State of North Carolina secondary Archives: on Principles & Values


Al Pisano: Keep God in the public sphere

Q: Do you support or oppose the statement, "Keep God in the public sphere"?

A: Support

Source: OnTheIssues 2020 interview on North Carolina Governor race Apr 30, 2020

Cheri Beasley: Washington responding only to well-connected needs to end

[Campaign announcement]: "For too many families across North Carolina, the doors of opportunity have been closed," said Beasley in a video. "They've been left behind and ignored for too long. I'm running for Senate because it's time for that to change."

"Whether it's health care, education, the ability to find work that supports a family, or retire with dignity, too often Washington only responds to the well-connected, and as we come out of this pandemic, that needs to end," she added.

Source: CNN Politics on 2022 North Carolina Senate race Apr 27, 2021

Cheri Beasley: First black female chief justice of state Supreme Court

The first Black woman to serve as chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court wants to make history again--as the first Black U.S. senator from North Carolina. She has won two statewide judicial elections--for the court of appeals in 2008 and for the Supreme Court in 2014. In 2019, she was tapped to lead the court. "No door should ever be closed to you. With hard work and determination, you can accomplish anything," Beasley says to open her campaign launch video.
Source: The Raleigh News-Observer on 2022 North Carolina Senate race Apr 27, 2021

Dan Forest: Country has kicked God out schools, courts, nation

North Carolina Lt. Gov. Dan Forest spoke at the Faith and Freedom Coalition's 2014 Road to Majority conference. Forest said, "America is at a great crossroads where it must decide for or against God. The heart of the matter is we have forgotten God. We have kicked him out of our house, out of our schoolhouse, out of our courthouse, and out of our statehouse, and now, out of our nation. We call it everything but what it is, we call it everything but sin, the turning away from God."
Source: RightWingWatch.org on 2020 North Carolina gubernatorial race Oct 9, 2019

Dan Forest: Nation founded on the principles of Jesus Christ

"No other nation, my friends, has ever survived the diversity and multiculturalism that America faces today, because of a lack of assimilation, because of this division, and because of this identity politics," Forest claimed. "But no other nation has ever been founded on the principles of Jesus Christ, that begin the redemption and reconciliation through the atoning blood of our savior," he added.
Source: ThinkProgress.org on 2020 North Carolina gubernatorial race Jun 28, 2019

Dan Forest: Freedom of religion--not freedom from religion

Q: Do you promise to protect the freedom of Christians to share the Gospel and to practice Biblical principles?

A: Yes.

Q: What does "separation of church and state" mean to you?

A: The term "separation of church and state" isn't found anywhere in the Constitution and was never intended to be a Constitutional argument. The phrase comes from a personal letter from Thomas Jefferson, later taken out of context in the 20th century when a Supreme Court justice used that letter to infer that there should be such separation. Our Founding Fathers never believed that. Our Constitution enshrines freedom of religion--of all faiths. It does not require freedom from religion.

Q: Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values?

A: God loves us, created each of us in his image, and has a plan for us. But due to sin, we have become separated from God. Out of love, God sent His Son to earth to die for our sins. The blood he shed atones for the sins of all those who accept him as their Lord.

Source: AFA iVoterGuide on 2020 North Carolina Senate race Nov 3, 2020

Erica Smith: I earned my stripes; paid my dues; played by the rules

I've been working towards this goal since 2005, really all of my adult life. The Congressional Black Caucus sent me to a political boot camp so that I could work my way up through grassroots leadership to party leadership to local elected office to statewide elected office to the congressional level. I followed that plan and earned my stripes and paid my dues and played by all the rules.

People want bold ideas that can actually improve their everyday lives. If we're gonna build a winning coalition, we have to talk about health care for all and about clear goals for addressing climate change. That was very important for people in North Carolina. A livable wage. These are the things we need to be running on, not running from. There was no one to speak to the agenda, whether you want to call it progressive or just a survivor's agenda, which is what I prefer to call it.

