Robbinsville – Candidates for local and statewide offices did their best to gain votes during a general election candidates forum held by The Graham Star at the Graham County Courthouse on Saturday evening.
Offices represented at the forum included Graham County commissioner, Graham County school board member, Graham County sheriff, and N.C. District 50 senator.
School Board
In the race for county school board, there are two seats being contested by four candidates: incumbents Chip Carringer (a Republican) and Shane Garland (a Democrat), and challengers Maria Shook (a Democrat) and Dinschel (a Republican).
* Saying that children are the bottom line, Chip Carringer said he has no personal agenda and doesn’t think anyone with a personal agenda should be elected. He said the school system can be helpful in addressing health and mental health issues for children. Carringer was a career educator.
* Saying that the truth sets you free, Hank Dinschel said she will trust God and the Holy Spirit. “That’s how I do my research,” she said. She said she supports the Constitution and opposes masks, which she believes are unconstitutional. She said the solution to drug problems is in church, not school.
* Shane Garland said serving on the school board is a good way to give back to the community. He said he has a responsibility to be fair and impartial. He said for a lot of children, family life is not as healthy as it is for others, and schools can help provide stability for children in many cases.
* Maria Shook said she prayed that if she can help one child, serving on the school board would be worthwhile. She said it is important for schools to address drug addiction and literacy.
State Senate
The race for District 50 state senator is between incumbent Kevin Corbin (a Republican) and challenger Karen McCracken (a Graham County Democrat).
* Connie Orr (representing Kevin Corbin) said Corbin has been a “100 percent positive representative for all of Graham County.” He served two years in the N.C. House before serving two years in the N.C. Senate, and helped secure $5 million (and counting) for a new justice center to replace the Graham County Courthouse and jail and $1.17 million for downtown Robbinsville revitalization. She said he supports Medicaid Expansion and is an advocate for veterans and helped raise teacher pay for Graham County schools. Corbin has sought expansion of broadband internet in Graham County and helped secure a settlement against Big Pharma as part of the opioid settlement, she said. Corbin represents every individual regardless of party affiliation, she said.
* Karen McCracken said it is important to understand mountain values of hard work and looking out for each other. She said she has served on church committees and represented churches at state conventions, and understands what is required of a state senator. “I want to do the research and know what I’m voting on,” she said. She promised Medicaid Expansion will take effect if she is elected. She said she seeks to glorify God by loving God and loving others, looking out for the most vulnerable. The rich and powerful set the rules so they get more wealth and power, she said. The rich are getting the benefits, with the rest getting the shaft, she said. “If you work hard, what do you get? More work,” she said.
Sheriff
The race for sheriff pits unaffiliated candidate Brad Hoxit (a retired Highway Patrol trooper) against Republican Russell Moody (a former one-term Graham County sheriff).
* Brad Hoxit joined the N.C. Highway Patrol in 1995 and was posted to Graham County in 1996. His entire career has been in law enforcement. He said his goal is to save lives and work with the people. He said law enforcement can help get the drug problem under control. He said the Sheriff’s Office is top heavy and he plans to reduce the number of higher-ranking deputies, so that he can increase the number of patrol deputies.
* Russell Moody served as an emergency medical technician for 10 years before he was elected sheriff in 2006, serving one term that expired in late 2010. He attended the N.C. Sheriffs’ Leadership Institute, during which time he participated in four, 1-week training programs – conducted over a period of two years – aimed at qualifying first-time sheriffs for the job.
Commissioner
In the race for county commissioner, there are three seats being contested by seven candidates: incumbents Lynn Cody and Jacob Nelms (both Republicans), and challengers Scott Hooper, Kent Williams, Natasha Williams, Harv Bollinger and Millsaps. Natasha Williams is a Republican. Hooper, Kent Williams and Millsaps are Democrats. Harv Bollinger is unaffiliated.
ν Lynn Cody has been a Stecoah resident his whole life. He said effective service on the Board of Commissioners takes a team effort. He works for the people of Graham County, and not working with fellow commissioners just causes conflict, he said. He said he is fair and has an open-door policy (he holds weekly meetings with constituents). He seeks to address people’s needs and treat them fairly, while at the same time holding the line on county taxes.
ν Jacob Nelms said he doesn’t like to take credit, even when credit is due. “One person is not going to get anything done,” he said. He said he wants to know what people want for recreation and how to use opioid settlement money. He said it is important to provide the resources schools need to head off problems that could become drug problems.
ν Natasha Williams said there is not enough for young people to do in Graham County and that children need to be prioritized, adding that boredom often leads to bad behavior. She said drugs – particularly opioids – are a big issue in the county. It is Williams who unseated incumbent Dale Wiggins in the primary. She has said that having new faces on the Board of Commissioners would be good for the county.
ν Scott Hooper said he would take a hard look at county administration and operations. He advised the county to “think things through” before deciding to move the Graham County Courthouse to another location. He said Graham County is too small to be politically divided and said there has to be some compromise. He said one way to fight the drug problem is by cutting off access to locations where people do drugs. He said the “whole aura” of county government has to change and that it is time for a different perspective. As for drug issues, he said it is not just children who are using drugs; in many cases, it’s their parents, and that needs to be addressed, too. He called for term limits on the board.
ν Kent Williams had a career in law enforcement. “We need to give children something to do to get them out of the parking lots,” he said. “I would like to be a commissioner so I can do a whole lot more. I’m not left wing, I’m not right wing. I’m a people person.” Employment is also an important issue.
ν Harv Bollinger said he would like to see more cooperation between the county and its towns, particularly Robbinsville. He said the elderly and handicapped deserve as much focus as issues surrounding youth and drug abuse.
The forum has been divided into two parts and is available for free viewing – with enhanced audio – at grahamstar.com.