids excited about learning. We need to make going to college something kids are looking forward to, not just for a better job, or to please their parents. And we don't do that by banning books and removing uncomfortable topics from the curriculum.

We do it by letting teachers do their jobs and paying them what they deserve. Your child's teacher is as important as your child's pediatrician, and should be treated with the same reverence and respect. Teachers should not have to go out of pocket or do fundraisers for necessary classroom materials. 

You invest in your children's future, and the country's future, by investing in their teachers. 

We also do not need to choose between the sciences and the arts. Both are crucially important to a well-rounded education. Once I came around to embracing education, it changed everything for me. I want that for every child now and for adults who fell through the cracks like I did. 

I will be a strong advocate for teachers, for public education, and for making college affordable for all who wish to pursue it. 

I'm not usually one for simple slogans, because I know issues are complex. But these are facts: Healthy people live happier and more productive lives. Ensuring ongoing access to quality health care is not just the right thing to do, it saves money. Access to quality health care saves lives. 

As someone who was fully disabled at one point in my life, and who also works in the field of behavioral health, I speak from experience. One of my primary goals will be to ensure that more people in this district and in this state have access to affordable health care. 

I will also advocate to increase awareness and funding for behavioral health. This would include Intellectual and Developmental Disability Services, Mental Health Services, and Substance Use Disorder Services. 

The legitimacy of any democracy depends on the legitimacy of its elections. We are in dangerous waters when a candidate of either party refuses to accept the results of a legitimate election, and in even more danger when the peaceful transfer of office is interrupted. 

But these are extreme examples, and are rare. Republics usually fail by a thousand tiny cuts. Restricting people's access and ability to vote. Partisan gerrymandering. State legislatures with super-majorities stripping away the power of Governors and court justices, and appointing partisan justices to courts. 

The NC-36 District is, for all intents and purposes, a 70/30 district at best. That is simply not acceptable. Any district for any elected office, regardless of the favored party, that is drawn solely to ensure a "safe seat" for a single party or candidate is unacceptable. 

"Voter fraud" is a great keyword. Actual incidents of it are rare, and it is a term generally used by candidates who want less people to vote, to make it harder for people to vote. I encourage everyone to vote, regardless of party, and I want to make it easier for you to do so, not more difficult. 

When authoritarian leaders take power, they don't come to take away your guns. They come to take away your ability to vote them out.