TCB Oct. 17, 2024 — The 2024 Election Guide

PAPER OCTOBER 17 - 30, 2024

Election the 2024 GUIDE

Early voting starts Oct. 17! Election Day is Nov. 5!

Your guide to all of the candidates and referenda on the ballot in Guilford and Forsyth counties.

CITY LIFE

THURSDAY

Greek Wine Tasting @ Vintage 82 (GSO) 6 p.m.

This wine tasting features Andrea Englisis of Athenee Importers, the oldest importer of Greek wines in the United States. Try seven Greek wines from Santorini, Crete, the mainland, and Cyprus. Purchase tickets online

Halloween Trivia Night @ the Brewer’s Kettle (HP) 7 p.m.

18

FRIDAY

Fall and Halloween Themed Lighted and Lantern Make & Take Ceramic Sip & Paint Class (GSO) 6:30 p.m.

The Painted Grape is hosting a Halloween-themed sip and paint class where you will create Halloween lanterns and light-ups to take home. Choose from jack-o-lanterns, mummies, ghosts and more to decorate. Register at paintedgrapenc.com

Sam Swanson @ Stock + Grain Assembly (HP) 7 p.m.

Scan the QR code to find more events at triad-citybeat.com/local-events

19

SATURDAY

School of Filmmaking Legacy Celebration Screening @ ACE Main Theatre, UNCSA (W-S) 1 p.m.

The School of Filmmaking at UNCSA is hosting a free, one-night-only screening event celebrating the school’s early years and honoring founding Film Dean Sam Grogg and the Winston-Salem community’s contributions to UNCSA. More information at uncsa.edu

Halloween Spooky Hoopla @ High Point Athletic Complex (HP) 5 p.m.

The Brewer’s Kettle invites you to test your spooky knowledge against ghouls and goblins in this Halloweenthemed trivia night hosted by Kris Saintsing. Visit the

Trunk-or-treat, bounce houses, a gaming truck, hayride and more enjoyable, family-friendly activities make up the Halloween Spooky Hoopla. Visit the event page on 17

Sam Swanson is a full-time solo cover artist, wedding singer and touring musician who adds his own unique flair to classic pop tunes spanning the last six decades.

20

CITY LIFE

SUNDAY

Camel City Craft Fair @ Foothills Brewing Tasting Room (W-S) 12 p.m.

Head to the 9th annual Camel City Craft Fair. View a showcase of artists and makers selling handmade items. There will also be live music, food and sweet treats to enjoy. More information on Facebook

Pups in the Park with West End Mambo @ Triad Park (Kernersville) 2 p.m.

Arts Council of Winston-Salem & Forsyth County presents the fourth and final event in the 9th Annual Parks Concert Series Pups in the Park with West End Mambo. The band invites you and your canine companions to a dog-friendly performance of classic salsa from bolero and rumbas to guaracha and son montuno. Find more information at intothearts.org/programs/parks-concert-series

“It is more important now than ever to support NCCJ, which has never strayed from its purpose of creating space for open and respectful dialogue between people of different backgrounds.” — event chairs Sue and Gary Simmons

OCT. 20 - 24

21

MONDAY

Morningside: The 1979 Greensboro Massacre and the Struggle for an American City’s Soul @ Greensboro History Museum (GSO) 6 p.m.

Join author Aran Shetterly in conversation with Executive Director of Human Rights at City of Greensboro Dr. Love Jones, for a discussion about his new book Morningside: The 1979 Greensboro Massacre and the Struggle for an American City’s Soul, an account which draws upon survivor interviews, court documents and FBI files. A book signing will follow the conversation. More information on Facebook

24

THURSDAY

Your Voice, Your Vote @ Harrison Auditorium, NC A&T (GSO) 6 p.m.

NC A&T’s Chancellor’s Speaker Series 2024 season kicks off with “Your Voice, Your Vote” featuring actress and change agent Yara Shahidi. “Your Voice, Your Vote” will provide dialogue around individual and collective civic engagement, responsibility and the power to enact change. A&T alumnus Tylik McMillan will moderate the conversation. Free and open to the public. Tickets are available at the university ticket office.

HONORING WHEN JOIN US IN-PERSON OR VIRTUALLY (YOUR CHOICE!) QUESTIONS?

Ellen “Lennie” W. Gerber & Dr. Henry “Hank” W.B. Smith, III

Wednesday, November 6th 5:30pm Reception | 6:30pm Dinner & Program

In-person guests will gather in the Guilford Ballroom at Koury Convention Center in Greensboro.

For virtual guests, we’ll send you the information you need to tune in for the livestream from 7-8:30pm. Each virtual guest in the Triad area will also receive a takeout meal from Green Valley Grill in Greensboro, for the night of the event.

NCCJ Board of Directors: FY 2024-25

Kady Evans, pg. 27

OPINION

EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK

There’s a reason why Japanese WWII survivors are supporting Palestine

by

I’

m going to warn you right now, this is about to get depressing. This week, I wanted to share something I watched for the first time that I think everyone should watch.

The film is called Grave of the Fireflies I grew up watching most Studio Ghibli movies due to the fact that my dad loved them. Some of my favorites include Nausicaa and Kiki’s Delivery Service. But I never got around to watching Grave of the Fireflies, which came out in 1988 and was directed by Isao Takahata, the co-founder of Studio Ghibli.

So when my sister was in town this past weekend, we decided to give it a go. From the description, we knew that it was going to be sad. But I think I was unprepared for just how sad and depressing this film is.

It follows 14-year-old Seita and his little sister Setsuko in the last months of WWII. They live in Kobe (which is where my dad is from) and have to fend for themselves in the midst of ongoing bombardment from American forces. They find themselves homeless for most of the film.

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MANAGING EDITOR

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AD MANAGER

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CONTRIBUTORS

Carolyn de Berry, John Cole, Owens Daniels, James Douglas, Michelle Everette, Luis H. Garay, Destiniee Jaram, Kaitlynn Havens, Jordan Howse, Matt Jones, Autumn Karen, Michaela Ratliff, Jen Sorensen, Todd Turner

Sam LeBlanc

ART DIRECTOR

Aiden Siobhan aiden@triad-city-beat.com COVER: Design by Aiden Siobhan

And although the film is almost 40 years old, it’s just as relevant as ever.

Over the weekend, the 2024 Nobel

Peace Prize was awarded to Nihon Hidankyo, an organization made up of those who survived the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on Aug. 6 and 9 of 1945. During his speech, co-chair of the Nihon Hidankyo, Toshiyuki Mimaki , expressed his surprise for their group’s winning of the honor. Instead, he said that he expected those fighting for peace in Gaza to win. In one interview, Mimaki compared the situation of Gaza to “Japan 80 years ago.”

And that’s why this film is so important.

Despite the different time period, different conflict, different war, different country, different people, the film does a painfully effective job at showing the devastating effects of war on the lives of children. Aid organizations estimate that anywhere from 11,000 to 14,000 children have been killed in Gaza by Israeli actions since Oct. 7 of last year. And they are no different than Seita and Setsuko from the film. They had no faults of their own. They did nothing to deserve the absolute devastation that has been wrought on their lands, their homes, their families.

And so, as we mark the 1-year anniversary of the ongoing genocidal campaign against Palestinians, I hope that we won’t turn away from the atrocities of the present, nor will we forget the atrocities of the past.

The film is streaming on Netflix now.

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Sayaka Matsuoka

The 2024 Election Guide

Your guide to all of the candidates in Guilford and Forsyth counties.

by Brian Clarey, Sayaka Matsuoka, Gale Melcher

We don’t do endorsements at Triad City Beat, as befits our nonpartisan approach to politics. Instead, we compile short bios of every candidate in most contested races in Guilford and Forsyth counties, dozens of candidates from president all the way down to city council.

We use our own reporting and the reporting of news outlets we trust, as well as candidate websites and responses to our candidate questionnaire. Complete transcripts of those questionnaires will be available online.

It’s a lot of work. But it’s worth it, because at TCB we believe in elections, we believe in democracy, we believe in the power of the people to elect the candidates who most reflect their values and wishes. Everything else stems from that.

A reminder that voters will have to show a valid photo ID to vote this year. Early voting starts on Oct. 17 and runs through Nov. 2. Nov. 5 is Election Day. Voters can register to vote during the early voting period and can cast their vote at any open polling location during that time. On Election Day, voters are required to go to their assigned precinct. To look up your assigned polling place, learn more about the voting laws and find your sample ballot, visit nc.gov/living/voting Candidates are listed by last name, with incumbents listed first.

FEDERAL

PRESIDENT

Democrat: Kamala Harris/Tim Walz

kamalaharris.com

When President Joe Biden dropped out of the race after a lackluster debate performance in July, his vice-president stepped in and immediately began gaining on Donald Trump in the polls. Her VP choice of Gov. Tim Walz (Minnesota) bolstered this enthusiasm.

Before becoming Biden’s VP, Harris was a prosecutor in California, eventually rising to San Francisco City Attorney and then DA, then winning election twice as the attorney general of the state before beginning her career in the US Senate in 2017.

according to his website, is a “37-year-old Libertarian activist living in Atlanta” who has run for Georgia’s 5th Congressional District (2020) and the US Senate (2022) against Sen. Raphael Warnock and Herschel Walker, earning 2 percent of the vote in the latter. Called “the most influential Libertarian in America” by Rolling Stone in 2022, his platform includes immigration and justice reform, ending the drug war — all wars, actually — and a pro-gun, anti-death penalty position. Mike ter Maat ran for president under the Libertarian banner promising a “Gold New Deal” that eliminates the IRS, allows states to nullify federal legislation, end the Federal Reserve and Social Security, end qualified immunity for law enforcement and “phasing out” public schools, among other planks.

There’s a page dedicated to their platform on the website, which includes abolishing the Dept. of Education and ending drug penalties, abortion restrictions, corporate bailouts, the death penalty and excessive employment regulations. He supports nuclear power, term limits for all federal elected offices and a streamlined process for immigrants to become citizens.

Constitution: Randall Terry/Stephen Broden terry2024.com

education, reduced the food safety net, rolled back emissions standards for cars and factories, delivered a $1.5 trillion tax cut to individuals and corporations, rolled back rules put in place after the 2008 financial crisis and appointed three judges to the US Supreme Court, which then overturned Roe v. Wade He also disbanded federal pandemicresponse protocols before the worst pandemic of the century before fasttracking a vaccine that arrived in early 2021.

After he lost the 2020 Election, Trump refused to accept the results, inciting an insurrectionist mob to attack the US Capitol Building on Jan. 6, 2021. He still maintains that the election was stolen from him, without providing tangible evidence.

He has been convicted on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in a “hush money” trial, two of which were dismissed in September, along with another of his criminal cases, this one for mishandling classified documents. He still faces federal charges for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

Walz was a high school teacher and football coach before getting elected to the US House, serving Minnesota’s 1st District from 2007-19, eventually becoming the ranking member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee. He was elected governor in 2018 and was reelected in 2022.

The Harris/Vance ticket proposes a New Way Forward platform that includes cutting taxes for middle-class families, creating paths to homeownership and lowering rents, investing in small businesses, lowering costs in healthcare and energy, funding childcare, addressing climate change and strengthening both Social Security and Medicare.

Libertarian: Chase Oliver/ Mike ter Maat votechaseoliver.com Oliver,

The Constitution Party’s Randall Terry is running to “defeat and destroy the Democrat Party” by pulling what he says are its two largest constituencies — Catholics and Black Americans — into his tent. Staunchly anti abortion, anti LGBTQIA2S+ and a believer in “principle over politics,” Terry founded the anti-abortion activist group Operation Rescue in 1987 and, as an activist, has been arrested more than 40 times.

His running mate Stephen Broder ran for the Texas state House in 2010 as a Republican. He is also a pastor of the Fair Park Bible Fellowship Church and a spokesman for the Black anti-abortion movement in Dallas.

donaldjtrump.com

Republican:

Former President Donald Trump and Sen. JD Vance

As the 45th president from 2017-2020, Donald Trump enhanced religion in

Sen. JD Vance rose to prominence on his book, Hillbilly Elegy, which documented his rise from poverty to Yale Law School. He has worked as a venture capitalist in the tech industry before being elected to the Senate in Ohio in 2022. He espouses many far-right ideologies, including stands against same-sex marriage, childless women, abortion and in-vitro fertilization,

Their platform is articulated in Project 2025, a sweeping slate of proposed changes to the US system of government and the people who run it.

Green: Jill Stein/Butch Ware

jillstein2024.com

Dr. Jill Stein has been at the forefront of medical research linking environmental toxicity to health issues, and previously ran as the Green Party’s presidential candidate in 2012 and 2016. Her platform is “People, Planet, Peace,” pledging to fight systemic racism, heal the planet and end “end the endless wars” with a foreign policy based on diplomacy and human rights.