Source: The American Prospect on 2022 North Carolina Senate race Nov 30, 2020

Erica Smith: Black women come from hard work; should have more value

Financial support has been cited as a barrier by some Black women candidates. Smith agrees that wealth remains an issue and believes the party should reexamine the value of the number of dollars raised. "I didn't come from wealth, I came from hard work and that is a valuable currency that the political culture has not yet had a reckoning with," said Smith. "Black women, we operate under a different kind of currency that should have more value."
Source: The Charlotte Post on 2022 North Carolina Senate race Nov 29, 2020

Garland Tucker: Was less pro-Trump than anti-Clinton

In a column published in The News & Observer before the 2016 election, Tucker outlined his reluctance to Trump's campaign, but ultimately supported him over Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. Tucker expressed concern, as a Christian, about voting for Trump, whom he described as "a twice-divorced, self-acknowledged adulterer who has, in the course of this campaign, uttered some of the most unkind, disgusting comments ever made by any American politician."
Source: Raleigh News-Observer on 2020 North Carolina Senate race May 6, 2019

Garland Tucker: Delighted and amazed at Trump's commitment to conservatives

In 2016, during the Presidential primary, like other conservatives I had my doubts about Mr. Trump. Without a policy record, I questioned whether he would govern as a conservative. Like millions of Americans, I could not more delighted, and frankly amazed, at how he has transformed this country in the last two years. His policies and leadership have more than fulfilled his commitment to conservatives and to the American people and I proudly stand with him in his initiatives.
Source: The American Spectator on 2020 North Carolina Senate race Apr 9, 2019

Greg Brannon: Tea Party supporter of constitutional conservative fighters

Brannon surprised political observers when he launched a campaign to unseat U.S. Sen. Richard Burr with just hours to go in the campaign finance period. Brannon, a Republican aligned with the Tea Party movement, ran for U.S. Senate last year. He came in second to Thom Tillis with about 27 percent of the vote in the GOP primary.

"We're facing the greatest threat to liberty in our lifetime," Brannon tweeted shortly after he filed at the State Board of Elections in Raleigh. "Now is not the time for go-along-to-get-along Republicans."

While Brannon's candidacy wasn't announced publicly before Monday, he's been criticizing Burr on his Facebook page. "Senator Richard Burr has repeatedly refused to take on President Obama and the Democrats in Washington, but boy does he love to undercut and smear constitutional conservative fighters like Senator Ted Cruz at every opportunity," he wrote last week.

Source: Raleigh News-Observer on 2016 North Carolina Senate race Dec 21, 2015

Holly Grange: Leaders bring people together to get things done

Leaders bring people together to get things done and that's exactly what I will do as Governor. My administration will work with the legislature, not pick fights. My administration will balance budgets, not bloat them. My administration will give teachers raises, not veto them. My administration will stand up for our veterans and their families, not hold their scholarships hostage. My administration will be transparent and serve with honor, not hide millions of dollars in a pipeline slush fund.
Source: News & Observer on 2020 North Carolina gubernatorial race Feb 18, 2020

Ken Spaulding: Land development lawyer; served six years in the state House

Spaulding is the son of a former president of N.C. Mutual Life Insurance, once one of the largest black-owned businesses in the country. He spent six years in the state House, and is a land development lawyer who was involved in two projects that redefined Durham and surrounding areas: the Treyburn development and Southpoint Mall.

Spaulding said, "I'm looking for North Carolinians to vote for me because I am the best qualified and capable candidate, who can help pull this state back together and who has a record of experience."

Spaulding just turned 71, and says he thinks voters want maturity and responsibility in a candidate. "They are looking for seasoned people," he said.

Source: News-Observer on 2016 North Carolina gubernatorial race Dec 3, 2015

Marjorie K. Eastman: Endorsed by Republican women's VIEWPAC

Value In Electing Women Political Action Committee (VIEWPAC) has officially endorsed Marjorie K. Eastman in the race for North Carolina's U.S. Senate seat. VIEWPAC was founded in 1997 by female Republican members of Congress and professional women to elect Republican women to Congress.
Source: VIEWPAC on 2022 North Carolina Senate endorsements Oct 12, 2021

Mark Walker: Judeo-Christian framework is moral; Shariah is a threat

Q: Efforts to bring Islamic law (shariah) to America do not pose a threat to our country and its Constitution?

