Issues

Veterans

Welcoming our veterans. Far too often, politicians send servicemembers to war but don’t give a damn about us when we get back. As a combat veteran, I’ve seen firsthand how difficult the transition back to civilian life can be. We must provide the educational and social support to allow servicemembers to succeed after they’ve been discharged.
Supporting vets’ unique struggles. We also need to address the growing mental health and suicide crisis among veterans. I lost a friend in arms to PTSD and suicide after we had served in Iraq. This is an all too common heartbreak for military families. We must make stronger investments in mental health care for our veterans. They should always have access to counseling services through the VA whenever they pick up the phone.

Government by the people, for the people. As a combat veteran who served two tours of duty in Iraq, I put my life on the line to defend and protect this country from those who seek to destroy it. I will always fight to protect our democracy, the Constitution, and the principles this nation was founded upon.
The Right to Vote. We must ensure that North Carolinians’ freedom to vote is never compromised, whether by voter suppression efforts, polling place closures, or voter purges. We must safeguard all Americans’ constitutional right to vote and ensure that every voter can make their voice heard in our elections.

Reining in costs. Our current healthcare system is broken. Working North Carolinians can’t afford insurance premiums and the insane out-of-pocket costs for the care we need. No family should have to choose between putting food on the table or going to the doctor.
Ensuring Access. All North Carolinians should have access to affordable health care. That’s why I support the creation of a public option to compete with private insurance companies and drive down costs. Every North Carolinian should be able to choose between a public or private health care plan.
Supporting our seniors. While career politicians play politics with our loved ones’ care, I support the expansion of Medicaid to include critical dental, hearing, and vision coverage for our seniors.
Reining in Big Pharma. The cost of prescription drugs has gotten way out of control. North Carolinians are getting ripped off by multinational pharmaceutical corporations price-gouging of commonly-used drugs like insulin. We also need to hold billion-dollar corporations responsible for the opioid epidemic that their greed caused.

Fully funding our schools. Access to quality education for every child is essential to growing our economy and helping Western North Carolina thrive. I will always stand with North Carolina’s public schools and educators by ensuring they have the funds needed to give every child access to the education they deserve. We must increase teacher pay, work harder to
attract new teachers, and expand broadband access to students and schools in rural areas.
Cutting student debt. The cost of student loans is too damned high, leaving our students buried in debt long after they graduate. I will fight banks’ exorbitant interest rates on student loans, and expand access to North Carolina’s world-class four-year universities.
Expanding choice. Not all students want or need a four-year degree. That’s why I’ll fight for two years of free community college or technical education.

Holding corporate polluters accountable. North Carolina boasts an abundance of natural resources and some of the most beautiful scenery in the country but for decades, corporations have been allowed to pollute our waterways without any repercussions, threatening the agricultural and recreational industries that drive our state’s economy – and sticking working families with the bill.
Ensuring clean drinking water. Every North Carolinian deserves access to clean drinking water. I’ll fight to remove lead pipes from our drinking water systems and upgrade crumbling water infrastructure in our communities. I’ll also hold industrial polluters accountable for leaving North Carolina with some of the highest exposure rates of toxic chemicals in our drinking water.
Creating good-paying green jobs. The future of Western North Carolina lies in clean energy jobs and reducing our reliance on fossil fuels. We must transition our state to cleaner, healthier and more affordable sources of energy. Doing so will create good-paying jobs, lower energy costs, and reduce harmful carbon pollution that threatens our health and drives the climate crisis.