Butch Ware is a lifelong activist and educator, concentrating his scholarship on West Africa. He was active during the George Floyd protests in 2020 and the

Key: D - Democrat,

Candidates running unopposed

There are several candidates running unopposed in this election. They are listed below.

FORSYTH COUNTY

• NC House of Representatives

District 71: Kanika Brown (D, i)

• NC House of Representatives

District 72: Amber Baker (D, i)

• NC Superior Court

Judge District 31 C

Seat 1: Eric Morgan (R)

• NC District Court

Judge District 31 Seat

5: Camille BanksPrince (D)

• NC District Court

Judge District 31 Seat

6: Artrese Ziglar (D)

• NC District Court

Judge District 31 Seat

7: Carie Vickery (D)

• NC District Court

Judge District 31 Seat

8: Whit Davis (D)

• NC District Court

Judge District 31 Seat

9: Kristin Kelly Broyles (D)

• NC District Court

Judge District 31 Seat

11: David E. Sipprell (R)

• Forsyth County Register of Deeds: Lynne Johnson (D, i)

• Winston-Salem Mayor: Allen Joines (D, i) Winston-Salem City

Council Member East

Ward: Annette Scippio (D, i)

• Winston-Salem City

Council Member North

Ward: DD Adams (D, i)

• Winston-Salem City

Council Member

Northeast Ward: Barbara Burke (D, i)

• Winston-Salem City

Council Member

South Ward: Vivian Joiner (D)

• Winston-Salem City

Council Member

Southeast Ward: James Taylor (D, i)

• Winston-Salem City

Council Member

Southwest Ward: Scott Andree-Bowen (D)

GUILFORD COUNTY

• NC State Senate District 28: Gladys Robinson (D, i)

• NC House of Representatives District 58: Amos Quick (D, i)

• NC Superior Court

Judge District 24 E Seat

1: Tonia Cutchin (D)

• NC District Court

Judge District 24 Seat

3: Ashley WatlingtonSimms (D)

• NC District Court

Judge District 24 Seat

4: Caroline TomlinsonPemberton (D)

• NC District Court Judge

District 24 Seat 5: Walter Trip Baker III (D)

• NC District Court Judge

District 24 Seat 6: Michelle Fletcher (D)

• NC District Court Judge

District 24 Seat 7: Angela Foster (D)

• NC District Court Judge

District 24 Seat 8: Angela Bullard Fox(D)

• NC District Court Judge

District 24 Seat 9: Tabatha Holliday (D)

• NC District Court Judge

District 24 Seat 10: Charlene Armstrong (D)

• NC District Court Judge

District 24 Seat 11: Bill Davis (D)

NC District Court Judge

District 24 Seat 12: Kelvin Smith (D)

• NC District Court Judge

District 24 Seat 13: Brian Tomlin (D)

• NC District Court Judge

District 24 Seat 14: Tomakio Gause (D)

• Guilford County Board of Commissioners

District 8: Skip Alston (D, i)

• Guilford County Board of Education District 1: T. Dianne Bellamy-Small (D, i)

• Guilford County

Register of Deeds: Jeff Thigpen (D, i)

• Guilford County Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor: Ray Briggs (i)

current situation in Gaza. He has never held nor run for political office before but has written two books: Jihad of the Pen: The Sufi Literature of West Africa and The Walking Qurʼan: Islamic Education, Embodied Knowledge, and History in West Africa. He currently teaches at UC Santa Barbara.

Justice for All: Cornel West/Melina Abdullah cornelwest2024.com

Dr. Cornel West is best known in academic and activist circles, focusing on matters of race, gender and inequality. A professor emeritus at Princeton University, where he was the first African American to attain a PhD in philosophy, West helped found the Center for African American Studies there. While he’s never before run for office, he has served as advisor for numerous candidates, including Bill Bradley, Al Sharpton and Ralph Nader. He supported Sen. Bernie Sanders for president in 2020. He describes himself as a “nonMarxist socialist,” the US as a “racist patriarchal” society and has participated in virtually every protest and social justice movement of the last 20 years.

Dr. Melina Abdullah is also an academic, recognized as an expert in matters of race, gender, class and social movements. She is the first Muslim to run for the vice-presidency. Their platform is “a movement rooted in truth, justice and love,” with planks on justice for Black mothers, children, the disabled, immigrants, voters, workers and LGBTQIA2S+ Americans. Their economic policy plans include a universal basic income, public federal banking, a wealth tax, abolishing homelessness, ending poverty and strengthening public schools.

STATEWIDE COURT RACES

SUPREME COURT

ASSOCIATE JUSTICE

Democrat: Allison Riggs (i) riggsforourcourts. com

Justice Allison Riggs was a civilrights attorney in Durham before ascending to the Court of Appeals via a Gov. Cooper appointment, and then benefited from another Cooper appointment to the NC Supreme Court later that same year.

“These roles have given me a deep understanding of our legal system (its strengths and places for improvement) and a commitment to upholding the law with fairness and integrity,” she wrote in our questionnaire.

Her Top 3 issues are “equitable access to justice, reproductive freedoms and democracy,” she writes. “I value democracy, recognizing how fragile it is and that it works best when multiracial and inclusive. I spent 14 years working with individuals who were denied equitable representation because of restrictive voting laws, including gerrymandered maps.”

Republican: Jefferson G Griffin jeffersongriffin.com

Judge-Jefferson G. Griffin became a captain in the Coast Guard and worked as a commercial fisherman before attending law school at NC Central. He was a prosecutor in the Wake County DA’s office before Gov. Pat McCrory appointed him to the District Court bench in 2015.

In our candidate questionnaire, Griffin says he would improve the highest court in the state by “applying the law as it is written and removing politics from our Courts.

“Notably,” he adds, “we no longer have a former trial court judge serving on the NC Supreme Court. I believe that is a valuable perspective that we need to have represented.”

US HOUSE

DISTRICT 5

Republican: Virginia Foxx (i) virginiafoxx.com

Virginia Foxx’s district runs from the western edge of Greensboro all the way to Boone. Though her time in Congress long predates the rise of Trump — Foxx was first elected to her seat in 2004 — she is an unabashed ally of the former president, voting against his impeachment, twice, and

to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Her policy positions jibe with Trump’s: anti-immigration, anti “Medicare for all,” anti-LGBTQIA2S+ rights, lower taxes, higher military spending, minimizing the federal role in public schools and pro gun. She is staunchly anti-abortion, even as Trump tried to distance himself from that position. She has raised $1.8 million to defend her incumbency in this newly cut district.

Democrat: Chuck Hubbard hubbardforcongress. com

Chuck Hubbard worked as a journalist for 40 years at the newspaper his family owned, the Wilkes Journal-Patriot, and is married to a former NC State Trooper from Greensboro. His platform positions support public education and women’s reproductive rights, protecting Medicare/Medicaid and Social Security, and expanding access to affordable healthcare. He has raised about $275,000 so far.

DISTRICT 6

Incumbent: Kathy Manning, D, since 2021, not seeking reelection

Constitution: Kevin Hayes hayesfornc.com When incumbent Democrat Rep. Kathy Manning declined to run after redistricting tilted the district to heavily favor a Republican, Kevin Hayes stepped into the small void for an alternative right-wing candidate. Hayes is chair of the NC Constitution Party and has run for both the US Senate (in 2020) and the NC House (twice). His positions espouse small government, an end to illegal immigration, veterans’ rights and reducing the national debt, though without a concrete plan. He believes in minimizing or dismantling the federal Dept. of Education in favor of state authority over public schools, opposes the Green New Deal and wants to keep government out of healthcare. Other policy positions on his site are not elaborated upon beyond the headlines.

Republican: Addison McDowell mcdowellfornc.com

The 29-year-old political newcomer — McDowell worked as a lobbyist and for Sen. Ted Budd, briefly — benefits from the endorsement of Trump and fundraising from NC political heavyweights that include Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger and other members of NC GOP leadership. They helped him win a crowded Republican primary loaded with NC heavyweights. His policy positions include gun rights, secure elections, securing the southern border and an endorsement of Trump’s tariff program as part of his “protecting jobs” plank. He describes himself as “100% pro life” and wants to end “burdensome government regulation” on crypto. All told, he has raised $622,000.

DISTRICT 9

Republican: Richard Hudson (i) richardhudson.org

Incumbent Richard Hudson has represented District 9 since 2023 and represented District 8 from 201322. Chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee, Hudson is one of the more powerful Republicans in the House. As such, he has an A+ rating from the NRA and a 100-percent rating from the National Right to Life. He also voted to overturn the results of the 2020 election. His website uses just photos and headlines to describe his policy positions — “Creating Jobs,” “Protecting the Second Amendment,” “Cutting Spending,” “Environment” — but he was endorsed by Trump in 2022, so the shorthand should suffice.

He has raised more than $3.1million for this race so far.

Democrat: Nigel William Bristow nigelbristowforcongress.com

Nigel Bristow is a retired NYC cop who relocated to NC in 2011 to live on family land and work as a parole officer. He says he will codify Roe v. Wade protections into law, as well as measures that ensure quality mental healthcare and to address climate change. Calling himself “the voice of and for the people,” he takes positions on raising the minimum wage, childcare funding, paid family leave, high-speed internet and incentivizing builders to address the housing crisis, as well as extending veterans’ benefits and a federal benefit for families of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty. He also has a slate of programs that help seniors “have dignity in retirement.” He has raised about $11,000 this cycle.

Unaffiliated: Shelane Etchison etchisonforcongress. com

Running unaffiliated for District 9, Shelane Etchison is a Special Ops veteran who served in Iraq and, afterward, earned two master’s degrees from Harvard, an MBA from the business school and an MPP from the Kennedy School of Government.

She’s running on a small-government platform that includes anti-corruption, individual liberties, national security and “societal wellness,” about which she says, “it’s a national imperative to strengthen our societal well-being by promoting civility, lifelong learning and skills building, holistic health approaches, and incentivized national service.”

She wants to overturn Citizens United, stop members of Congress from insider trading and “hold public officials accountable for their words and actions.

DISTRICT 10

Incumbent: Patrick McHenry, R, since 2005, announced retirement

Libertarian: Steve Feldman stevefeldmanforcongress.com

Libertarian Steve Feldman runs on a platform that addresses the national debt and “a foreign policy that uses violence to achieve peace.” His platform emphasizes the defensive role of the military, the importance of shared values between differing political parties and “solutions that empower people, not government” that “create opportunity” rather than “foster dependence.”

Republican: Pat Harrigan harriganforcongress. com

Harrigan, a West Point graduate and Special Forces combat veteran, split his time growing up between the West Coast and a small town in Wyoming. Now he is a gun manufacturer. Naturally, he is bullish on Second Amendment rights; other policy positions on his website put him squarely at odds with Biden’s record on the economy, immigration, national security, election integrity and “protect[ing] the unborn.” Since the primary, he has added a section on his website about “Cultural Integrity” that “sees conservative values as the bedrock of our nation,” with a vow to codify those values into law. In 2022, he ran unsuccessfully against Rep. Jeff Jackson (D) in District 14, and has raised almost $1.3 million for this race.

Constitution: Todd Helm helmforcongress.com

Helm is a former high school math teacher and coach who moved into an agricultural nonprofit that “exists to serve by helping families produce, consume, and market nutritious food.” His biggest issues are, in descending order, easing the national debt, enforcing immigration laws, and “life and family,” which includes defining marriage as between “one man, one woman,” abortion as “wrong” and LGBTQIA2S+ Americans as “morally bankrupt.”

Democrat: Ralph Scott Jr.

ralphscottforushouse. com

Ralph Scott claims to be the 6th great-grandson of James Madison. He served in the Air Force, and sees solutions to this country’s problems in its founding documents, including the Declaration of Independence,the Constitution and the Federalist Papers. He’s got a simple platform of God, family and individual rights, but also “Unity, collaboration and inclusivity.”

He has no previous political experience, and has not reported any fundraising activity.

STATEWIDE RACES

NC GOVERNOR

Incumbent Roy Cooper, D, since 2017. Cooper has met the term limit.

Republican: Mark Robinson

markrobinsonfornc.com

Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson was first elected into state office in 2020. Much has been made of late concerning our current lieutenant governor’s personal life: his time hanging out in a Greensboro adultvideo shop, his comments on adult website nudeafrica.com in which he openly discussed an affair with his sister in-law, called himself a “black NAZI!!” and expressed a desire to reinstate slavery, as well as an affinity for transgender porn, despite his anti-LGBTQIA2S+ rhetoric, a plank of his platform. His wife’s nonprofit was forced to close after the state determined they had misappropriated more than $130,000 in July. After these stories broke, nearly his entire campaign staff and legislative staff resigned.