WALKER: Strongly Disagree

Q: Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality which permitted our system of limited government?

WALKER: Strongly Agree

Q: Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values?

WALKER: I believed that all men are born with a sin nature in need of forgiveness. I believe the Jesus lived a sinless life on earth, died and rose again and is the mediator between God the Father and man. I believe salvation is available for all men.

Source: Faith2Action iVoterGuide on 2014 North Carolina House race Sep 30, 2014

Mark Walker: A record of being both a conservative and a bridge builder

Walker said in the interview, "We have an established record of being both a conservative and a bridge builder."

"I think that's something that's easy to be able to identify with the work that we've done, both for our people who believe in the ideology of limited government, but never getting past the place that we forgot about all of the communities that I represent."

Source: Politico.com on 2022 North Carolina Senate race Dec 1, 2020

Pat McCrory: When you try to appease everyone, you satisfy no one

Tonight, you will hear a sobering assessment of our state, but also some recommended actions that will get our economy and state moving again. I already know that during my short tenure here, I've already stepped on some toes on both the left and the right. I am not doing it to cause pain, but to get us to stand up and recognize that we must solve our serious problems now to prevent pain for future generations. That's why we're here tonight.

But one thing I've learned, I learned during my fourteen years as a mayor, when you try to appease everyone, you satisfy no one. What motivates me every morning, when I'm so privileged to get up here in Raleigh as your governor, is the opportunity to be part of long term solutions.

Source: 2013 North Carolina State of the State Address Feb 18, 2013

Pat McCrory: How do we leave this place better than when we arrived?

I'm doing a lot of thinking about my next moves in my twilight years, in the last quarter of my life. How do we be relevant? How do we make a difference? How do we leave this place a better place than when we arrived? How can we be an influencer in leaving this Earth a better place than when we arrived? And that's part of my faith responsibility.
Source: The Charlotte Observer on 2022 North Carolina Senate race Apr 14, 2021

Pat McCrory: Impeachment: would have voted against convicting Trump

The former governor-turned-radio-host argued that conservative values would guide Republicans in rebuilding the party's path back to power. But he did emphasize he was "a strong supporter" of the former President, and said he disagreed with North Carolina GOP Sen. Richard Burr's vote to convict Trump for inciting the January insurrection at the Capitol.
Source: CNN.com on 2022 North Carolina Senate race Apr 12, 2021

Roy Cooper: Common Ground Solutions instead of either/or choices

The budget I shared two weeks ago reflects the priorities of North Carolina's hard-working people. It contains no increase in taxes. It rejects the false "either/or" choice of either saving or investing. Instead, my budget puts millions in our rainy day fund while committing to a future of growth.

I call this budget "Common Ground Solutions" because it contains many areas of agreement. In Raleigh, partisan battles, power struggles and lawsuits might grab the headlines, but we have to work together where we can. To look beyond ourselves to see what's right for the state, regardless of who's in power.

That's what the people of North Carolina want us to do, and what common sense demands us to do. So let's get to work. Job recruitment, raising teacher pay, fighting the opioid crisis, and boosting our infrastructure: these are areas where we already agree more than we disagree. These tasks don't come with a party label for a reason. They are priorities we all share.

Source: 2017 North Carolina State of the State address Mar 13, 2017

Roy Cooper: Cast aside notions of red counties or blue counties

Let's cast aside notions of red counties or blue counties and recognize that these are artificial divisions. Let's place integrity at the forefront. We are all North Carolinians. These times of triumph and trial have shown us that we are more connected than we ever imagined. And one thing is clear, just as we did one hundred years ago--North Carolina is ready to roar again.
Source: 2021 State of the State Address (North Carolina inaugural) Jan 9, 2021

Sean Haugh: YouTube-based campaign as Libertarian party nominee

Most evenings, Sean Haugh is a pizza deliveryman. But every other week or so, the Libertarian Party's Senate nominee in North Carolina opens a few craft beers on the counter of the bar in his campaign manager's basement. He takes deep gulps from a pint glass bearing an image of Austrian-school economist Murray Rothbard and expresses his Everyman frustrations with the current political system into a video camera.

