Policies

Safe Communities, Strong Communities

Every person in should feel safe at home, at work, and in their neighborhood. Public safety means protecting people, supporting first responders, and addressing the root causes of crime so our communities can thrive.

Too many towns are struggling with violent crime, gun violence, and the devastating impact of fentanyl. At the same time, law enforcement and first responders are underfunded and stretched thin. Families pay the price when leaders in Washington argue instead of act.

Public safety is also tied to the strength of our local economies. When Main Streets are full of active businesses, they provide jobs, positive role models, and safe public spaces. When storefronts are vacant, crime takes root more easily, and police departments face greater pressure with fewer resources. Rebuilding our commercial corridors is part of rebuilding community safety.

When I am in Congress, I will:

• Fund first responders by expanding federal COPS and SAFER grants so local police, fire, and EMS departments can hire and train the staff they need.

• Keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people by strengthening background checks and closing loopholes while respecting the rights of responsible gun owners.

• Confront the opioid and fentanyl crisis by increasing federal support for treatment, prevention, and law enforcement to stop trafficking and save lives.

• Support mental health programs by expanding funding for community health clinics, school-based counselors, and crisis response teams so people get help before emergencies turn violent.

• Invest in community-based prevention with after-school programs, job training, and small business revitalization to create opportunity and reduce the conditions that fuel crime.

Keeping our communities safe takes both accountability and opportunity. By supporting law enforcement and rebuilding the economic foundations of our towns, we can make the 8th District a place where families live with security and peace of mind.Item description

You Deserve Quality Healthcare Access

Your zip code should not determine your access to quality health care.  You shouldn’t go bankrupt getting sick and shouldn’t have to drive an hour just to see a doctor.  

I will work to lower premiums, cut drug costs and end the rural healthcare desert by investing in programs that bring opportunity to the areas most in need. This would include community clinics that are more affordable and bring necessary services into the community. 

The people of this district also deserve access to quality mental health and substance abuse services.  I will fight to ensure that additional resources are devoted to expanding help all across our district.  

Strong Schools, Strong Communities

Every child deserves the chance to learn in a safe classroom, with a qualified teacher, and the resources to succeed. Investing in students means investing in our economy, our neighborhoods, and our shared future.

But today, too many schools in North Carolina's 8th District are underfunded and understaffed. Teachers are leaving the profession because they can’t afford to stay. Families are asked to do more with less, while politicians in Washington and Raleigh push policies that drain money out of public schools and into the hands of special interests.

When I’m in Congress, I’ll fight to:

• Send federal dollars straight into classrooms, not private voucher schemes. That means backing legislation that ties infrastructure funding to school repairs and modernization in communities like ours.

• Raise teacher pay by expanding federal support for recruitment and retention. Programs like Title II grants can help North Carolina keep great teachers, especially in rural districts.

• Expand career and technical education. By strengthening support for community colleges, trade schools, and apprenticeships, we can give students real pathways to good-paying jobs without crippling debt.

• Close the digital divide. Broadband expansion and technology grants will ensure every child—from Cabarrus County to Robeson—has access to the tools they need to learn.

Education is the foundation of a strong middle class and the cornerstone of our democracy. If we shortchange our schools, we shortchange our future. I’ll fight to make sure every student in the 8th District gets the fair shot they deserve.

Infrastructure that Serves Us, Not Headlines

From Concord to Charlotte, Monroe to Lumberton, the people of the 8th District deserve an infrastructure system that works, no matter their ZIP code. But right now, too many of our communities are being left behind.

Roads are crumbling. School buildings are falling apart. Broadband is unreliable, or doesn’t exist at all.

Meanwhile, Congressman Mark Harris is busy giving money to millionaires so they can send their kids to private schools, while public infrastructure in our district continues to rot.

When I’m in Washington, I’ll fight for:

• Rural and suburban broadband—because opportunity should reach every home, farm, and business

• Investment in local roads, bridges, schools, and water systems—not just big-city projects with flashy headlines

• Skilled trades and career training, because we need to give the next generation real paths to good-paying careers, whether it's in plumbing, electrical work, auto mechanics, or in-demand fields like nursing and healthcare tech

Whether you live in a small town or a growing suburb, you deserve infrastructure that’s built to last and built to serve. I’m running to make sure we bring those investments home—and make them work for everyone.

Affordable Housing for Working Families  

Housing should be stable, safe, and within reach. Teachers, nurses, and first responders should be able to live in the communities they serve. Across North Carolina’s 8th Congressional District, families are being priced out. Fast-growing suburbs face rising land and construction costs. Rural towns face aging homes and limited financing. Water and sewer capacity has not kept up. Too many vacant or damaged homes sit off the market.