Still, Trump has not rescinded his endorsement of the man he called “Martin Luther King on steroids,” though he seems to have disinvited Robinson to his NC events, and nearly every county GOP in the state is still standing with him, as well, including Guilford and Forsyth. The state GOP is still on board as well. His platform is standard MAGA boilerplate, law and order, cutting federal spending, lowering taxes, decreasing regulations on businesses, ending the state’s Environmental, Social and Governance investing while increasing our interests

in crypto. Though he’s softened his tone of late, Robinson has been extremely vocal about abolishing the NC Board of Education, which as lieutenant governor he chairs, and supporting gun rights. He has called LGBTQIA2S+ North Carolinians “filth,” and is staunchly pro-life, though he admitted to paying for an abortion for his wife in 1989 and, since Roe v. Wade was overturned, has said he doesn’t want to talk about abortion anymore. He has called Beyoncé’s music “satanic,” said he “wouldn’t be surprised“ if the moon landing and 9/11 were faked, called climate change “junk science” and warns against a “New World Order.”

So far he’s raised more than $15 million for this election.

Libertarian: Mike Ross

firetheuniparty.com

Libertarian Mike Ross, a financial planner from Charlotte, wants to reduce “government interference” in the lives of North Carolinians with free-market solutions. His plan includes legalizing drugs, removing government from healthcare, raising police pay but also ending qualified immunity for officers, ending “countless layers of taxation that hinder the economic prosperity of North Carolinians” and what he deems a “free market education,” which would “wind down the current monopoly” the state has on education in favor of redistributing the education budget equitably among all NC students and let the free market rise to the challenge of educating our children.

Constitution: Vinny Smith vinnyfornc.com

Navy veteran Vinny Smith grew up in New York City before moving to NC when he was 15. He is co-founder and co-owner of NC Esports Academy in Cary and has written six Christian books. He is staunchly anti-abortion in all cases, endorses the school-voucher program and wants to end mandatory school immunizations and also “phase out” property tax. He told the News & Observer that he also supports teacher pay raises. Smith attended TCB’s Winston-Salem reverse town hall

Democrat: Josh Stein joshstein.org

As NC attorney general, Josh Stein brought home $50 billion in federal monies

to combat opioid addiction and secured $40 million for the state by suing vape company Juul along with an other $1.1 billion from Duke Energy to clean that company’s coal-ash spill, as well as reducing the backlog of untested rape kits, at the time the largest in the country. As governor, he pledges to foment an economy that will “work for everyone,” offering a more mainstream platform than his Republican adversary that promises lower taxes, job opportunities, better public schools and healthcare, a raise in the minimum wage and safer neighborhoods.

From our candidate questionnaire: “Our state is at a crossroads, and this November, voters will have an incredibly stark choice between two competing visions. Ours is forward-looking and inclusive. It’s about fighting for every North Carolinian and tapping their potential to build a safer, stronger North Carolina. I believe in the promise of North Carolina – that where you come from should not determine how far you go. My opponent Mark Robinson’s vision is divisive and hateful; it’s all about fighting job-killing culture wars. He is a threat to North Carolina unlike anyone we’ve seen before. He wants to turn back the clock on our state’s promise and threaten our economic future.”

So far he has raised almost $33 million for this campaign.

Green: Wayne Turner agreenforgovernor.org

Wayne Turner runs on an economic platform that hews closely to the Green Party philosophy of adequate pay and equitable benefits. He’s pro-union and speaks out against wage theft and industrial pollution. Planks include promoting worker cooperatives, and establishing a state-owned public bank. He pushes back against the schoolvoucher program and the recent re-tooling of the UNC System board. He wants to fund Leandro — the state’s decades-old $5 billion shortfall in our public schools budget and wants to replace school resource officers with “actual resources such as school nurses and counselors, art and music instruction, and teacher aides.” He also wants to establish statewide universal healthcare, abolish prison, end state cooperation with ICE and repeal NC’s right-to-work law.

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

Libertarian: Shannon Bray shannonbray.us

Bray, a technology entrepreneur from Apex, has run for US Senate in 2020 and 2022. According to multiple news reports, Bray has been arrested multiple times, as recently as 2023, for assaulting his wife and threatening to kill her. He was also charged with manufacturing marijuana. He was not convicted on these charges.

He believes in abortion up to 16 weeks, legalizing cannabis, election reform and a slew of law enforcement reforms that include ending most traffic stops, ending the drivers license “points system,” abolishing no-knock warrants, ending qualified immunity for officers, stripping most officers of firearms, ending embargoes on police body cameras, abolishing civil forfeiture and paying off police lawsuits from the police pension and retirement fund instead of tax dollars. He’s raised about $6,500.

Democrat: Rachel Hunt rachelhunt.com

Currently serving in the NC Senate’s District 42 in Charlotte, Hunt sponsored bills to codify Roe v. Wade into NC law, restore master’s degree pay for teachers, increase the minimum wage to $15, bolster early-childhood education and create an independent redistricting committee, among others. She also served two terms in the House. This campaign, her key issues are affordable healthcare and reproductive rights, public schools, protecting voter rights and expanding broadband access as an economic development tool. She’s earned dozens of key endorsements including Reps. Kathy Manning, Jeff Jackson, Alma Adams and Deborah Ross; pro-chice groups Lillian’s List and Emily’s List; a score of state legislators; a few mayors and councilmembers; the NC Sierra Club; and the NC AFL-CIO. She has raised $1.9 million this election cycle.

Constitution: Wayne Jones waynejonesforltgov.com

Constitution Party candidate Waye Jones worked in the telecommunications industry for 34 years before being laid off

in 2004. His platform is a long list of bullet points on his site that include “ Defund Woke Universities and Fund Community Colleges,” “Stop wasteful Spending your Money,” “The Protection of All Life,” “No Red Flag Laws, Constitutional Carry,” “Arrest and Deport Illegals,” “Abort Planned Parenthood,” “Stop Sanctuary Cities” and “Ending Property Taxes.” He also believes, “There is only Two GENDERS.”

He has donated about $1,700 to his campaign, the only cash reported so far.

Republican: Hal Weatherman halweathermanfornc. com

Wake Forest University grad and political operative Weatherman founded the Electoral Education Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to election integrity and was chief of staff for former Lt. Gov. Dan Forest. Before that he worked for Forest’s mother, former Charlotte mayor and US Rep. Sue Myrick, an early member of the Tea Party Caucus in the 2000s. He also served on staff for former Rep. Madison Cawthorn. He calls himself a “principled limited government conservative — fiscal and social” whose main goal as lieutenant governor is to “remove the stigma our society has placed on working in the trades.” He also wants to elevate NC agriculture to the global market, establish continual monitoring of the State Board of Elections and pass a “Heartbeat Bill” outlawing all abortions. He is anti-union. He also wants to create a North Carolina Hall of Fame.

A full-throated Trump supporter, his platform includes more resources for SROs in schools, as well as armed guards, keeping “politics out of the classroom”: as well as “men out of women’s sports.” He also supports the state educationvoucher program. In addition, though out of the purview of this office, he is staunchly anti-abortion and wants to start “deporting illegals.” He’s raised almost $930,000 this cycle.

ATTORNEY GENERAL

Incumbent Josh Stein is running for governor

Republican: Dan Bishop votedanbishop.com

Currently Serving as the representative for NC’s 8th Congressional District, where in 2020 he voted

to overturn the election, Dan Bishop is a Trump acolyte and is still supporting Mark Robinson for governor despite his troubles. Before entering politics, Bishop was a commercial litigator for 30 years. He’s running for AG to “defend the rule of law” against his predecessors who he says have turned the office “into a stepping stone for higher office and a platform to spread liberal propaganda.” His website is short on policy, but he told the N&O, “I will work hand in hand with local law enforcement to restore law and order and keep our cities and towns safe.”

Thus far he’s taken in almost $1,5 million in campaign contributions.

Democrat: Jeff Jackson jeffjacksonnc.com

Best known nationally for his TikTok explainer videos, Jackson first took congressional office in 2023 but served as the representative for the NC Senate District 37, which covers Iredelle and Mecklenburg counties, from 2014-22. When he joined the state Senate in 2014, he became the second-youngest senator at the time.

In 2022, Jackson ran an unsuccessful bid for US Senate to replace Republican incumbent Richard Burr. While he raised $500,000 within 48 hours of his campaign announcement, Jackson ultimately suspended his campaign and endorsed Cheri Beasley who lost to Republican Ted Budd in the general election.

During his time as state senator and US Congressman, Jackson has pushed for expanding pre-K education programs, increasing teacher pay and expanding Medicaid, while fighting against gerrymandering and the anti-trans “bathroom bill,” HB2. He’s also known for being active on social media, namely TikTok, where he posts explanatory videos about what’s going on in Congress. Jackson served in the army and was deployed to Afghanistan. Afterwards he became a criminal prosecutor in Gaston County.

On his website, he says he wants to be an independent, non-partisan voice as attorney general, pledging to fight scammers and fraudsters, tackle the fentanyl epidemic, support law enforcement, defend equal protection under the law and protect the environment using the criminal code. He’s raised about $4.2 million for this race.

AUDITOR

Democrat: Jessica Holmes (i) jessicafornc.com

Running unopposed in the Democratic primary, incumbent Jessica Holmes became the first Black woman to serve on the NC Council of State when she was appointed to this post by Gov. Roy Cooper in 2023, after sitting Auditor Beth Wood pled guilty to two misdemeanor charges of misusing a state vehicle. She runs her re-election campaign on the slogan “Accountability. Integrity. Transparency.”

She’s a lifeline North Carolinian and a first-generation college grad, getting her undergraduate and law degrees from UNC-Chapel Hill. In 2014 she became the youngest person ever to be elected to the Wake County Commission and in 2021 was appointed as deputy commissioner to the NC Industrial Commission.

In office, her audits exposed “hundreds of thousands of fraud, waste and abuse of taxpayer dollars.”

In her candidate questionnaire, when asked to identify three of her priorities, she wrote, “I prioritize audits and investigations around sound methodology accounting for impact on North Carolinians, risk of harm to vulnerable populations including seniors, people with disabilities, underserved communities and the kitchen table issues we all care about. The OSA touches most aspects of our daily lives from education, infrastructure, environment quality and human services.

She’s raised almost $135,000 this cycle.

Republican: Dave Boleik auditordave.com

Despite the fact that he was a longtime Democrat, Dave Boliek changed his party registration in mid 2023 and now promotes himself as a “conservative Republican” on his campaign website.

In an interview with NC Newsline, Boliek said that he “migrated to the Republican Party because [he] feels like the Democratic Party in North Carolina has left [him] behind.”

The fiscal conservative and traditional Christian currently serves on the UNC Board of Trustees, and formerly served as the chairman from 2021-23, notably during the Nikole Hannah-Jones controversy. NC Newsline reported that Boliek was just one of four of the 13 members of the board to vote “no” when

it came to granting tenure to HannahJones.

From 1998-2001, Boliek worked as an assistant district attorney in Cumberland County. After leaving, he worked in private practice, with success working “with DMV regulations, ABC regulations and consulting on health care matters,” according to his campaign website. He’s been endorsed by GOP leadership in Raleigh, including Phil Berger and Tim Moore, and has raised almost $450,000 for this election.

Libertarian: Bob Drach electdrach.org

Libertarian candidate and accountant Bob Drach begins his campaign with a pitch: “State government is dominated by Democrats and Republicans. Do we really want them auditing themselves? That is an apparent conflict of interest. It is one reason that government finances seem out of control.”

Drach attended TCB’s Winston-Salem reverse town hall

COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE

The commissioner’s primary goal is protecting, maintaining and enhancing the ability of agriculture to produce an adequate supply of food and fiber and to enforce regulations.

Republican: Steve Troxler (i) stevetroxler.com

In his 19 years as commissioner of agriculture, Steve Troxler of Browns Summit has seen the economic impact of NC farming roughly double, from $59 billion to $111 billion, helped start the Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund, which has preserved more than 36,000 acres of farm and forest land, and helped more meat and poultry farmers become registered meat handlers. He has also enhanced thousands of acres of state parks, forest lands and the NC State Fair fairgrounds, among many others listed at his website. He’s also taken home dozens of awards and honors during this time in office, from groups as disparate as the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, the NC Tourist Industry Association and NC State University, his alma mater. He also has been inducted to the Western NC Hall of Fame.

Libertarian: Sean Haugh seanhaugh.com

Using the same website and a lot of the same copy as he did during his 2022 run for NC House District 31, Sean Haugh said in his candidate questionnaire, “I am running on the single issue of full legalization of marijuana now in North Carolina.”

He’s been active in NC Libertarian circles since 1994, and mentions that he delivered pizza for seven years. From his website: “When you deliver pizza for seven years as I have, you’re invited to homes of people in every segment of our community. That experience has given me the insight to understand how best to fight for the needs of every person, and the openness to listen to any constituent about how I can best serve them.”