So far, Haugh's campaign barely exists anywhere but on YouTube. But it is doing surprisingly well in a high-stakes Senate contest in which candidates and outside groups have already spent more than $15 million.

Four polls lately put his support somewhere between 8 and 11 percent--not enough to suggest a realistic possibility of winning, but conceivably enough to affect the outcome of the race. The same surveys show the margin between incumbent Democrat Kay Hagan and her GOP challenger, state House Speaker Thom Tillis, at six points or less.

Source: Washington Post on 2014 North Carolina Senate race Jul 6, 2014

Sean Haugh: The spoiler argument is bogus on every level

Asked how he could prevent voters from choosing him over Dr. Greg Brannon (R) if both were on the ballot, D'Annunzio said "if it looked like it was going to be a very tight race, and I was going to wind up being the cause of Greg Brannon to lose to Kay Hagan, I would endorse him, not withdraw." D'Annunzio views his strategy "as an insurance policy" to ensure there would be "at least one person who believed in liberty on the ballot in the general election."

Haugh was not impressed with his opponent's reasoning. "I have no respect, none, for the spoiler argument," Haugh said. "It is bogus on every level." Haugh believes it is "absolutely vital to have a Libertarian voice in every election possible, especially at the top of the ticket." He said he would be excited to debate Brannon if both men won their parties' nominations "because there are some stark differences" between them on the issues and their brand of libertarianism. Political science has disproven there is a spoiler effect, Haugh said.

Source: Carolina Journal on 2014 North Carolina Senate debate Apr 8, 2014

Ted Budd: Running to stop US from becoming woke, socialist wasteland

A video announcing his campaign features a monster truck referred to as the "liberal agenda crusher," and Budd jokingly saying he doesn't need the monster truck, a marching band or a dog in sunglasses to amplify his campaign announcement. "We all know
Source: Politico.com on 2022 North Carolina Senate race Apr 28, 2021

Thom Tillis: Moral Mondays are for whining losers who oppose GOP agenda

N.C. House Speaker Thom Tillis described opponents of the Republican agenda in the General Assembly as "losers" in an interview. "I think for the most part, what I see from the folks who are opposing our agenda is whining coming from losers," Tillis told Politico.com when asked about the current political environment. "They lost, they don't like it, and they are going to try to do everything they can to cast doubt on things that I think are wise and that the average citizen will like."

Tillis is one of Gov. Pat McCrory's closest allies and helped engineer majorities in the state House and Senate for the GOP in 2010. McCrory is the state's first Republican governor since 1993.

Democrats and others frustrated by the sharp turn to the right participated in a series of protests dubbed "Moral Mondays" throughout the General Assembly session. Ministers, teachers and other activists participated in the protests, which migrated to Charlotte and other cities.

Source: Charlotte Business Jnl. on 2014 North Carolina Senate race Dec 12, 2013

Thom Tillis: Served on town commission; ousted sitting State House Rep.

More than a decade ago, a push for a mountain bike trail in his hometown of Cornelius led Thom Tillis to politics, first leading him to serve on a park board and then a year later on the town commission.

The Republican is returning to the story of his political roots as he campaigns for the US Senate. "I've only been in office since 2007," he said after filing his candidacy papers last week. "I served for a small time in the town of Cornelius. I was PTA president 8 years ago."

The effort is designed to portray Tillis as the candidate who can deliver results and push back against his label as the establishment candidate. But it also highlights his start in state politics in 2006 when he ousted a conservative lawmaker in a GOP primary, 2-term Republican state Rep. John Rhodes. The Tillis-Rhodes race is seared into the minds of some conservative activists; the the leader of the Charlotte Tea Party, said Tillis' effort to beat Rhodes helped sow "a level of distrust among conservatives."

Source: Charlotte Observer on 2014 North Carolina Senate race Mar 5, 2014

Thom Tillis: A self-made man who grew up in a trailer park

Tillis' spokesman countered Hagan's attacks by noting that that tax cuts and regulatory changes passed by the General Assembly since Republicans gained power in 2010 have boosted middle-class families and small businesses.

