Candidate Biography (submitted by candidate):

I am a businessman, husband, and proud father. I am an active member of Heritage Baptist Church in Zebulon, NC. I and my wife, Angie, have two wonderful daughters, Abigail and Amelia.

Despite economic disadvantages, my parents taught me that anything is possible in America as long as you are honest, have good character, don't sacrifice your principles, and work hard. I learned the value and reward of hard work at an early age and worked my way through High School and College.

Upon graduation, I worked two full-time jobs to pay back school debt. Since then, I have been involved in small business both as an employee and owner. I understand what it takes to create and sustain jobs for North Carolinians. I know the challenges facing entrepreneurs and the difficulty in achieving success.

Rising unemployment.

Higher taxes.

Increased debt.

More government corruption.

A lot of politicians ... and too few solutions.

Those are only a few of the reasons that I have chosen to run for the North Carolina House. I am concerned about the problems our government is creating for future generations. As a business owner, I have felt the painful crunch of this economy. We've had to take losses and 'tighten our belt' to get by -- and our government should have to do the same.

The inheritance we leave to our children should not be one of unemployment and debt. I'm running because our children deserve a better future than the one the politicians are giving them.

Are you happy with the direction North Carolina is heading? Is this the type of future you want to leave your children?

I'm running for state house because I don't want my two daughters to inherit the North Carolina that the Raleigh politicians seem intent on leaving them.

As more of our neighbors struggle to find work, the Raleigh politicians raised taxes. Now you pay the highest taxes in the southeast. How will that help our economy?

While our families tightened our belts and cut spending, the Raleigh politicians passed a budget that spent even more of your tax money, including frivolous spending on things like a $25 million fishing pier! Now North Carolina has the sixth highest budget deficit in the country. Our children, yours and mine, will have to pay that off.

We've seen too many headlines about corruption in our state government -- Jim Black, Thomas Wright, Mike Easley, the SBI scandal, and now Bev Perdue's campaign finance violations. How many more politicians and bureaucrats have to be caught breaking the law before we start taking public corruption seriously? I'll fight for tougher standards and stronger enforcement of corruption laws.

Finally, I'll work from the state level to challenge the federal government's takeover of your health care. I'll work to pass a bill forcing N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper to join other states in suing to overturn the health care law. I'll also vote for a state constitutional amendment protecting your right to choose your own health care.

North Carolina is a beautiful state, but it can be better. We can do more to leave a brighter, freer, and more prosperous future for our children. Electing the same people won't fix the problems we face. It's time for new leadership that will get North Carolina working again.