Democrat: Sarah Taber taberfornc.com

Sarah Taber spent her formative years working on her family farm in Harlan County, Ky. and eventually started a multi-billion-dollar agribusiness. She wants to use policy to make more “on-ramps” for people to get involved in farming in the state to push back against out-of-state farm ownership, and her website has sections about animal welfare and forest fires.

Her platform includes steering NC farmers away from traditional crops like corn, soy and tobacco into more lucrative produce like berries, carrots, celery, sweet corn, tree nuts, pumpkins, and orchard fruit.

From her candidate questionnaire: “This role should advocate for our state’s farmers, expand the state’s agricultural economy, and protect North Carolina’s consumers from unfair practices. The Commissioner of Agriculture office wouldn’t exist without North Carolina’s farmers. They need someone who will look out for them – someone who will amplify their voice in the state legislature, someone who can advocate for them on the national stage and someone who can represent their interests to foreign markets.”

COMMISSIONER OF INSURANCE

Republican: Mike Causey (i)

mikecauseync.com

Incumbent Republican

Mike Causey has held the seat since 2017 and has not yet stood up his campaign website nor responded to our questionnaire. He told the N&O that he negotiated rate hikes, “By following state law under Chapter 58 and the rate making process as required by the General Assembly since 1977. As Commissioner of Insurance, I have represented consumers well and said ‘No’ to every rate hike request before me during my tenure. Have negotiated settlements as close to zero as possible.” He might also be remembered as an informant in the Greg Lindberg trial. In 2019 Lindberg, along with then NC GOP Chair Robin Hayes, were indicted for trying to bribe an elected official — Causey. Lindberg was convicted in 2020, and again in 2024, and must pay the state more than $500 million for his crimes.

Democrat: Natasha Marcus

natashamarcus.com

Sen. Natasha Marcus has served three terms in the NC Senate, representing District 41 in Mecklenburg County. In the Senate, she currently serves on the Senate Commerce & Insurance, Judiciary, Redistricting & Elections, Budget, Justice & Public Safety Approps, and Education committees, and participated in a lot of community work including Moral MOnday protests, Habitat for Humanity builds and even fosters cats and kittens.

Drawn out of her district, Marcus says she’s running against the incumbent because, “I’m sick of elected leaders misusing the public’s trust to enrich themselves and their friends.”

“In the eight years he’s been Insurance Commissioner, Mike Causey has approved an unprecedented 16 insurance rate hikes and enabled a special loophole called Consent to Rate (CTR), that allows insurance companies to bill NC consumers 250 percent more than the max rate! We pay inflated insurance prices due to Causey’s rate hikes and the CTR loophole — that’s unacceptable.”

Marcus attended TCB’s Greensboro reverse town hall

COMMISSIONER OF LABOR

Incumbent Josh Dobson (R) since 2021, announced in 2022 he would not run again

Republican: Luke Farley luke4labor.com

Beating a crowded primary field that included former House Rep Jon Hardister, Luke Farley is not a politically experienced candidate, though he notes on his website that former Labor Commissioner Cherie Berry, who served for 20 years, had endorsed him. He also works as an OSHA lawyer in private practice.

According to his website, he will advocate for “free enterprise,” “common-sense regulation” and “cutting red tape.” One of the main issues Farley notes on his website is his opposition to pandemic workplace mandates being considered by the Dept. of Labor. The new rules would include a mask mandate, social distancing, paid time off for those wanting to get a vaccine and a requirement to keep workers who exhibit symptoms at home. If elected, Farley said that he would “immediately start working to repeal any new mandates that are imposed.”

He’s raised more than $120,000 for this race.

Democrat: Braxton Winston II votebraxton.com

The only Democrat to run for this seat against a crowded Republican primary field, Braxton Winston II served on Charlotte City Council as an at-large member and was mayor pro tem. He is currently a member of the stagehand’s union. He says he “will combine his experience in municipal leadership with his experience as a labor leader to build coalitions of our communities to keep North Carolina a place people want to come to live and work.”

He’s interested in heat safety for workers, and makes clear that he lands on the labor side of the labor/management equation. He’s raised about $130,000 for this election.

SECRETARY OF STATE

The secretary maintains the official journal of the North Carolina General Assembly and is responsible for overseeing land records, chartering corporations and administering

some commercial regulations.

Democrat: Elaine Marshall (i) elainemarshall.com

The current secretary of state, Elaine Marshall calls herself “a competent administrator with an eye toward reform.” She has held the seat since 1997. She touts small businesses as key to her platform and has worked for lobbying reform. She also leans into the lawenforcement facet of the job, returning more than $1 billion to NC investors who had been defrauded by Wall Street firms. She’s brought in almost $300,000 in campaign contributions for this cycle.

Republican: Chad Brown electchadbrown.com

Conservative Christian Chad Brown explains on his website that he is antiabortion and pro-Second Amendment rights — he is currently holding a gun raffle, with 15 types of guns, to raise campaign funds. On his homepage, he notes that if elected as secretary of state, he would protect elections and “ensure that every vote is counted” and protect consumers from fraud and identity theft.

Brown has been endorsed by outgoing House Speaker Tim Moore, but has terminated his Facebook friendship with Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson.

Before the gun raffle, he’d raised about $36,000.

SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION

The North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction is the elected head of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and oversees the public school systems of the state. Incumbent Republican Catherine Truitt lost her primary bid to Michelle Morrow.

Democrat: Mo Green mogreenfornc.com

Former Guilford County Schools Superintendent and first-time candidate Mo Green announced his bid for State Superintendent of Public Education back in October. According to reporting by Education NC, Green has been a lawyer, a district superintendent and a philanthropist. He served as Guilford County’s superintendent from

2008-15 and as the executive director of the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation from 2016-23.

Since Michelle Morrow won the Republican primary, Green has fashioned a platform designed to protect and fund public schools. On his candidate questionnaire he noted, “I am running now because I am deeply concerned about the current direction of the North Carolina Public School system. It is woefully underfunded, even while funding for a taxpayer-funded private school voucher program is being increased dramatically. Its educators are belittled through low pay and respect. Statewide student academic performance must be improved, and we must have a vision of excellence. North Carolina public schools need a champion who will provide a new vision. Given my experiences, which are outlined in question three below, I believe I can be that champion.”

He has raised more than $665,000 for this race.

Republican: Michele Morrow morrow4nc.com

Conservative Christian and staunch Trump-supporter Michele Morrow served as a camp nurse and missionary in Mexico before moving to NC and teaching high school nine years ago. According to her campaign website, she has 16 years of classroom homeschooling experience. She previously ran for a school board seat in Wake County in 2022, finishing in second place out of three candidates. In past social media posts, Morrow has made racist and disparaging comments against Muslims, calling Islam “a political cult.” A website that opposes Morrow’s run for the state seat has a video of Morrow at the Jan. 6 insurrection in Washington DC. In the video, she said “we are here to take back America and we are here to stop the steal.”

A firm believer in parents’ rights when it comes to schools, Morrow has added almost $200,000 to her campaign war chest since the primary, up to $206,000 from $7,800.

TREASURER

Incumbent: Dale Folwell, since 2017. Folwell resigned to run for governor; he lost in the Republican primary to Mark Robinson

VOTE!

March 11, 2024 Paid for by Deena Hayes-Greene. Authorized by Mo Green for NC

MAURICE (MO) GREEN is a successful experienced school district leader and champion of public education

• Elevate academic performance and character education

• Advocate for educator pay raises and more funding

• Expand apprenticeship and training programs

“The GOP nominee to head North Carolina’s schools is a QAnon conspiracy theorist”

March 15, 2024

“North Carolina GOP schools nominee previously called for executions of Biden, Obama: Report”

March 7, 2024

“The GOP nominee for NC superintendent is an existential threat to public schools”

MICHELE MORROW is a divisive, dangerous, and inexperienced homeschool mom

• Called for the public executions of President Barack Obama and Governor Roy Cooper

• Is a Mark Robinson ally who said public education is a “cesspool of evil and lies and deception”

• Took her kids to the January 6th insurrection and urged setting aside the US Constitution and staging a military coup

Republican: Brad Briner bradbriner.com

In November 2023, Briner, who lives in Chapel Hill, was appointed to the UNC Board of Trustees by Senate Pro Tem Phil Berger. Most notably, Briner works as the investment manager for New York billionaire Michael Bloomberg according to his LinkedIn profile

On his campaign website, Briner lists protecting the state’s bond rating and improving the performance of the state pension and health plan as his priorities. He notes that underperformance of the state retirement plan as a key plank of his platform.

He’s raised almost $300,000 for this race.

Democrat: Wesley Harris harrisfornc.com

Rep. Wesley Harris has represented House District 105, in Mecklenburg County, since 2018. During his tenure, he has sponsored bills that would increase funding for child care, allow for renewable energy tax credits and start certain school employees across the state at $15 per hour minimum wage.

In his run for state treasurer, Harris states that he would work to protect the state’s strong bond rating, ensure the health of the state pension fund and take “culture war nonsense” out of the treasurer’s office.

In response to our question about his Top 3 priorities, he wrote: “Economic opportunity, public education, and smart infrastructure. These things are going to make sure that North Carolinians are wellpositioned, now and in the future.”

His war chest for this election is almost $420,000.

NC COURT OF APPEALS

SEAT 12

Democrat: Carolyn Jennings Thompson (i) judgecarolynthompson. com

Judge Carolyn Thompson was first appointed to the court in 2023 to fill a vacancy by Gov. Roy Cooper. A former deputy commissioner on the state’s industrial commission, Thompson received her bachelor’s degree from Hampton University and her doctorate from NC Central University School of Law.

According to her candidate questionnaire responses, Thompson said that the top three issues that are most important to her include public education, the economy and housing.

When asked about what she views as her role, Thompson stated that the NC Court of Appeals is an error-correcting court for decisions made in lower courts all over the state, and she intends to review the record of the lower courts with “a commitment to fairness and impartiality.”

Her judicial philosophy is independent of political affiliation, divisive ideologies and social differences, Thompson said. She has never been publicly sanctioned by the State Bar.

To improve the judicial system Thompson said she would work with Community stakeholders and citizens to educate the public about what the Court of Appeals does. She has been endorsed by NC ProChoice and Planned Parenthood Votes South Atlantic.

Republican: Tom Murry jointom.com

Republican Tom Murry, who describes himself as a common sense conservative who will uphold the Constitution, has served multiple roles in elected office. Prior to serving in the North Carolina House, Murry served as an at-large member of the Morrisville Town Council for five years. In 2010, Murry was voted into the 41st District of the North Carolina House of Representatives where he served from 2011-15.

On his website Murry notes that he is an “army veteran, an attorney, a state prosecutor and proven conservative.” He currently serves as the vice chair of the North Carolina Bar Association Criminal Justice Section; he also served as an adjunct at Regent University School of Law since 2020 . While his policy platform on his campaign website is thin, during his tenure as a state house representative, Murry sponsored bills related to health care including a measure that sought to exempt North Carolina from the federal Affordable Care Act. In 2013 he was the primary sponsor of voter ID legislation. He also served as chief legal counsel to former North Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Martin, who was found to have assisted former president Donald Trump in attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

SEAT 14

Republican: Valerie Zachary (i) reelectjudgezachary. com

Yadkinville resident Valerie Zachary was first appointed to the North Carolina court of appeals in 2015 by former Governor Pat McCrory. Zachary is married to former Rep. Lee Zachary.

This year, Zachary was elected as vice president of the North Carolina Bar Association and appointed to the North Carolina State Bar Grievance committee. According to her candidate questionnaire, Zachary noted that her Judicial philosophy is to ensure public confidence in the courts. She noted the importance of applying the law fairly to all regardless of party affiliation and working together with other judges on the Court of Appeals. She has never been sanctioned by the state bar.

When asked what she would do to improve the judicial system, Zachary noted that she would like to see the court continue to offer oral arguments via

online video because it is less expensive for litigans who live outside of Raleigh or who might otherwise not be able to attend; the option was started during the pandemic.

Democrat:

Ed Eldred

eldredforjudge.com

This is Carrboro-resident Ed Eldred’s first time running for office. According to his candidate questionnaire Eldred was drawn to run for office because “the courts have not been protecting our constitutional rights to free and fair elections, to a sound basic public education, or to reproductive freedom, abortion access, and bodily autonomy.” Eldred also stated that as a judge, three important issues include administering true justice, depoliticizing court opinions and restoring faith in the judicial department.

Eldred has never been sanctioned by the State Bar. With regards to abortion, Eldridge stated that “women have the right to make decisions about their own bodies.” He is also endorsed by Planned Parenthood, Pro-Choice North Carolina

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and Equality NC.