Tillis aides concede that Hagan has gotten a head start raising money and making her pitch to voters, but said voters would come to respect his life story. Tillis, they said, grew up in a trailer park and is a "self-made man."

"Only one candidate has been telling a story," said a Tillis strategist. "The Thom Tillis story has yet to be told."

Tillis's campaign, meanwhile, has called Hagan a "rubber stamp" for Obama's policies, chiding her for her vote supporting the president's health-care overhaul. The voters' negative feelings toward Obama, Tillis aides say, will help mobilize the Republican base. "North Carolinians are really not happy with the direction our country is going in," Keylin said.

Source: Washington Post on 2014 North Carolina Senate race Aug 13, 2014

Thom Tillis: Judeo-Christian values established our government framework

Question topic: Efforts to bring Islamic law (shariah) to America do not pose a threat to our country and its Constitution.

Tillis: Disagree.

Question topic: Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality which permitted our system of limited government.

Tillis: Strongly Agree.

Question topic: Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.

Tillis: Catholic.

Source: Faith2Action iVoterGuide on 2014 North Carolina Senate race Sep 30, 2014

Thom Tillis: Outspoken in my defense of our freedom of religion

Q: Do you promise to protect the freedom of Christians to share the Gospel and to practice Biblical principles?

A: Yes.

Q: What does "separation of church and state" mean to you?

A: I have been outspoken in my defense of our freedom of religion. One example of my commitment to this cause was when Pastor Andrew Brunson was being held in a Turkish prison for practicing his faith and I helped free him and get him returned safely to America.

Q: Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values?

A: I am Catholic, which informs my belief in the dignity of work and that every life is a precious gift from God.

Source: AFA iVoterGuide on 2020 North Carolina Senate race Nov 3, 2020

Ted Budd: Biden is president, but "constitutional concerns" about 2020

On January 6, 2021, Budd voted to object to the congressional certification of Biden's victories in Pennsylvania & Arizona. Budd also expressed support in December 2020 for the Texas-led lawsuit that sought to overturn Biden's win. And three days after the election in November 2020, Budd joined some of his House Republican colleagues in sending a letter to the US attorney general demanding action in relation to "widespread reports of irregularities, particularly in the vote counting process."

When asked later in 2021 if Biden won the election fair and square, Budd responded, "He did. He's the legitimate president." But after the clip of Budd's comments was circulated in early 2022 by backers of one of his opponents in the Republican Senate primary, Budd claimed he had been taken out of context. In April 2022 [Budd said] that Biden "is the president, but I have tremendous constitutional concerns about how the election of 2020 happened."

Source: CNN on 2020 Election Denial: 2022 North Carolina Senate race Sep 15, 2022

Josh Stein: Father worked at state's first integrated law firm

Stein cites his father's work at what is believed to be North Carolina's first integrated law firm and his mother's passion for health care as major influences.
Source: WRAL on 2024 North Carolina Gubernatorial race Sep 23, 2022

Dale Folwell: The blood that runs through me is Quaker: be fair and just

We are constantly challenging assumptions and to figure out what is right, get it right and keep it right on behalf of those who teach, protect and serve, and taxpayers like them… The blood that runs through me is Quaker and one of the spices of this religion is to be fair and just. There's no Democrat, Republican, white or Black, or male and female money in the Treasurer's office. It's all green. The Treasurer's office does not pick and choose which laws to apply or who to apply them to.
Source: Chatham News + Record on 2024 North Carolina Governor race May 5, 2021

Josh Stein: Jewish faith guides him to make the world a better place

He also says his Jewish faith guides him to try to leave the world a more equitable place. "My parents were very proud Jews and they infused us with Judaism and what the fundamental values of Judaism are," Stein said. "Foundational to that is the sense that each of us has an obligation to try to make things better than the way we find it."
Source: WRAL on 2024 North Carolina Gubernatorial race Sep 23, 2022

Mark Robinson: God won't to tolerate the decline of Western civilization

Robinson, giving a speech centered around patriotism at a Baptist church on the Sunday after the Fourth of July, brought up recent legislation about transgender athletes, saying, "why is this even a conversation in our society right now? I cannot believe that I'm living in a time when there are people who say they are educated, but they believe that gender is simply a concept of the mind. What is wrong with these people? The very foundations of humanity, of God Almighty, they're trying to tear them down."