When families cannot find attainable homes, schools struggle to keep teachers, hospitals and public safety agencies struggle to recruit, and small towns lose their vitality. Empty buildings also make downtowns less safe. Stable housing supports public safety, strong Main Streets, and healthy families.

When I am in Congress, I will vote to:

• Increase the supply families can afford by expanding the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, creating a workforce housing credit for middle-income renters, and passing the Neighborhood Homes Investment Act to finance rehab of owner-occupied houses.

• Match infrastructure to growth by bringing EPA and USDA funding to expand water and sewer capacity and by tying a share of federal infrastructure dollars to local policies that allow duplexes, accessory dwelling units, and small-lot homes near jobs and schools.

• Strengthen rural housing tools by expanding USDA 502, 515, and 538 programs and by supporting upgrades and resident-ownership pathways for manufactured home communities.

• Unlock infill and reuse by growing HOME and Community Development Block Grants to convert vacant upper floors and rehab older homes near Main Streets.

• Support the workforce that serves us with federal matching grants for teacher, nurse, and first-responder housing partnerships.

• Lower monthly bills through weatherization and energy-efficiency upgrades that cut utility costs while improving comfort and health.

• Speed disaster recovery with funding for strategic buyouts in flood-prone areas, elevation or relocation of homes to safer sites, and promote faster post-disaster housing assistance.

• Reduce delays by funding technical assistance that helps local governments streamline by-right approvals for code-compliant housing.

Housing is a human right and a community responsibility. By aligning funding, infrastructure, and local rules, we can keep families rooted, help Main Streets thrive, and make every county in the 8th District a place where working people can afford to live.

Ban Corruption in Congress

For far too long, Congress hasn’t been working for the people. It’s working for itself. Too many lawmakers play by a different set of rules, taking actions that would land the rest of us in serious trouble.

On Day One, I’ll introduce a bill to ban individual stock trading by members of Congress. No excuses. No loopholes. No grandfather clauses.  When members of Congress trade individual stocks, they aren’t working for us. They’re working for their own portfolio. 

I’ll also push for real transparency around campaign money and special interest influence. Voters deserve to know who’s pulling the strings and who’s paying the bills.

Both parties have done bad things and we can't rebuild trust in our government until we clean up the corruption at the top.

Main Street and Small Business Renewal

Small businesses should be the backbone of the 8th District. From family-owned shops in Waxhaw to hardware stores in Rockingham, restaurants in Albemarle, storefronts in Wadesboro, and markets in Laurinburg, they create jobs, build local pride, and keep money circulating in our communities.

Too many of these businesses are held back by obstacles they cannot solve alone. Bank consolidation makes it harder to secure affordable loans, especially for rural entrepreneurs. Main Street blocks struggle with slow broadband, aging water and sewer lines, and power reliability issues. Many owners lack access to legal, accounting, e-commerce, and workforce planning support. Floods and hurricanes have closed doors across Robeson and Scotland Counties. The federal and state contracting systems are complex and often favor large firms over local shops.  And as storefronts sit vacant, downtown areas become more vulnerable to crime, putting additional strain on local law enforcement and first responders.  We can strengthen public safety by bringing businesses back to vacant downtown corridors, increasing foot traffic, community presence, and local tax revenue to support first responders.

When I am in Congress, I will vote to:

• Expand access to capital by strengthening SBA 7(a), 504, and Community Advantage lending through CDFIs and credit unions, so viable local businesses can start, grow, and recover.

• Upgrade Main Street infrastructure by funding broadband, water and sewer replacements, and energy improvements with EDA, EPA, and USDA Rural Development programs.

• Build small business support hubs at local community colleges and chambers to provide legal and accounting clinics, e-commerce and marketing help, and hiring assistance.

• Create disaster restart tools including targeted microgrants, pre-approved bridge loans, and mitigation funds for floodproofing utilities and equipment.

• Open federal procurement to local firms by unbundling contracts where possible, expanding set-asides, and growing APEX Accelerator services so small businesses can compete and win.

• Lower operating costs with energy-efficiency grants and Main Street revitalization funds for facades, lighting, and build-outs.

• Ensure fair reach by setting measurable targets for rural, minority-, veteran-, and women-owned businesses across these programs.

Main Street is where our communities come together. By removing the barriers that hold small businesses back, we will strengthen our towns, create good local jobs, make our communities safer, and keep the economy growing.

Our district is home to thousands of veterans, Guard and Reserve members, and military families. They start businesses, teach in our schools, serve as first responders, and lead in our communities. They deserve more than speeches. They deserve results.