Eldred attended TCB’s Greensboro reverse town hall

Seat 15

Republican: Chris Freeman chrisfreemanforjudge. com

Republican Chris Freeman is currently serving his ninth year and third term as a district court judge. He is also serving his 11th year as an officer in the US Air Force JAG Reserves. He is also a former prosecutor. According to an article by the News & Observer, Freeman said that the areas of law in which he has experience include criminal, civil litigation, government/ public interest and family law. On his website he notes that he went to High Point University and obtained his law degree from Regent University where he was influenced by the institution’s Motto, “Christian leadership to change the world.”

His website notes that he aims “to bring [his] steadfast commitment to conservative judicial philosophy to the appellate court level.”

Democrat: Martin Moore

martinforjudge.com

UNC-Chapel Hill graduate Martin Moore started his career as a public defender. He now runs a mediation and appellate law practice and won a seat on the Buncombe County Commission in 2022, flipping a red seat to blue. While more does not have platform details on his website he has multiple endorsements including ones from North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Allison Riggs, The Sierra Club, Planned Parenthood, Pro-Choice NC and Equality NC.

If elected, More would be the youngest judge currently sitting on the bench at 36, and also be one of the only Black judges on the Court of Appeals.

NC SENATE District 26

he was first elected in 2000. He served as minority leader of the state Senate from 2005-11 and became the president pro-tem of the state Senate in 2011. Over the past 24 years in office, Berger has sponsored or supported numerous conservative bills including the anti-trans HB2, voter ID laws, the gerrymandering of districts, blocking public access to police body cameras and more. This year, Berger sponsored S631, a bill that blocks gender-affirming care for children.

Democrat: Steve Luking

steveluking4nc.org

As a family doctor, Democrat Steve Luking’s platform largely relates to the issue of access to quality healthcare. On his website, he notes how the lack of medical insurance coverage, the lack of quality education and the burden of addiction can degrade communities. The issues that matter most to him include healthcare, public education and the “critical importance of integrity.”

If elected, Luking noted that he would work to expand Medicaid, advocate for quality public education and reduce the influence of money on legislators’ decisions through policy changes. Luking also noted the importance of preserving reproductive rights, fighting against fentanyl poisoning, endorsing science-based methods in healthcare policy, limiting the influence of insurance companies and fighting aggressive medical-debt collection tactics. If elected, he said that he would support exempting a portion of a small business’s income from state corporate taxes, protecting the environment, protecting the LGBTQIA2S+ community and supporting commonsense gun laws.

Constitution: Alvin Robinson

alvinrobinson4ncsenate.com

Constitution candidate

Constitution to protect life.” As such, Robinson said that he would abolish abortion. He is opposed to casinos in the state, socialism and supports voter ID requirements.

District 27

Democrat: Michael Garrett (i)

garrettfornc.com

Senator Michael Garrett has represented the 27th District since he was elected in 2018, flipping the seat from Republican Trudy Wade. Since then, Garrett has sponsored bills that would strengthen gun control, release police body-camera footage to citizen review boards, make certain chokeholds by police illegal and make Election Day a national holiday. On his website, Garrett notes that if elected, he would support a statewide school infrastructure bond, restore bonus pay for teachers with master’s degrees, expand Medicaid and give tax credits to small business owners. He would also support clean energy, work to pass bills that hold polluters accountable and work against

gerrymandering. He is opposed to the use of public tax dollars for private school vouchers.

In his candidate response, Garrett said that he has a track record of working across the aisle with Republicans to pass legislation such as a bill to cut carbon emissions.His legislative role model is Sen. Kay Hagan. He stated that he would not support a 1-percent prepared-food tax in Guilford County.

Garrett is endorsed by the North Carolina Association of Educators, Equality NC, the Human Rights Campaign, Planned Parenthood Votes South Atlantic and the North Carolina Sierra Club.

Republican: Paul Schumacher 4rfreedoms.com

According to his campaign website, Paul Schumacher doesn’t identify as part “of the red party or blue party” but as the “forefront of the new Red White and Blue party.” However, his website does include conservative notions, including small federal government, anti-Biden sentiment and what appears to be homemade anti-

Republican: Phil Berger (i)

philberger.org

Senator Phil Berger has served 12 terms since

Alvin Robinson is no stranger to running for elected office. In 2022, he unsuccessfully ran for Guilford County Board of Commissioners and NC State Senate. In his candidate responses to TCB, Robinson noted that the three issues that are most important to him include life, religious liberty and parental rights/consent.

An openly religious candidate, Robinson noted in his responses that the “state needs to get back to uphold our

transgender memes.

In his military service, Schumacher was tasked with the coordination of the reserve portion of the Bosnian Humanitarian Airlift.

District 31

Incumbent Joyce Krawiec, R, announced her retirement in December 2023.

Republican: Dana Caudill Jones danacaudilljones.com

Former Forsyth County School Board member Dana Caudill Jones is no stranger to running for political office. From 2011-13, she served as Mayor Pro Tem on Kernersville’s Board of Alderman. In 2015, she was elected to the WinstonSalem/Forsyth County Board of Education; she served as the chair of the board from 2015-18.

Joyce Krawiec, who has held the District 31 seat since 2014, endorsed Jones as her replacement last year. While she doesn’t have any platform positions on her website her press release and posts on Facebook show that she is a Trump supporter, an advocate for teachers, a proponent of school choice, anti-abortion and a supporter of the Second Amendment.

Democrat: Ronda Mays rondamays4ncstatesenate31. campaign.win

This is candidate Rhonda Mays’s first time running for political office. In the past, she was elected as the president of the Forsyth County Association of Educators for two terms. She was also elected to serve as the North Carolina Director on the National Education Association Board. According to her candidate questionnaire responses, she said that her top priorities include schools and education, the economy and housing. In terms of schools and education, she noted that she has served as a school social worker for 24 years and has seen the importance of having resources in schools. She also opposes increased funding to private schools and urges state legislators to honor the Leandro ruling. In terms of the economy maze noted that the state’s minimum wage of $7.25 per hour needs to be increased. She said affordable housing is a priority. If

elected, May noted that she would work to issue a moratorium on opportunity scholarships, reinstate longevity pay for state employees, push for the Leandro ruling to be executed, increase funding for mental and physical healthcare issues, push for childcare funding and increase the state minimum wage. Mays also supports the expansion of Medicaid and views senators Graig Myer and Paul Lowe as her legislative role models.

District 32

Democrat: Paul Lowe (i)

paullowefornc.com

Incumbent Paul Lowe has served in the state Senate for the 32nd District since 2015. In that time, he has supported bills that would prohibit the release of mugshots to the public and media, restore state employee and teacher retiree medical benefits, make police footage more readily available and legalize medical marijuana in the state. According to his website, Lowe would work to expand Medicaid, push for school bonds to build and repair schools and create programs to help community college students finish their degrees and find good jobs.

Lowe is the pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church in Winston-Salem.

Libertarian: Zac Lentz

Triad City Beat could not find any information about this candidate.

Republican: George K. Ware

georgewareforncsenate.com

Real estate businessman George Ware said that if he was elected he would hold quarterly district forums to get public input. According to his website his priorities include school choice, fighting inflation, healthcare reform, protecting neighborhoods, term limits and community grant funding. He would push for increasing teacher salaries, direct healthcare programs for the uninsured and for two-term limits for politicians. He noted that he pledges to not seek more than two terms as a state senator.

According to a candidate survey by the NC Family Policy Council, a conservative political website, Ware supports private-

school vouchers and restrictions to abortion. He does not support trans students in school sports or the protection of sexual orientation or gender identity. He is undecided on the legalization of medical marijuana and assisted suicide by doctors.

NC HOUSE

District 57

Democrat: Tracy Clark (i) tracyclarkfornc.com

Incumbent Tracy Clark took the seat for District 57 earlier this year when the former representative, Ashton Clemmons, announced her resignation. Amidst some political controversy — particularly within the local Black political machine — Clark was chosen as the replacement and took office in August. According to her campaign website, Clark’s priorities include increasing pay for public school teachers, investing in safe gun storage, implementing red-flag laws and ensuring reproductive rights. In her candidate questionnaire responses, Clark described herself as a moderate who understands that working across the

aisle is important to passing legislation. If elected Clark said that she would work to repeal the abortion ban currently in place, repeal the private school vouchers and push legislation that reduces gun violence. Her legislative role model is Rep. Pricey Harrison. She stated that she would not be in support of a future 1-percent food tax but is in support of the quarter-cent sales tax increase to support educator pay. Clark attended TCB’s Greensboro reverse town hall

Republican: Janice Davis

While Republican Janice Davis does not appear to have a campaign website, on her Facebook page, she posted support for former President Donald Trump.

District 59

Republican: Alan Branson (i) bransonfornc.com

Incumbent Alan Branson was appointed to the District

59 seat in April after Rep. Jon Hardister resigned. He owns a family trucking company and is a Methodist.

Branson previously served on the Guilford County Board of Commission from 201321 and then ran unsuccessful campaigns for the board in 2020 and 2022.

According to his campaign website, Branson’s priorities include supporting police and emergency service personnel, lowering taxes and pushing for school choice.

Democrat: Tanneisha Dukes

dukes4nc.com

First-time candidate Tanneisha Dukes has worked as a fourth and fifth grade teacher in Guilford County Schools and recently earned her PhD in Educational Leadership from High Point University.

According to her questionnaire responses, Dukes is most concerned with funding public schools, protecting reproductive rights and public safety. If elected, she would push against private school vouchers, support funding for

mental-health professionals and crisis responders and advocate for improving the state’s rate of maternal mortality. She also listed advocating for voting rights on her website.

Her legislative role models include Reps. Lindsey Prather, Renee Price, Ashton Clemmons, Amos Quick and Pricey Harrison.

Dukes attended TCB’s Greensboro reverse town hall

District 60

Democrat: Cecil Brockman (i) cecilfornc.com

Incumbent Cecil Brockman has represented the 60th District since he was first elected in 2014. Since then, he has sponsored legislation that would have offered free breakfast and lunch in public schools, increased access to affordable healthcare, enacted police reform and expanded the state’s pre-K program. He is one of the only openly LGBTQIA2S+ members of the NC General Assembly as a bisexual man.

It has been my honor to have served Guilford County in the NC House since 2004. With your support I hope to return in 2025.

There are many important races this year, so please vote the entire ballot! Your vote can help protect our courts and help us sustain Gov. Josh Stein’s vetoes.

Early voting starts on October 17 and ends on November 2. Election Day is Tuesday, November 5.

Find out when and where to vote, check your voter registration, and more at www.ncsbe.gov/voting

In the last year, Brockman has come under scrutiny for missing legislative votes including ones that pertained to the repeal of pistol purchase permits and requiring sheriffs to cooperate with ICE. Early this year, news outlets reported that both Brockman and fellow Democrat Michael Wray had campaign mailers that were sent out on their behalf by the Carolina Leadership Coalition, a conservative nonprofit with deep ties to both North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore and a political action committee that supports House Republicans. In interviews, Brockman said that he had no idea that the mailers were being sent out and that it’s illegal for candidates to coordinate with organizations during election season.

On his website, Brockman lists jobs and the economy, education and healthcare as his core priorities.

Republican: Joseph Perrotta perrotta4nc.org

According to his campaign website, Joseph Perrotta’s top priorities include school choice, supporting law enforcement and immigration control.

In his responses to Ballotpedia’s survey questions, Perrotta noted that he is concerned about “illegal aliens” coming into the country and ensuring that they “are not relocated to our neighborhoods.”

As the son of a veteran, he’s passionate about veteran affairs.

He also stated that it’s beneficial to foster relationships with other legislators to build trust which will help in negotiating points of a bill or garnering support.

District 61

If re-elected, Harrison noted that she would push for citizen-driven redistricting, fighting efforts to limit access to the ballot, gun violence prevention and protecting reproductive rights.

Her legislative role models include the late Rep. Rich Preyer and US Rep. Jamie Raskin and Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

She noted that she is mixed about the potential for a 1-percent prepared-food tax in Guilford County. A more appropriate solution would be through an occupancy tax, Harrison said.

Harrison attended TCB’s Greensboro reverse town hall

Republican: Crystal Davis

crystaltdavis.com

According to her campaign website, Crystal Davis is a supporter of the Second Amendment, limited government, the NC Constitution, fiscal conservatism and limited government. She is also an advocate for collaborating “with faithbased institutions with a proven track record of successful rehabilitation, maximizing the resources available to help those in need.”

District 62

Republican: John Blust (i) blustfornchouse.com

Politician John Blust has been the representative for District 62 since former Rep. John Faircloth resigned in September. In the past, Blust served in the NC House of Representatives (1996-99) and unsuccessfully ran for the 13th District of the US House of Representatives in 2016. Blust is a veteran.

Democrat: Pricey Harrison (i)

Incumbent Pricey Harrison has represented District 61 since 2019, and represented District 57 from 2005-19.

During her tenure, she has been a staunch advocate for environmental protections, reproductive rights, public education and social justice.