In this month's speech [Robinson said] "A lot of these political folks that work with me, they get nervous when I come stand up here. You ought to be nervous about the fact that we live in a society where some folks say it's alright to give pornography to children. As far as I'm concerned, that's the decline of Western civilization. And I do not believe that if we continue to do it God's gonna tolerate it long," Robinson said.

Source: News & Observer on 2024 North Carolina Gubernatorial race Jul 24, 2023

Mark Robinson: Urged people to thank God for living "in a blessed country"

He criticized people who don't stand for the national anthem or Pledge of Allegiance. He doesn't name a person but said a man on the State Board of Education meeting is a "filthy hypocrite" for not standing up to say the pledge. Robinson asked the congregation to "stand up and be the men and women that God would have us to be," and to save the nation from "the brink." Robinson urged people to thank God for living "in a blessed country."
Source: News & Observer on 2024 North Carolina Gubernatorial race Jul 24, 2023

Mark Robinson: Socialism, Communism are the enemies, not dead Nazis

In past remarks, he dismissed the Nazis as a historical footnote to the depredations of communist authoritarianism. "For the 4,880,560th time; CULTURAL MARXISM, SOCIALISM, and their father COMMUNISM are the enemies of this nation," he wrote in a Facebook post published in September 2017. "Please STOP wasting my time, your time, and the time of your fellow conservatives talking about, and making mention of, the NAZIS who have been DEAD since 1945."
Source: Jewish Insider on 2024 North Carolina Gubernatorial race Jul 19, 2023

Mark Robinson: Every good thing in this nation came from Christians

There's a lot of people that like to say that this isn't a Christian nation. But, hey, take a look around you. Every good thing that's ever come up in this nation, every problem that we've ever needed solved--it's all been solved by people who believed in Jesus Christ. They always have been. And there's always going to be a regimen of people in this nation who call themselves Christians and believe in the tenets of Christianity. And so this is a Christian nation."
Source: The Assembly on 2024 North Carolina Gubernatorial race Jul 19, 2023

Andy Wells: Politicians don't solve problems; they create problems

Republicans, Democrats and Independents usually disagree on issues but they all do agree our country's headed in the wrong direction. That's the result of broken politics. Politicians don't solve problems--they create problems. To stop inflation we need leaders with common sense who'll tell politicians, "No more. Enough. Stop."
Source: 2024 North Carolina Governor campaign website AndyWells.com Nov 3, 2023

Michael Morgan: I'm truly blessed and truly thankful for that

[On personal philosophy]: "History is not lost on me.... I am one who subscribes to the motto, 'To whom much is given, much is expected,'" Morgan said. "I've been given much. And I'm truly blessed and truly thankful for that. And as a result, I just continue to go forward and try to give the best of me that I can give, and don't really dwell upon the historic aspects, whatever I've been able to achieve. I just try to do my best and let history record the rest."
Source: Raleigh News-Observer on 2024 North Carolina Governor race Sep 12, 2023

Mark Robinson: Right to worship is a fundamental freedom

Source: AFA iVoterGuide on 2024 North Carolina Gubernatorial race Mar 5, 2024

Mark Robinson: Elected officials have put politics ahead of the people

Q: Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
A: I am a Christian--I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who died on the cross to save us from our sins. I am a sinner and in need of God's forgiveness, which I ask through the grace of His Son Jesus. For too long, elected officials have put politics ahead of the people. I've had the honor of serving as North Carolina's Lieutenant Governor since January 2021. I'm a former factory worker who knows what it is like to struggle to make ends meet--not a career politician. North Carolinians have had enough of career politicians climbing the ladder from office to office. I know what our families and businesses are going through and I will work hard every day to focus on real solutions to the problems facing everyday North Carolinians.
Source: AFA iVoterGuide on 2024 North Carolina Gubernatorial race Mar 5, 2024

Andy Wells: A Christian saved by grace; no Sharia law

Q: VALUES: Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality which is necessary for our system of limited government.