But too many veterans still drive hours for basic care, wait months for benefits decisions, or struggle to translate military skills into civilian jobs. Mental health needs go unmet. Military spouses face licensing barriers, childcare shortages, and underemployment because of frequent moves. Guard and Reserve families carry the burdens of activation with uneven support. We can fix these problems with practical steps and steady follow-through.

When I am in Congress, I will vote to:

• Bring care closer to home. Fund more Community-Based Outpatient Clinics and mobile clinics in underserved parts of the district, expand VA telehealth, and support transportation help for medical visits.

• Strengthen mental health support. Increase funding for suicide prevention, PTSD and substance use treatment, and peer-to-peer programs, and integrate these services with local community health centers and schools.

• Cut the claims backlog. Add claims staff, modernize case management, and set clear performance standards so veterans receive the benefits they earned without long delays.

• Build direct job pathways. Expand SkillBridge and registered apprenticeships with manufacturers, hospitals, and public safety agencies in the district, and create fast-track credentialing for medics to EMTs and paramedics, technicians to skilled trades, and leaders to project managers.

• Support military spouses. Make professional licenses portable across states, expand MyCAA-style education and training support, prioritize remote and flexible federal jobs for spouses, increase fee assistance and available slots for childcare, and offer microgrants for spouse-owned small businesses.

• Back the Guard and Reserve. Enforce USERRA reemployment rights, improve mental health access, and close benefit gaps that strain families during activations and training periods.

• Protect housing and financial stability. Increase housing support where costs are rising, expand legal assistance, and crack down on predatory lending and scams that target service members and veterans.

Veterans and military families have earned more than just words of gratitude. They have earned action. By improving care, streamlining benefits, opening clear paths to good jobs, and supporting spouses and families, we will honor their service and strengthen every community in the 8th District.

Clean Energy That Respects Our Land

North Carolina is one of the top states in the country for solar energy, and has the land, workforce, and expertise to build on that success. Expanding clean energy is not just about cutting emissions. It is about creating stable jobs, lowering energy bills, and keeping our local economies competitive.

We can do this without sacrificing the farmland and open spaces that define our communities. Too often, federal investments bypass rural counties while large solar projects target productive farmland. That drives up land prices, reduces local food production, and leaves communities vulnerable if companies walk away from unfinished or abandoned sites. Clean energy can and must be built in a way that strengthens our economy without sacrificing our heritage, including the character of our land.

When I am in Congress, I will:

• Bring clean energy investment to our district by steering federal grants and tax incentives toward solar farms, battery storage, and grid upgrades that improve reliability and prevent blackouts.

• Make clean energy affordable for families and small businesses through expanded tax credits, rebates, and low-interest loans for rooftop solar, efficiency upgrades, and community solar programs.

• Incentivize developers and large commercial property owners to install solar on warehouses, big box stores, and new developments.

• Protect farmland and rural character by prioritizing clean energy projects on rooftops, brownfields, and non-productive land, and requiring developers to restore sites to their original condition when projects end.

• Support farmers who want to participate in clean energy by helping them lease small portions of their land while keeping the rest in production, giving them added income without losing their agricultural base.

• Build a skilled local workforce by funding clean energy and electrical trade programs at community colleges across the district.

• Reduce dependence on foreign energy by producing more of our power locally, keeping energy dollars circulating in our own communities.

Clean energy is one of the strongest economic opportunities in front of us and it can power our future. We can create jobs, lower costs, and protect the farmland without giving up open spaces that make the 8th District home.Item description

Clean Water and Growing Communities

Union and Cabarrus Counties are among the fastest-growing parts of North Carolina. Families are moving in, new homes are going up, and small businesses are opening their doors. But the water and sewer systems that make all of that possible are struggling to keep up.

When growth outpaces infrastructure, the costs don’t disappear.  Instead, they get pushed onto families through higher water bills, impact fees, and property taxes. Small towns face impossible choices between raising rates or halting development. Meanwhile, rural counties like Stanly and Montgomery struggle to replace aging systems that can barely serve the residents they already have.

Safe, reliable water systems are not optional. They are the foundation of healthy communities, strong local economies, and affordable housing. Planning for growth means investing in the infrastructure that makes growth sustainable.

When I am in Congress, I will:

• Bring federal funding into local water and sewer projects through EPA and USDA programs, so the costs do not fall on homeowners alone.

• Expand financing tools that hold developers responsible for a fair share of the infrastructure their projects require, protecting existing residents from bearing the full burden.

• Modernize rural water systems with grants and low-interest loans to replace outdated pipes and treatment plants in smaller counties like Stanly and Montgomery.

• Support regional infrastructure planning that lets fast-growing and rural counties work together instead of competing for resources.