Her main priorities, according to her questionnaire responses include protecting voting rights, addressing climate change and protecting and strengthening public schools. She also noted that for the foreseeable future, she would be focused on helping Western NC recover.

According to his campaign website, he supports school choice, increasing funds for public schools, reducing taxes, voter ID, the Second Amendment and abortion restrictions. If elected, he would push for defunding DEI and CRT in schools and clarifying the emergency powers of the state. He also supports stricter immigration enforcement.

Democrat: Margie Benbow

vote4benbow.com

According to her campaign website, Margie Benbow is a lawyer, farmer, former public school teacher and military wife and widow. After the passing of her husband, Benbow became a VA-

accredited attorney to fight for veterans’ rights.

In her candidate questionnaire responses, Benbow noted that she is concerned about public education (funding and pay for teachers), reproductive healthcare and good jobs. She also stressed the importance of “safeguarding clean air and water and protecting our parks and open spaces.” She opposes the practice of gerrymandering. She supports providing more healthcare to North Carolinians. As a political moderate, Benbow noted that she is for transparency and accountability in government spending and that she opposes government overreach.

Benbow attended TCB’s Greensboro reverse town hall

District 74

Republican: Jeff Zenger (i) jeffzenger.com

Incumbent Jeff Zenger has represented District 74 since 2021. Since that time Zenger has sponsored legislation that would have targeted drag performers, established a pilot program to support the mental health of caregivers and offered housing support for firefighters, law enforcement officers, teachers, nurses and first-time home buyers.

According to his website, Zenger previously served as a missionary in Baltimore and believes that the government should be small. He is also anti-abortion, for second amendment rights and loosening business regulation. He owns construction and development companies according to the state secretary’s database.

Democrat: Amy Taylor

North northfornc.com

First time candidate and longtime political volunteer Amy Taylor North said if she were elected she would prioritize teachers, public schools, local small businesses, reproductive and healthcare rights and safer communities. In her candidate responses, North said that it is important to break up the supermajority to protect democracy. She wants to fully fund public schools, make teachers’ salaries competitive and support universal pre-K. She is also LGBTQ+ affirming.

While she supports school choice, she said that the expansion of private

school vouchers takes away from public education and is “destroying our schools.” Her legislative role models include Natasha Marcus and Jeff Jackson.

District 75

Republican: Donny Lambeth (i) donnylambeth.com

Incumbent Donnie Lambeth has represented the 75th District since 2013. In 2017 he voted for a budget that did not include a stipend for teachers for outof-pocket expenses. He has supported legislation targeting drag performers and a bill that would have increased the size of Winston-Salem’s city council. He also supported the expansion of Medicaid and sponsored a bill that would have studied the legalization of assisted suicide in NC. Prior to becoming a legislator, Lambeth served on the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education for 18 years as chair. He formerly served as a hospital administrator. His priorities include healthcare and education.

District 91

Republican: Kyle Hall (i) kylehallnc.com

Incumbent Kyle Hall has represented District 91 since he was first appointed to the seat in 2015. In that time, he has sponsored legislation that would have removed motor-vehicle emissions testing requirements, allowed landlords to refuse rent to tenants whose income comes from federal housingassistance programs and combatted social-media addiction.

According to his campaign website, he is the child of public educators and is a licensed real estate broker and realtor. His top priorities include improving education, limiting government and restricting abortion. He believes that defunding the

Democrat: Caroline Warren facebook.com/p/ Caroline-Warren-for-NCHouse-7561555537423512/

While Caroline Warren has no experience in elected office, she was hired as an organizer for the Obama campaign in 2012 and has worked on campaigns ever since. She is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America.

In her candidate response, Warren said that her priorities include ending the prohibition on collective bargaining for state employees, pushing for a $20 minimum wage and fully funding public schools. She also would push to increase the minimum wage for marriage to 18. According to her Facebook page, she is against the expansion of private school vouchers, supports reproductive rights and increasing teacher pay. Her legislative role models include Mo Green. Warren is also an outspoken supporter of Palestinian rights. She attended TCB’s Winston-Salem reverse town hall

the “coexistence of race, religion and sexual orientation.”

As a former volunteer with former Vice President Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project, Fulk is passionate about environmental protection. In responses to TCB, Fulk noted that she does not support the expansion of private school vouchers or restrictions to abortion. Her top priority is fully funding public schools.

To make housing more affordable, Fulk said that she would follow Carolina Forward’s Middle Class Housing Plan to guarantee below-market construction and permanent financing for qualifying housing projects and override certain permitting with appropriate zones and utilities.

She formerly worked as an industrial engineer and IT project management specialist.

AUTUMn

2022 by Gov. Roy Cooper before the realignment of districts last year. In her candidate responses to TCB, Reese noted that she has more than 20 years of experience in district and superior courts handling both civil and criminal cases. She has lived in High Point for more than 20 years.

At a candidate forum in February, Reese noted that she’s never been publicly sanctioned and that she is pro-choice. If she had the power to change something about the judicial system, Reese said she would make the first-offender diversion program for drug violations mandatory so that people don’t get convicted of felonies. She also said she would advocate for more money in diversion courts to help get people out of the system and wants to start a veterans’ court. She would also support increased funding for programs like drug-treatment court and mentalhealth court.

Her judicial philosophy is two-fold: that everyone is respected and making sure that what is happening in the courtroom is the right thing.

Republican: Georgia Nixon nixonforjudge.com

On her candidate website, Georgia Nixon said she opened her own practice in 1995 and worked as an assistant district attorney for NC prior to that. She served on Jamestown Town Council for 12 years. During a candidate forum in February, Nixon noted that she was sanctioned in 2013 and said that she “had several associates working for [her]” and that she was “accused of something and had to make some hard decisions.” In the end, because of Nixon’s general good standing of not having any prior professional disciplines and the fact that her actions were “intended to benefit her [clients],” Nixon’s license was kept from being suspended due to good behavior.

Nixon noted that she was pro-choice during the forum. She wants to “level the playing field” by advocating for packets of information like the ones provided by One Step Further which provide a client’s background that gives context to their life that can help their cases. Her judicial philosophy is “about fairness.” She has been endorsed by Guilford County Commissioner Alan Perdue, former Guilford County Sheriff BJ Barnes and former High Point Mayor Jay Wagner.

District 31 Seat 10

Incumbent Victoria Roemer did not file for re-election.

Democrat: Shonna Alexander alexander4judge.com

This is Shonna Alexander’s first time running for elected office. According to her candidate questionnaire responses, Alexander’s priorities include public safety, school safety and access to juice for housing and economic issues.

According to her website, Alexander became a licensed registered nurse in 2007.

Her judicial philosophy pertains to access to justice. “All parties whether charged with a crime or the victim of a crime deserve a full and fair hearing,” Alexander wrote.

Alexander was temporarily suspended from the NC State Bar 19 years ago and was reinstated the following year. “I know that having made that mistake almost two decades ago did not prevent me from serving my community in multiple ways,” she wrote. “Most importantly I have a greater ability to empathize with my clients as they often navigated the worst day of their lives.”

Republican: Erin Brock erinbrockforjudge.com

According to her campaign website, Erin Brock grew up in a military family where faith was a cornerstone of her upbringing. In 2006, she opened her own law practice in Winston-Salem. She has practiced as a criminal defense attorney and family law attorney in District Court in Forsyth County and the surrounding counties for the past 26 years.

In her candidate responses, Brock noted that the three issues most important to her are individual rights, people experiencing trauma and their impact on the court system and the fundamental fair and equal application of the law. In an example, Brock noted that in a Driving While Impaired case, law enforcement must have a reasonable articulable suspicion to stop the vehicle. If they do not, a motion to dismiss must be granted. She has never been sanctioned. If elected, she would advocate for a diversionary court that addresses trauma. She believes “that a woman’s access to abortion is an equal protection issue and is still a valid

constitutional right.” Brock lives in Clemmons.

COUNTY RACES

GUILFORD COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION District 3

Republican: Michael Logan (i) loganforschoolboard. com

Incumbent Michael Logan became the District 3 representative after a contentious dispute between Republicans and Democrats on the local school board. Initially, after the previous representative, Pat Tillman resigned, the Republicans on the board chose Logan to fill the seat but the board’s Democratic members — which make up a majority of the board — opposed their pick, pointing out past comments and social media posts made by Logan that were “racially prejudiced.” Democrats then seated Bill Goebel, a different Republican

in the seat against local Republicans’ will. After some back and forth, including input from state legislators, a law was passed that allowed Logan to take the seat a year ago after Goebel resigned.

A former Guilford County Schools teacher, he spent 26 years with GCS and mainly taught automotive technology to students. Regarding school vouchers, Logan believes that the “money follows the student, it can go both ways. When you create an environment that parents want their children to attend, you win the money.” As for parents’ roles in shaping school curriculum, Logan stated: “Parental rights and responsibilities come first…All curriculum and materials should be available for parents.” On LGBTQ+ rights in schools, he said, “One student shouldn’t have more rights than another. Sexual orientation isn’t included in subject matter. All students can learn.”

Logan supports the ¼ cent sales tax increase for teacher and school staff pay. Logan attended TCB’s Greensboro reverse town hall

Democrat: David Coates

davidcoates.org

First-time candidate and longtime school board attorney, David Coates’s top three issues include “physical and emotional safety of students and staff, attractive pay for teachers and staff and accountability for student achievement.” State representatives have been working to expand school vouchers, and Coates stated that he’s “adamantly opposed” to private school vouchers, calling them a “direct assault on public education.” He would prioritize school safety by having a nurse in every school, banning semiautomatic weapons and having periodic security reviews of schools. Coates supports the ¼ cent sales tax increase for teacher and school staff pay.

Coates attended TCB’s Greensboro reverse town hall

Unaffiliated: Bill Goebel goebelnc.com

A former Republican, Goebel gathered the necessary number of signatures to appear on the ballot this November as an unaffiliated candidate. Goebel was on the board from April 2023 until he resigned in August 2023. He’s against school vouchers, and said that the money should instead be going toward teacher raises as well as school facilities — which a large portion of counties’ budgets goes toward. He added that his philosophy on LGBTQIA2S+ rights in schools is: “Every student has a right to be identified as they wish, no exceptions. Let’s keep politics [out] of our schools.” Coates supports the ¼ cent sales tax increase for teacher and school staff pay.

Goebel attended TCB’s Greensboro reverse town hall

District 5

Democrat: Deborah Napper (i) facebook.com/ deborahnapper4d5

According to Napper’s Facebook page, she is a registered nurse, mom and PTA volunteer. In an Oct. 1 video posted to social media, she stated that one of the questions she is frequently asked is, “What have I done? What did I do for four years?” She said that the answer is “pretty simple.” “The first thing I did is show up” for commissioner meetings and duties. “I

personally think that that attendance record thing is a pretty big deal for elected officials,” she said. Some things she posts about are gun violence, tax increases for teacher pay and fentanyl poisoning awareness.

In a News & Record article, Napper noted that her priorities include oversight of bond money for school construction and repair, hiring more police for schools and offering better pay for teachers.

During a candidate forum in September, Napper noted that public dollars should stay in public schools and that she doesn’t support the expansion of private school vouchers. She also said that she wants to see more environmental consciousness within the school system including solar buses and solar panels on schools. She supports LGBTQIA2S+ students and is endorsed by the Guilford Green Foundation.

Republican: Cara Townsend Dohner caradohner.com

Republican Cara Dohner previously worked for former Gov. Pat McCrory as a policy analyst, and worked for former president George W. Bush’s office before that. She was also a legislative assistant for the US House of Representatives, working for four members of Congress. She’s currently the regional director of community relations for Vaya Health and was the former president of the Greater Greensboro Republican Women’s Club. The three most important issues to her are “school safety for students, teachers and staff, more transparency for parents, teachers, school board members and the community, and behavioral health solutions for our classrooms.” She supports the proposed quarter-cent sales tax. On parents’ roles in shaping curriculum, she said, “I think parents and grandparents deserve to know what their kids are learning in school. I think constituents should oversee electing leaders who will shape school curriculum.” During a candidate forum in September, Dohner noted that she supports diversity in schools, noting how there are dozens of languages spoken in the school system. She also stated that LGBTQ+ students need to be protected from discrimination and she would support mental health training for teachers.

Dohner attended TCB’s Greensboro reverse town hall

District 7

Democrat: Bettye Jenkins (i) jenkins4district7.com

The BOE’s current vicechair, Bettye Jenkins, has been in office since 2020. She worked for more than 30 years with Guilford County Schools’ families, and over the course of her years in Greensboro, she worked as a library clerk, teacher’s assistant, counselor, school social worker, community service work coordinator and social work supervisor. According to her website, she will work to “implement plans for parental involvement, ensure educators have resources for 21st Century content and utilize leadership experience to create positive change.” Jenkins attended TCB’s Greensboro reverse town hall

Republican:

Karen Coble Albright No website

According to Albright’s LinkedIn profile linked in her Ballotpedia page, she works at West

Market Realty and attended Guilford Technical Community College.

