WS Chronicle

FEDERAL OFFICES

(You may vote for ONE)

US House of Representatives District 5

Virginia Foxx

DD Adams*

Virginia Foxx is a native of The Bronx, New York, and has represented North Carolina’s 5th Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives since 2005.  Foxx has positioned herself to be in partisan lock-step with President Donald Trump and the Republican Party at any cost, and recently voted against a North Carolina disaster relief bill because the act included policies that went against her “conservative principles.”

Denise “DD” Adams is a native of Winston-Salem, N.C. in the 5th District, and has represented the North Ward on the Winston-Salem City Council since 2009. Adams has worked diligently on the local level to increase wages for police officers, fire fighters, and city workers, while creating new jobs and making key investments in the city’s infrastructure. We feel that Adams’ passion for her home city and state will make her a great representative who will fight for all constituents of the 5th District.

The Chronicle endorses DD Adams for the U.S. House of Representatives in District 5.

STATE OFFICES

(You may vote for ONE)

NC State Senate District 31

Joyce Krawiec

John Motsinger, Jr.*

Joyce Krawiec is currently seeking her third full term serving District 31 in the North Carolina Senate. Krawiec has notably emerged as an advocate for victims of substance abuse and has partnered across the aisle to secure $6 million in funding for a substance abuse treatment facility in the Winston-Salem community.  Krawiec came under fire for criticizing the intelligence of women participating in the Women’s March in Washington, DC last year and drew the disapproval of many women from all over the country.

John Motsinger, Jr. is a product of the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools system and is making his first run for political office. Motsinger is the son of incumbent School Board member Elizabeth Motsinger and is following in the footsteps of his father, John Motsinger, Sr., who unsuccessfully challenged Krawiec in 2014. John Motsinger, Jr. has been strongly supported by the Forsyth County Association of Educators and Planned Parenthood for his positions on improving education and supporting women’s rights.

The Chronicle endorses John Motsinger, Jr. for the NC State Senate in District 31. 

NC State Senate District 32

Paul Lowe, Jr.*

Eric Henderson

Paul Lowe, Jr. is the Pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church and is seeking his third term in the N.C. Senate representing District 32. Lowe was appointed in 2015 to replace retiring Sen. Earline Parmon and ran unopposed in 2016. Lowe, who is an opponent of Republican Voter ID laws, faces Republican challenger Eric Henderson, who unsuccessfully ran for a seat on the Winston-Salem City Council in the Northwest Ward. Henderson is a supporter of Voter Identification Laws, which have been proven to disenfranchise minorities and other disadvantaged groups.

The 32nd Senate District encompasses the urban core of the Winston-Salem community where Voter ID laws severely impact access to the polls for many. We must support legislators that seek ways to provide more access to the polls instead of creating barriers that would limit our God-given right to vote.

The Chronicle endorses Paul Lowe, Jr. for the NC State Senate in District 32. 

NC House of Representatives District 71

Evelyn Terry*

Scott Arnold

Evelyn Terry has a wealth of political experience, having previously served on the Winston-Salem City Council and now in the N.C. House of Representatives since 2013. Terry is the granddaughter of the legendary brick maker George Black, whose bricks literally serve as the foundation for the district. Political newcomer Scott Arnold is a landscape architect looking to create a new design for a conservative voice in District 71. Both candidates describe school safety and variations of healthcare as their legislative priorities. We feel that Evelyn Terry has the right combination of community service and political experience that’s necessary to continue the work on behalf of the people of our community.

The Chronicle endorses Evelyn Terry for the N.C. House of Representatives in District 71.

NC House of Representatives District 72

Derwin L. Montgomery

Reginald Reid

The Chronicle chooses not to endorse anyone in the N.C. House of Representatives in District 72.

Derwin Montgomery, co-owner of The Chronicle, is considered the incumbent in this race. He was appointed to the position on Aug. 15, after Ed Hanes resigned from the seat on Aug. 7. Montgomery is representing the East Ward on the Winston-Salem City Council until he leaves that position on Nov. 5.  He also is pastor of First Calvary Baptist Church in Winston-Salem and executive director of the Bethesda Center for the Homeless.

Reginald Reid was a 2012 Republican candidate for District 32 of the North Carolina State Senate. On his website as he runs for the District 72 seat, he says he is a PhD candidate in Management at Walden University. He says he is a member of the City of Winston Salem Executive Council on Homelessness, member of the 10 Year W-S Commission on Homelessness, member of the American Society Public Administrators and a volunteer at Crisis Control Ministries.

NC House of Representatives District 74

Debra Conrad

Terri LeGrand*

Since 2012, Debra Conrad has by far been one of the most conservative members of the local Forsyth County delegation in the General Assembly. This is a fact that Conrad wears proudly and is not subject to change if she is elected to her fourth term in office. Challenger Terri LeGrand is the Associate Director of Systems and Compliance at Wake Forest University. Both candidates graduated from Wake Forest University and have been locally engrained in the culture and balance of our community. Terri LeGrand seems to agree more with the desired values reflected in the urban core of our community, such as increasing access to higher education, protecting our environment, and building a positive future for all.

The Chronicle endorses Terri LeGrand for the N.C. House of Representatives in District 74. 

NC House of Representatives District 75

Dan Besse*

Donny Lambeth

Democratic challenger Dan Besse was elected to the Winston-Salem City Council in 2001 and has served for 17 consecutive years. Republican incumbent Donny Lambeth was first elected to public office in 1994 and has served 24 consecutive years in public office on the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Board and the N.C. House of Representatives.  It’s safe to say that both Republican and Democratic Party enthusiasts have already picked their favorites in this race; however, it’s likely that the Unaffiliated voters will make the difference. 

Dan Besse is an environmental attorney who has openly criticized Duke Energy’s coal ash management and the General Assembly’s lackluster response to it. Besse has not only been strong on state and local environmental issues, he has championed transformative changes to the city’s fixed route bus system, along with infrastructure improvements to roads, sidewalks and greenways. He has developed a reputation for having excellent constituent services and for standing with local citizens on issues that matter. Besse has called for Medicaid expansion and has openly challenged Lambeth on his failure to expand healthcare for thousands in N.C.   

Donny Lambeth retired as President of Wake Forest Baptist Hospital and has defended his record on healthcare expansion by introducing his own version of healthcare expansion. The bill is currently in committee and has not yet become law. Lambeth serves as co-chairman of the Appropriations Committee and has worked well to support bills introduced by the City of Winston-Salem in Raleigh. He was also instrumental in eliminating bills that would seek to cap tuition for WSSU students and ultimately prove harmful to university coffers. Lambeth has notably stood up for Forsyth County newspapers when the General Assembly introduced crippling legislation that would move government notices from newspapers to government websites. 

At a time where the N.C. General Assembly has made moves to usurp water systems, de-annex airports, allow concealed weapons in city parks, and control local police body camera footage, we feel that government overreach in Raleigh has gone too far. Dan Besse has proven that he will fight to protect the interests of local citizens and local governments.

The Chronicle endorses Dan Besse for N.C. House of Representatives in District 75.