Growth should strengthen communities, not overwhelm them. With smart planning and fair investment, we can build the infrastructure that keeps our water clean, our housing affordable, and our local economies strong.Item description

Respect and Recognition for the Lumbee Nation

The Lumbee are the largest tribe east of the Mississippi River and one of the most vibrant communities in the country. For more than a century, they have fought for the federal recognition that every other tribe of their size already holds. That lack of recognition has denied Lumbee families equal access to healthcare, housing, and education programs. It has also limited economic opportunity across Robeson, Scotland, and surrounding counties.

Federal recognition is about fairness and dignity. It means that Lumbee families would finally receive the same healthcare and housing support provided to other Native communities. It means more investment in education, small business development, and job creation. And it means strengthening institutions like UNC Pembroke, which sits at the heart of Lumbee life and regional growth.

For too long, Washington has failed to act. Recognition has passed the House before, but it has stalled in the Senate. Families in our district have paid the price for that failure.

When I am in Congress, I will:

• Pass the Lumbee Fairness Act and work across party lines to get it through both chambers.

• Secure funding for healthcare, housing, and education that lifts up Lumbee families and strengthens the region as a whole.

• Support UNC Pembroke and small business programs that turn recognition into long-term opportunity.

• Partner directly with Lumbee leaders to ensure federal programs respect tribal sovereignty, culture, and community priorities.

Recognition is not a handout. It is the fulfillment of a promise, and it is long overdue. When the Lumbee succeed, the entire 8th District succeeds.

Protecting the Uwharrie and Growing the Outdoor Economy

Uwharrie National Forest is one of our district’s greatest assets. It protects clean water, offers miles of trails and access to Badin Lake and the Uwharrie River, and supports jobs in nearby towns such as Troy, Badin, Mount Gilead, and the gateway hub of Albemarle.

That promise is at risk. Heavy fuel loads and hotter, drier periods raise wildfire danger near homes and farms. Deferred maintenance on forest roads, trail bridges, culverts, and campgrounds leads to closures, erosion, and safety hazards. Invasive plants crowd out native habitats. Popular trailheads and OHV areas need upkeep, clear signage, parking, and accessible features, yet staffing is thin and necessary funding is being denied. In many recreation corridors, broadband and cell coverage are limited, which makes emergencies harder to manage and keeps visitors from finding local businesses.

When I am in Congress, I will vote to:

• Secure long-term funding for wildfire prevention and habitat restoration so land managers can reduce hazardous fuels with prescribed fire and thinning, protect homes at the forest edge, and rebuild resilient native habitat.

• Fix the places people use every weekend by directing Great American Outdoors Act and Land and Water Conservation Fund dollars to roads, bridges, culverts, trailheads, bathrooms, docks, and accessible facilities across Uwharrie.

• Coordinate across boundaries using Good Neighbor Authority, stewardship contracts, and Joint Chiefs’ partnerships so the U.S. Forest Service, the North Carolina Forest Service, counties, and private landowners can plan and deliver multi-year projects together.

• Grow the outdoor economy with Recreational Trails Program, Federal Lands Access Program, and Economic Development Administration grants that improve parking, signs, wayfinding, and gateway amenities in Troy, Badin, Mount Gilead, and Albemarle, drawing visitors who spend money in local shops and restaurants.

• Improve safety and visitor experience with better broadband and cell coverage by targeting investments along recreation corridors and at high-use sites, coordinated with counties, providers, and the Forest Service.

• Put veterans and young people to work by funding conservation corps crews, AmeriCorps placements, and paid apprenticeships tied to our community colleges, creating year-round trail, habitat, and maintenance jobs.

• Protect clean water by replacing failing stream crossings, stabilizing eroding banks, and restoring wetlands that keep sediment out of drinking-water sources and reduce downstream flooding.

Protecting Uwharrie is the right thing to do for our land and our water. It is also a smart investment in public safety and local jobs. With steady funding, good partnerships, and local crews, we can keep these forests healthy and make sure nearby towns share in the benefits.

AI, Jobs, and the Next Generation

Artificial intelligence is already reshaping how we work, live, and learn. However, most members of Congress don’t understand it, but they’re voting on it anyway. That’s a recipe for disaster.

I work in the tech space. I’ve seen firsthand how AI can help solve complex problems and how it can be abused when no one’s paying attention. We need leaders in Washington who know what’s coming, not just what’s comfortable.

As a member of Congress, I’ll help write smart laws that:

• Protect jobs and personal data from AI overreach

• Hold Big Tech accountable when they threaten our privacy, security, or democracy

• Prepare our workforce for the AI economy by investing in education, training, and access to emerging technology in our schools and small businesses

This isn’t science fiction. It’s happening now. We need to be ready, not reactive,so our communities can compete, grow, and thrive in the economy of the future.