GUILFORD COUNTY COMMISSION

District 4

Democrat: Mary Beth Murphy (i) facebook.com/

MBMurphyNC

Murphy has been in office since 2020. In a statement shared with TCB, Murphy noted that she “ran for this office because of [her] deeply held belief in public schools as the foundation of our democracy.”

She stated that “being a County Commissioner is about improving quality of life for all members of our community. In order to do this, we must not only invest in our public schools, but also improve access to healthcare and support economic development that allows all people to thrive. We have made great progress in these areas over the last four years, and there is still work to be done, which is why I am seeking re-election.”

Murphy attended TCB’s Greensboro reverse town hall

Republican: Tony Jacobelli tony4commissioner. com

Tony Jacobelli is an engineer and has served as a Guilford County poll judge according to his website. In the candidate questionnaire he filled out for TCB, Jacobelli stated that one area the county could improve upon is “affordable, quality housing,” and thinks that it spends too much money on “social programs that have had no little or no recorded results toward improvements of those they are chartered to help.” Jacobelli does not support tax increases to support school infrastructure or teacher pay, and stated that the county commission’s relationship with the homeless community should be to offer “temporary, constructive and efficient assistance to get them onto a path for responsible citizenry. Municipalities should not be encouraging or condoning a lifestyle of homelessness, but providing the temporary help needed to get them out of homelessness, permanently.”

District 5

Democrat: Carly Cooke (i) electcarlycooke.com

Carly Cooke has been a commissioner since 2020, and was driven to run for office after becoming “actively involved” in her youngest son’s school when he started kindergarten and seeing the “significant and ongoing lack of support” that public schools “endure,” according to her statement to TCB. Some issues that are a priority to Cooke are investing in public education, improving access to healthcare and basic needs for the county’s “most vulnerable residents” and addressing housing and food needs. “We’ve been fortunate to experience significant economic growth in recent years. We must work to continue this momentum but also assess and anticipate infrastructure needs to ensure our community can continue to thrive amid the economic growth,” she stated. Cooke attended TCB’s Greensboro reverse town hall

Republican: Reece Walker No website

Reece Walker lost his seat

on Summerfield’s town council last year after serving on the board for eight years.

District 6

Democrat:

Brandon Gray-Hill (i) brandongraync.com

Brandon Gray-Hill has been in office since October 2023, filling in the remainder of Commissioner James Upchurch’s term after he vacated the seat. According to Gray-Hill’s website, he’s a smallbusiness owner, community activist and former first vice-chair of the Guilford County Democratic Party. Gray-Hill’s top three issues are “schools, economic development and public health/safety,” according to his candidate questionnaire. “I think our team does a great job of allocating funding,” Gray-Hill said of county spending. “As Republicans in the General Assembly continue to defund our public schools, the county has to step in and fill the gap. If over half of our budget did not have to go to our schools we would be able to afford to spend more money in other places but at this time we cannot.” Gray-Hill supports the ¼-cent sales tax for teacher and staff pay.

Republican: Maritza Gomez maritzagomez.com

Maritza Gomez is a small business owner. According to her website, she supports lowering taxes and cutting “waste from the county budget.” As for her stance on public safety, she stated that the county is “currently experiencing a massive crime spike fueled by Democrats’ soft-on-crime policies. As your County Commissioner, I will make sure that the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office is not only getting the funding it deserves but the accountability it needs.”

FORSYTH COUNTY COMMISSION

District B (Vote for three)

Republican: Richard Linville (i)

No website

Linville was first elected in 1980 and was the chair of the board from 1985-86. A farm owner, Linville’s community service includes the NC Association of County

Commissioners Agricultural Committee, Transportation Advisory Council and North Carolina Agricultural Steering Committee. Linville attended East Forsyth High School.

Republican: Gloria Whisenhunt (i) gloriawhisenhunt.com

Whisenhunt has been in office since 1996 and has served as chair and vice chair of the board. Before that, she was on the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education from 1990-96. Whisenhunt was previously a cosmetologist. Whisenhunt got into politics because customers in her shop used to “constantly complain about the public schools.” After her son left for college, she “decided to do something.” According to her website, she’s focused on fighting against drug and opioid addiction.

Republican: Gray Wilson (i) votegraywilson.com

Despite an unsuccessful bid for one of the three spots on the Republican ticket during March’s primary election, Wilson was selected to fill the remainder of former commissioner Dave Plyler in July

Wilson is a US Army veteran and has practiced law in Winston-Salem for 47 years, most recently with Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP. He also taught trial advocacy at Wake Forest University School of Law and authored North Carolina Civil Procedure. His priorities are community safety, economic development, housing, education and fiscal responsibility, according to his website. Wilson feels that the city’s police department and sheriff’s office are “undermanned, underpaid and overwhelmed with the spike in violent crime,” and that they need to be “supported” and offered competitive salaries.

Democrat: Valerie Brockenbrough voteforvalerie.com

Valerie Brockenbrough is a mom and entrepreneur who runs Zoë b Organic and helped found Community for Public Schools, a group of parents, educators and other community members involved in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools. She served as the board president of

Piedmont Environmental Alliance for two years. Brockenbrough wants to invest in school buildings and push for a school bond on the ballot in 2024, “properly fund” the sheriff’s office and jail and create a “holistic plan” for housing. Brockenbrough believes that it’s “time for new leadership,” according to her candidate questionnaire. Her top three issues are public education and access to Pre-K, making sure the county has a fully staffed emergency department and preventing gun violence. She also supports tax increases in order to provide more support for public education. All three Democratic candidates favor changing the meeting times for the commission, which meets at 2 p.m. on Thursdays. Brockenbrough attended TCB’s WinstonSalem reverse town hall

Democrat: Curtis Fentress fentressforforsyth.com

Curtis Fentress is a dad, a Forsyth County native, the marketing director for Ecolab Inc. and a volunteer coach with NC Fusion Youth Soccer. He’s also a startup mentor with Winston Starts. In his candidate questionnaire, he stated that school quality and economic growth are the most important issues facing county commissioners. “We need to increase revenues for the County to be able to fund critical services,” he added. “Increasing revenues are a function of how many taxpayers exist, how much they spend, and what rate they pay. As county commissioner, my focus would be on increasing the number of taxpayers as opposed to raising rates which could have a counterproductive effect on the budget long-term.” To the question of whether he would support tax increases for school infrastructure and teacher pay, Fentress responded, “I support teacher pay and infrastructure as high priorities in the County’s next budget.” Fentress attended TCB’s Winston-Salem reverse town hall

Democrat: Marsie West west4forsyth.com

Marsie West is a senior consultant with the Enosys Group, a businessconsulting firm, and was the vice president of Wachovia Bank from 1990-94. Her previous experience as a civil servant includes serving as a town meeting member for Reading, Mass. from 2005-15 and serving as the finance committee’s chair and vice chair

for several years. She was on the Reading Board of Selectmen from 2013-15.

In her TCB candidate questionnaire, West stated that “strong public education, public safety, and affordable housing are the three top issues we must focus on to attract new businesses that will help build our economy and keep the tax rate low while allowing us to continue to provide needed services to the community.” She thinks the county commission needs to do a “better job coordinating with the Winston-Salem City Council and the leadership of our other municipalities.”

West attended TCB’s Winston-Salem reverse town hall

WINSTON-SALEM CITY COUNCIL

Northwest Ward

Incumbent Jeff MacIntosh, D, announced in January 2023 that he would not seek reelection.

Democrat: Regina Ford Hall reginaforwinston. com

Regina Ford Hall worked for the US House of Representatives from 2009-14; now she’s the executive director of the Boston-Thurmond community network and previously served as the reintegration and youth development manager with the city of Winston-Salem, helping

to coordinate the Winston-Salem Urban Food Policy Council. She was also the 12th Congressional District’s district liaison for the US House of Representatives. She worked as a program administrator for Successful Outcomes After Release, or SOAR, a city program that temporarily employs former offenders and gives them work experience in routine labor and clerical jobs.

In office, Hall wants to address issues like gun violence, poverty, climate, hunger and food insecurity and housing. The three most important issues to her are “housing, public safety, and small business support,” according to her candidate questionnaire. “I sincerely believe that social engagement is the secret sauce to starting conversations that foster creative ideas to solving some of our city’s most wicked problems such as poverty, (gun) violence, chronic homelessness, and recidivism,” she added. Hall attended TCB’s Winston-Salem reverse town hall

Republican: Jimmy Hodson hodsonfornc.com

Jimmy Hodson is taking another shot at this seat after narrowly losing the Republican nomination to Eric Henderson in 2016. Hodson served in the US Army and has lived in Winston-Salem since 1995. He’s currently a product manager at Noregon Systems, a software development company in

Greensboro. He’s also been a board member of United Family Church for more than eight years. Hodson’s top priority is public safety according to his website, and he’s “fervent about fostering economic prosperity.”

West Ward

Republican: Robert C. Clark (i) No website

Robert Clark has been in office since 2001 and is the chair of the city council’s Finance Committee. He worked as an outside director of Triad Business Bank and is the president and owner of Leesona Industries headquartered in Burlington. The city does a “good job for the most part” in providing services, Clark stated in the candidate questionnaire he filled out for TCB, but believes that it could be doing a better job at maintaining its roads The issue of homelessness is a “complex one that requires coordination between many stake holders including the city,” he stated. “A discussion of this topic is lengthy and complex, but I would add that it is an area that I take a person[al] interest in and support a community wide effort to address.”

Democrat: Chris Smith bio.site/ VoteChrisSmith

Ballot Initiatives & Referenda

STATEWIDE

Constitutional Amendment (FOR or AGAINST)

Constitutional amendment to provide that only a citizen of the United States who is 18 years of age and otherwise possessing the qualifications for voting shall be entitled to vote at any election in this State.

This amendment to the state Constitution would change wording to note that only a citizen of the US who is at least 18 years old shall be entitled to vote at any election. Critics of the amendment have noted that protections already exist barring anyone who is not a citizen from voting. The bill, HB1074, was a Republican-backed measure that would replace the part of the Constitution that states that “every person born in the United States and every person who has been naturalized” is entitled to vote. Several human-rights and immigrant-rights groups including the NC Justice Center, Democracy NC and El Pueblo have spoken out against the amendment.

“Those who proposed this constitutional reform based this decision on anti-immigrant rhetoric, they insinuate without any evidence that immigrants can be a threat to the integrity of the electoral process,” El Pueblo states

The referenda is similar to several other amendments on the ballots in other states including ones in Wisconsin and South Carolina.

A small business owner, WinstonSalem native and army veteran, Chris Smith first ran for county commission in 2020. After the race, he and a few volunteers started the Non-Discrimination Ordinance Coalition, a community advocacy organization that aims to expand non-discrimination protections in Winston-Salem, eventually helping to pass an expanded version of the city’s non-discrimination ordinance. He believes that the top three issues facing the city are affordable housing, community safety and economic development. He also believes that the city’s relationship with the homeless community should be one of “support, compassion, and understanding, not aggression and punishment,” and supports the housing-first model.

A vote FOR would mean changing the language. A vote AGAINST would mean keeping the language as it is now.

GUILFORD COUNTY

Local Sales and Use Tax (FOR or AGAINST)

Local sales and use tax at the rate of onequarter percent (0.25%) in addition to all other State and local sales and use taxes.

While the text of the referendum does not state this, the proposed .25 percent, or quarter-cent sales tax increase, was authorized by county commissioners earlier this year to be used to increase teacher pay and pay for school staff.

A vote FOR would increase the tax rate to support teacher and school staff pay. A vote AGAINST would keep the tax rate the same.

During a candidate forum in September, both Republican and Democratic candidates for Guilford County School Board noted that they supported the sales-tax increase.

Elections belong to those who vote in them P

erhaps you’ve heard that there’s a big election coming up, with tremendous stakes at every level.

by Brian Clarey

We’re here to remind you that there’s a lot more going on than just the top of the ticket, where a presidential race for the ages has been shaping up for a couple years now.

This year in Guilford and Forsyth counties, we are electing a state Supreme Court justice, four members of the United States Congress, the entire council of state and several state House and Senate positions. Locally we have elections on our county commissions, our school boards and WinstonSalem City Council, all of which will touch your lives on a daily basis, much more so than whoever becomes president.

Not that the top of the ticket isn’t important. It Is! What we have at stake is the very bedrock of our democratic republic and the nature of how we have governed ourselves for the past 250 years or so. And no one truly knows how it will all shake out.

polls by phone, so ask yourself if you have answered any phone calls asking about your vote, and then ask yourself who did answer those unrecognizable phone calls on their cell phones or land lines.

