Meet the candidates for NC House District 110
The following people are running for N.C. House District 110, which includes Gaston County. The Gazette sent them a series of questions in an effort to keep voters informed. Here are their answers:
Name: Esther Scott
Age: 56
Party affiliation: Republican
What will your priorities be if you are elected?
Wage inequality, infrastructure and education
2. What qualifications or qualities do you bring to the position?
Strong constitutionalist. My stances on topics on issues emerge from the Rule of Law through the US and NC constitutions and related Amendments, including the Bill of Rights.
3. Why did you decide to run for election?
I believe all people should be represented in our government and, at this time, women are woefully under-represented. The tipping point was watching many of our politicians cave to a follow-the-crowd mentality instead of being Statesmen, representing the Rule of Law and the people.
4. Have you held elected office in the past, and if so, when and what office?
Gaston County Soil and Water Conservation District Board Chairperson from 2019-2022.
5. What do you do for a living?
Tax preparer
6. What action, if any, would you take to improve the economy of Gaston County?
Work on increasing jobs and wages while reducing the commute or making the commute safer with better roads and wi-fi.
7. What is the biggest issue you feel Gaston County is facing right now?
Wage inequality needs to be addressed to increase the buying power of the hardworking individuals of Gaston and Cleveland County. (House District 110 represents both counties)
Name: Kelly E. Hastings
Age: 62
Party: Republican
What will your priorities be if you are elected?
I am running to continue to fight against crime and illegal immigration/migration, against higher insurance rates, against higher property taxes, against harmful inflation, against men trying to compete in women’s sports and against other actions that harm the people of the United States and North Carolina. I support school choice, student learning, economic and energy security, peace through strength via a strong National Guard, election integrity, lower utility rates, balanced budgets, spending that is fiscally conservative, Congressional term limits, Second Amendment rights, life, broadband and infrastructure improvements, and other common-sense principles.
2. What qualifications or qualities do you bring to the position?
I respect the fact that trustworthiness is an important quality for anyone seeking public office. People might not always like what I say, but I think most trust me.
3. Why did you decide to run for election?
I am running for office to continue a legacy of trustworthiness and to be a servant leader.
4. Have you held elected office in the past, and if so, when and what office?
I currently serve in the North Carolina House of Representatives, representing large parts of Cleveland and Gaston counties.
5. What do you do for a living?
I am a Realtor and investor.
6. What action, if any, would you take to improve the economy of Gaston County?
One of the most prominent issues in the district I represent is economic security. I voted to cut taxes by billions of dollars, I voted for regulatory and tort reform, and we conservatives led on many other prominent issues such as transportation prioritization, student learning at all levels of education, capital investments, and other important issues that help attract and maintain great careers.
7. What is the biggest issue you feel Gaston County is facing right now?
Public health and safety are top concerns, and I support all of our first responders and others who serve and protect us. This includes National Guard and military members, law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMS and communications personnel, and all other personnel at the local, state, and federal levels who put their lives on the line to honorably serve and protect us. I do not support defunding law enforcement proposals that many on the left are supporting.
Name: Justin Matthews
Age: 24
Party: Democratic
What will your priorities be if you are elected?
I fully support the Leandro plan for education, which has been held up for decades. Kids deserve education, and the state constitution says as much. The General Assembly has been dragging its heels for far too long. I also believe that the state budget opened up the door to a lot of abuse of power. As our Founding Fathers intended, the government must have checks and balances, which includes NC and every other state in the country. The current GA has eroded those checks and balances. They must be restored.
2. What qualifications or qualities do you bring to the position?
For one, I will have a degree in Political Science and International Affairs come May. For two, I know what it’s like to work hard. For three, I refuse to be silent any longer, and if elected, I will fight for my constituents and their needs.
3. Why did you decide to run for election?
I decided to run because I’m tired of the scandals and lies in the General Assembly. You have people who claim they are outsiders but have been in office since 2011. We hear a lot about the elites…but the elites in question are all the friends of Speaker Moore. I’m tired of the nonsense. But, I also decided to run because I believe it is time we do something about issues that affect the everyday person. We have to protect public education, prevent government overreach (which is something the incumbents only give lip service to), and continue the fight to get people affordable healthcare.
4. Have you held elected office in the past, and if so, when and what office?
While I have never held elected office, I have been elected as Democratic precinct chair of Polkville, North Carolina. I also spear-headed the effort to re-establish the Young Democrats of Cleveland County (with help from Gaston county’s team). I was the first (and youngest) State Lead for The Union (affiliated with the Lincoln Project), though I left that role to focus on my Bachelor’s. Additionally, while I am still an order-filler, I also serve as a leader in my department as I troubleshoot and perform research, then, I take that where it needs to go. I’m no stranger to leadership.
5. What do you do for a living?
I am a warehouse worker. I know what it’s like to be blue collar. And look, Republican voters are very different from Republican politicians. I work with plenty of folks who are Republican (and conservative) and we get along just fine. But Republican politicians are a whole other breed, and they think they’re better than their constituents. Republican politicians don’t know what it’s like to have to struggle. Republican voters do know what the real world is like, because, like me, they are blue collar.
6. What action, if any, would you take to improve the economy of Gaston County?
I agree that it’s true that NC is the number one state for doing business. However, when you look at Gaston itself, it ranks as a tier-2 county according to NC’s Department of Commerce, meaning that Gaston has a long way to go before it’s at the top of that list, and it is distressed-ranked at 61. In plain English, it’s about in the middle of the pile. Those who might would say we don’t need to do anything haven’t checked the data closely enough. We need to support our small businesses, and we need to make sure that we keep our jobs and investments in Gaston.
7. What is the biggest issue you feel Gaston County is facing right now?
As someone considering a move to Gaston county (I am currently a native of Cleveland), I think that many folks will agree that rent has become outrageous. This is an issue that is pretty much universal at this point. We must do what can be done to help address this issue and ensure affordable housing. US Representatives (of NC) Jackson and Adams have introduced (but not passed) legislation to ban hedge-funds from owning private homes, we must duplicate that effort at the state-level.
This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Meet the candidates for NC House District 110
