Democrat Tim Longest, candidate for NC House District 34, answers our questions
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Candidates for NC House District 34
Libertarian Ed George is running against the Democratic incumbent, Rep. Tim Longest. District 34 covers Wake County. Get to know the candidates with our 2024 NC Voter Guide.
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To help inform voters about the Nov. 5, 2024, election, this candidate questionnaire is available to be republished by local publications in North Carolina without any cost. Please consider subscribing to The News & Observer to help make this coverage possible.
Name: Tim Longest
District/seat: House District 34
County or counties represented: Wake
Political party: Democrat
Age as of Nov. 5, 2024: 33
Campaign website: timfornc.com
Current occupation: Lawyer
Professional experience: Representative, NC House District 34, and lawyer
Education: J.D. with honors, UNC School of Law (‘18); B.A., philosophy, UNC-Chapel Hill (‘13)
Please list any notable government or civic involvement. I am completing my first term as representative for District 34 in the N.C. House. I previously served as a judicial law clerk at the N.C. Supreme Court and N.C. Court of Appeals, as well as a legal intern in the N.C. Attorney General’s Office and the N.C. Senate. I am a member of the N.C. Bar Association and the Wake County Bar Association.
What would be your top priority if elected?
My top priority is building a brighter future for all working families in North Carolina. I will do so by fighting to lower costs of necessities like health care and housing, making long overdue investments in our public schools and infrastructure, and ensuring public safety and opportunity for all.
By percentage, what raises should state employees, school staff and teachers receive in the next state budget?
State employees and teachers and staff in our schools are the backbone of our state. We face a vacancy crisis in state government and schools throughout North Carolina, but pay for state employees and teachers has not kept pace with the cost of living. I would raise state employee pay by at least 10% and teacher pay by 16% over the next two years to recruit and retain the best for our state.
What legislation would you support to improve Triangle transportation, housing or infrastructure? Please be specific.
People come to the Triangle because of long-term investments making this a great place to live, work and raise a family. We must make similar investments now to ensure a bright future for North Carolina. I support building rail to better connect the Triangle and North Carolina, as well as Department of Transportation funding for bike and pedestrian infrastructure. I want to see the state take the lead in affordable housing through funding the North Carolina Housing Trust Fund. Finally, we must continue to invest in the UNC System and community colleges.
Do you think the legislature should fund about $500 million for private school vouchers through the Opportunity Scholarship program? Why or why not?
No. I have opposed giving taxpayer dollars to unaccountable private schools for the wealthiest. Every parent has the right to send their child to the school that is best for them, but it’s the state’s duty to provide for public schools. To meet that duty, this money should go to our public schools to benefit all North Carolinians, not just a few. Worse still, this program gives taxpayer money to private schools with no oversight, opening the door to waste, fraud and abuse.
Is there an issue on which you disagree with your party? What is your position on that issue?
While I agree with the values of my party, I disagreed with some Democrats (and many Republicans) when I voted against making sports betting legal. I did so because I believed the predatory tactics of online betting companies, powered by sophisticated algorithms, would increase gambling addiction and hurt the financial health of North Carolina families. Studies of consumer finance records showing an increase in debt and decline in credit in states after sports betting was allowed bear this out.
This story was originally published September 25, 2024 at 7:07 AM with the headline "Democrat Tim Longest, candidate for NC House District 34, answers our questions."