This is why we don’t cover elections like horse races, instead focusing on candidates and issues, and also voters themselves.

Here’s the truth: All elections depend on voter participation, and in just about all of them the win goes to whichever candidate turns out their base and convinces swing voters to come aboard.

In local elections, like county commission or school board, a roomful of people can affect the outcome.

In local elections, a roomful of people can affect the outcome.

We implore you not to trust the polls. Polls can be gamed by flooding the zone with partisan nonsense, and they can be untrustworthy due to statistical anomalies like small sample size, margin of error and voter participation. They still conduct

So if you are able, you must vote.

Despite recent changes, election law in NC is heavily slanted towards making it easy for people to vote.

Early voting begins on Thursday, Oct. 17 in North Carolina, and runs through Nov. 2, just a couple days before Election Day. If you are unregistered to vote, you can do it starting Oct. 17! NC residents can register to vote throughout the Early Voting period, as long as they have an ID and have lived in their county of residence for the last 30 days. Just bring a physical copy of your ID and, if your ID doesn’t show it, a utility bill or paycheck stub that has your name and address on it.

So please, get out and vote. It’s your right as a citizen. It’s your responsibility as a citizen. It’s your duty as an American. We’re all counting on you.

Jen Sorensen jensorensen.com

Courtesy of NC Policy Watch

CULTURE

You’ve heard of a book club, but what about a cookbook club? In Greensboro, strangers gather to share food they’ve made

by Sayaka Matsuoka | sayaka@triad-city-beat.com

Hali Rose Kohls can’t stop thinking about her friend’s duck and goat cheese quesadillas.

Made from an Anthony Bourdain recipe, Kady Evans basically used just two ingredients to create the dish.

“They were delicious,” Kohls recalls. “It’s been my favorite thing that anyone has made.”

Since May, the two friends have been getting together in Greensboro to create recipes out of cookbooks and inviting others to share as well. It’s a kind of planned potluck with a theme — it’s a cookbook club.

The idea came from a model which has taken off in other cities.

“I kept seeing all these Instagram reels,” Evans says. “And I thought, We need to start a cookbook club.”

The premise is simple: every month Kohls and Evans pick a cookbook to feature and people from the community are invited to make something and share it at an in-person gathering.

“A lot of major cities have them,” Evans explains.

got out, a few more people joined the fun.

In May, they chose Benny Blanco’s Open Wide cookbook featuring recipes for lobster rolls, sandwiches, chicken cutlets and breakfast burritos. In June and July, they picked cookbooks by Molly Baz and Tiffy Chen. In August, they chose Bitter Honey by Letitia Clark and for September, they chose recipes by Anthony Bourdain in recognition of Suicide Prevention Month.

Learn more about the Greensboro Cookbook Club on Instagram at @greensborocookbookclub. The next meetup takes place on Tuesday, Oct. 22 at 7 p.m. at Bitters Social House.

When they first started, it was just the two of them showing up to Pig Pounder, where Evans works, and eating stuff that they had made. But as the word

“I’ve always loved to cook,” says Kohls, who is half Greek. When she and Evans became friends in line at CVS last year, they started cooking meals together, including Greek treats like tzatziki and kolokithokeftedes, or zucchini fritters. It became a central part of their friendship and one they wanted to share with others.

“It’s more fun to cook with other people,” Kohls says.

“It tastes a little better,” Evans adds.

In addition to watching her mother cook when she was growing up, Kohls took a culinary class in high school, which sparked her interest. Evans made chocolate chip cookies with her grandmother as a child and as an adult, worked on a crab-cake food truck and then in a restaurant.

“We both love food and culture,” Evans explains.

Hali Rose Kohls and Kady Evans became friends when they met in line at CVS last year.

PHOTO BY CAROLYN DE BERRY

For their first event in May, Evans and Kohls were the only ones who attended the meet-up. But in the past few months, more and more people have found out about their club and have shown up to the events. In June, they had their first stranger join them. And in July, six people showed up.

“It’s hard to make friends as an adult,” Kohls says. “So, it’s kind of fun to come together for a purpose because you like to eat and probably like to cook.”

Getting together at a place like a bar makes it easier to relax, to start casual conversations with strangers. For this month, they chose Home Kitchen by Celtic cook Donal Skehan. On Oct. 22, they’ll meet at Bitters Social House at 7 p.m. to taste what they made. In November, they plan to cook Japanese recipes and, in December, maybe soups.

So far, neither of them have decided what they’re going to make for this month’s meetup. Kohls says she’s considering trying the blood-red velvet cake or maybe the Irish soup; Evans has yet to hone in one recipe. But that’s part of the fun, the two say. Getting to look through the book — which participants can either buy, borrow from the library, or find recipes online — is part of the experience. Thus far, they said that they haven’t had anyone make the same recipe.

In addition to the quesadillas, Evans has made a cured fish dish, coated with brown sugar and salt from Letitia Clark’s Bitter Honey book; Kohls chose a saffron risotto.

“It’s been interesting using different methods,” Kohls says. “Depending on the cookbook, the recipes are made for more novice cooks or sometimes not.”

She says that during the pandemic, many people took up baking or cooking, but four years later, may have fallen off those hobbies. By having a low-pressure monthly meet-up, the two hope that people can reignite their love of cooking and food.

“I think everybody loves to eat,” Evans says. “Most people do it two to three times a day…. We like to taste really good things. There’s got to be some type of chemical that’s released in your brain when you eat something good.”

And that’s why, even if no one shows up to their meetings, they don’t mind.

“I feel like even if it’s just us, I eat all of Hali’s food, and it’s just so good,” Evans says.

Every month, Kohls and Evans pick a cookbook to feature and make recipes to share with others.

PHOTO BY CAROLYN DE BERRY

by Matt Jones

PUZZLES & GAMES

Across

Down

© 2023 Matt Jones

CROSSWORD SUDOKU

by Matt Jones

2022 Jonesin’ Crosswords (editor@jonesincrosswords.com)

1. Nearly boils, as water

7. “Drugs are bad, ___?” (“South Park” line)

11. Sea-___ Airport

14. Bruce Springsteen’s “Greetings from ___ Park, N.J.”

15. “Arrested Development” star Michael

16. Unexpected

17. The most fortunate member of the Scooby Gang?

19. Rank under cpl.

20. Last part of “Aida,” e.g.

21. Broadway star McDonald

23. ___ apso (small terrier)

26. Footwear with spikes

29. Meal component?

30. Half a Robert Louis Stevenson title character?

32. “I’ll just pop out for ___ bit ...”

33. What a flag made up of green, white, grey, and black stripes represents

34. Battery terminal, for short

35. Old sitcom’s new chance?

37. Bite-sized Chinese dishes

39. ___-Lytton Fiction Contest

42. Map section

44. Birthplace of Albert Einstein

45. “Much ___ About Nothing”

46. “Free Willy” creature

48. Instructions before weeping?

50. Comedian ___ Lina

51. Completely reliable

53. John on the Mayflower

55. Bit of a giggle

56. Traffic sign verb

58. Prefix meaning “upon”

59. Vegan block for Laura Ingalls Wilder?

65. Hairstyling stuff

66. Shredded

67. Stewed fruits

68. NPR’s Shapiro who hosted the latest season of “The Mole”

69. Booty

70. Quaking trees

1. “Do the Right Thing” pizzeria owner

2. Fort Collins sch.

3. “Doctor Odyssey” network

4. Haas of “Inception”

5. University that doesn’t allow alcohol

6. Pt. of DOS

7. James of “X-Men” movies

8. Ale container

9. Braz. neighbor

10. “Get Yer ___ Out” (Rolling Stones album)

11. Direction to put in laundry, in some machines?

12. Like most paid streaming accounts

13. Music holder in a tower, once

18. Stock market peaks

22. Rental truck brand

23. Mutual fund charge

24. Comedian Kondabolu

25. Super-spicy pepper?

27. CEO, for instance

28. Lacking force

31. Joker portrayer Cesar

36. Scrapyard scourers

38. Chinese zodiac animal

40. Nurse Jackie portrayer Falco

41. “Hot To Go” singer Chappell

43. No. on a business card

44. Bovine milk source

46. “High School Musical” director Kenny

47. Ebert’s partner after Siskel

49. Trying (for)

52. Back-to-school mos.

54. Slacken

57. Daytime TV host Kelly

60. Sudoku section

61. Old Notre Dame coach Parseghian

62. Number ___ Observatory Circle (current residence of Kamala Harris)

63. Boggy land

64. Letters on some battleships

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Thu 10/17

Velocity Demo Day 2024

@ 3pm / Free

Join the Center for Creative Economy on October 17 for Velocity Demo Day 2024 and discover the next big thing in creative entrepreneurship! Win‐ston Starts, 500 West 5th Street, 4th Floor, Win‐ston-Salem. info@ccetriad.com

Paella @ 6pm / $63.04

Reto's Kitchen, 600 South Elam, Greensboro

Stephanie Quayle: Hearts for Hunger @ 6pm the Church on 68, 300 NC-68, Greensboro

Stevie Wonder - Sing Your Song! As We Fix Our Nation's Broken Heart @ 8pm / $49.50-$129.50 First Horizon Coliseum, Greensboro

Fri 10/18

Jo Koy Parking @ 8:01pm

Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum, 2825 University Pkwy, Winston-Salem

Sat 10/19

Geeksboro Market @ 12pm

Get ready to geek out this Halloween at Geeksboro Market! Join us on Saturday, October 19th, 2024, from 12 PM to 6 PM for a spooktacular day �lled with all things geeky and ghastly! Geeksboro Market, 4645 West Market Street, Greensboro. sherri@dragon shoardnc.com, 336-617-5668

North Carolina Dance Festival: Mainstage Performance @ 7:30pm / $12-$45

Van Dyke Performance Space, 200 North Davie Street, Van Dyke Performance Space, Greensboro

Sun 10/20

William Nesmith @ 2pm Boxcar Bar + Arcade, 120 W Lewis St, Greensboro

Billy Creason Band @ 3pm

Double D's Saloon, 1408 E Mountain St, Kernersville

Mon 10/21

Career Day w/ Weymouth & Leaving For Arizona @ 7pm The Den, 3756 Ogburn Ave, Winston-Salem

Wed 10/23

Deer Tick @ 8pm The Ramkat, 170 West Ninth Street, Winston-Salem

Thu 10/24

A Midsummer Halloween Nightmare inspired by William Shakespeare @ 7pm / $10

Van Dyke Performance Space, 200 North Davie Street, Van Dyke Performance Space, Greensboro Wheelwright @ 7pm Flat Iron, 221 Summit Ave, Greensboro

LeVar Burton @ 7:30pm

Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts, 300 N Elm St, Greens‐boro

Fri 10/25

West Love @ 8pm Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts, 300 N Elm St, Greensboro

Sat 10/26

Character Breakfast bene�ting Ronald McDonald House Charities Piedmont Triad

@ 9:30am / $30

Join us for the 2024 Character Breakfast! Enjoy breakfast, a parade of your favorite princesses, su‐perheroes, and storybook characters, and time for photos and autographs! Forsyth Country Club, 3101 Country Club Road, Winston-Salem. stephanieb@rmhcpt.org, 336-970-5656

Burlesk Freakshow @ 7pm / $30

BREATHE COCKTAIL LOUNGE presents its annual HALLOWEEN FREAKSHOW and you are in for some amazing tricks and treats! FREAKS SHOW will include Burlesque, alternative art, and sideshow performances !! Breathe Event Lounge & Catering, 221 North Main Street, Kernersville. Jenn.breathelounge@gmail.com

Sun 10/27

Sunday Yoga @ SouthEnd Brewing Co.

@ 10am / $5

SouthEnd Brewing Co, 117b West Lewis Street, Greensboro

A Midsummer Halloween Nightmare inspired by William Shakespeare @ 2pm / $10

Van Dyke Performance Space, 200 North Davie Street, Van Dyke Performance Space, Greensboro

Mon 10/28

HarmHouse: MondayMic with Jay Benjamin @ 6pm

High Point Bistro, 3793 Samet Dr # 165, High Point

Tue 10/29

Cashavelly: Songbird Supper Club @ 6pm

West Salem Public House, 400 S Green St, Win‐ston-Salem

Wed 10/30

Halloween Run 2024 @ 6pm Foothills Tasting Room, 3800 Kimwell Dr, Winston Salem

Calendar information is provided by event organiz‐ers. All events are subject to change or cancellation. This publication is not responsible for the accuracy of the information contained in this calendar. The best place to promote your events online and in print. Visit us @ https://triad-city-beat.com/local-events powered by

SHOT IN THE TRIAD

BY CAROLYN DE BERRY

Koury Convention Center, Greensboro

Sen. JD Vance, the GOP vice presidential candidate, speaks to supporters `at a town hall at Koury Convention Center in Greensboro.