A: Strongly Agree

Q: Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.

A: Christian, Saved by Grace.

Q: JUDICIAL PHILOSOPHYI support the use of Sharia law as a basis for legislation and judicial decisions in the United States.

A: Strongly Disagree

Q: What does "separation of church and state" mean to you?

A: The Founding Fathers meant Separation of Church and State to protect religious freedom.

Q: I promise to protect the freedom of Christians to share the Gospel and to practice Biblical principles.

A: Yes

Source: AFA iVoterGuide on 2020 North Carolina Lt. Governor race Mar 3, 2020

Dale Folwell: EGO stands for Edging God Out

Q: Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs & values.

A: I am not a perfect person. I believe "ego" stands for Edging God Out. I want God to be happy with me. Every night, I surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ and hope that he gets between my ears every morning before the rest of the world does. Jesus is the center of my joy. I believe God made everyone possibly better AT something than anyone in the world- not better THAN. I also think that there shouldn't be ethical gaps between a candidate's personal, campaign and professional life.

The root word of Governor is to govern. The root word of conservative is to conserve. They are verbs. God gave me the vision to see, humility to listen and COURage (not rage) to act. I'm not the most hateful, tallest, richest or loudest candidate for Governor. I'm the candidate who as Governor can fix the agencies like DMV,DOT, DHHS and board of elections. I will be a constitutional Governor who will follow the NC Constitution and the Republican Platform.

Source: AFA iVoterGuide on 2024 North Carolina Gubernatorial race Mar 5, 2024

Mark Robinson: Old posts favoring slavery are "salacious tabloid trash"

Some North Carolina Republicans are bracing for the aftermath of news about Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, their party's candidate for governor. And one Republican candidate for state Senate is publicly calling for Robinson to end his campaign and for another GOP candidate to replace him. But Robinson called the allegations "salacious tabloid trash."

CNN published a long, detailed story tying a series of graphic, offensive and racist comments to Robinson's online accounts, including a description of how they matched Robinson to the comments. Robinson's alleged online comments made about a decade ago, which he denied to CNN in an interview as well, include saying "I'm a Black Nazi!" and "Slavery is not bad. Some people need to be slaves. I wish they would bring it (slavery) back. I would certainly buy a few." He also described the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. with racial slurs.

Source: News & Observer on 2024 North Carolina Gubernatorial race Sep 20, 2024

Michael Whatley: I don't believe the Republican Party should hide from faith

The mostly white evangelical crowd at Freedom House Church was about to hear Whatley lay out his vision for leading the GOP by marrying politics & religion: "I work hard every single day to make sure the North Carolina Republican Party is going to be the party of faith," said Whatley, wearing a buttoned blue blazer over his open-collar white dress shirt. "I pray that I can use this platform that I've been given … to be an instrument of God. I don't believe the Republican Party should hide from faith."
Source: The Assembly, "Faith," on 2026 North Carolina Senate race Oct 21, 2024

Roy Cooper: He taught Sunday School, tutored public school students

He represented everyday people and small businesses while practicing law in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, where he and his wife Kristin raised three daughters. For years, he taught Sunday School and tutored students in local public schools. Cooper entered public service after being elected to the legislature, where he worked to raise teacher pay and strengthen law enforcement, and wrote North Carolina's first children's health insurance initiative.
Source: 2026 North Carolina Senate campaign website RoyCooper.com Aug 1, 2025

Thom Tillis: I have a habit of mirroring the behavior I'm presented with

When asked whether he'll be a thorn in the president's side, "that's President Trump's choice," Tillis told Semafor. "I've tried to defer to him and show him respect, but I do have a habit of mirroring the behavior that I'm presented with."

"You can just ask the poor guy in the National Airport about seven weeks ago what happens when you get up in this former trailer park resident's face. There's no human being on the face of the planet whose behavior I wouldn't mirror if it's disrespectful."

Source: Semafor on 2026 North Carolina Senate race Jul 15, 2025

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