Johnston County Candidates Connection 2022
The Johnston County Candidates Connection is a virtual, candidate forum coordinated by the Triangle East Chamber of Commerce to make it convenient and easy for our members and candidates to connect.
Maureen McGuinness, Triangle East Chamber President
Click on any of the races below to view the candidate questions and their responses.
*All candidates on the November 8th ballot were invited to participate in this year’s midterm forum; candidates featured on our site submitted responses to our questions by the set deadline.
Johnston County Board of Education
1/ Please introduce yourself. Tell us about your experience, and what makes you the right choice to serve on the Johnston County School Board? (Video)
Michelle Antoine
Terry Tippet
Rick Mercier
2/ Recent data shows that schools in Johnston County are performing better than in previous years, however that data shows there is still a disparity between schools. Students coming from wealthier areas perform better and students from economically challenged areas are struggling. How would you address this? (Video)
Michelle Antoine
Terry Tippet
Rick Mercier
3/ Johnston County continues to grow. With that comes overcrowded classrooms. While the proposed bond referendum offers long-term solutions, what do you propose to remediate this problem for the students currently enrolled in school? (Video)
Rick Mercier
Terry Tippet
Michelle Antoine
4/ Like many industries, education is currently experiencing a problem filling vacancies. What are your suggestions for making Johnston County Public Schools a place that people would want to teach or serve as paraprofessionals? (Video)
Rick Mercier
Terry Tippet
Michelle Antoine
NC Senate and House of Representatives
1/ Please introduce yourself. Tell us about your experience, and what makes you a good person to represent the people of Johnston County? (Video)
NC Senate
Benton Sawrey
Dr. Gettys Cohen, Jr.
NC House
Linda Bennett
Kevin G. Thurman
Donna McDowell White
Larry Strickland
Wendy Ella May
2/ North Carolina's gas tax is the highest in the Southeast, but it is not producing enough revenue to keep pace with highway construction and maintenance needs. As more drivers buy electric and hybrid cars and gas-powered cars become more fuel-efficient, gas tax revenue is only expected to shrink. Some think tanks have proposed a state tax on the number of miles driven as a supplement or substitute. How should the General Assembly provide a sustainable funding source for transportation needs? (Video)
NC Senate
Dr. Gettys Cohen, Jr.
Benton Sawrey
NC House
Linda Bennett
Larry Strickland
Donna McDowell White
Kevin G. Thurman
Wendy Ella May
3/ North Carolina has 58 occupational licensing boards overseeing 181 job types, and a full 22% of workers in our state are required to obtain licensure. There is broad public support for regulating professionals like doctors, nurses, attorneys and teachers, but in some cases, the requirements appear to be bureaucratic barriers to entry with little or no connection to health and safety. For example, African hair braiders are required to obtain a cosmetic arts license. Would you support an overhaul of the state's occupational licensing system to allow more people to ply their trades freely? (Video)
NC Senate
Benton Sawrey
Dr. Gettys Cohen, Jr.
NC House
Linda Bennett
Donna McDowell White
Kevin G. Thurman
Larry Strickland
Wendy Ella May
4/ Johnston County is almost like two separate counties. The communities west of 95 are more suburban and the communities east of 95 more rural. The State ranks counties’ economic stress on a tier system. Given the affluence of communities like Clayton, the communities east of 95 do not qualify for grants or incentives. What would you do so that these communities have better access to state grants? (Video)
NC Senate
Dr. Gettys Cohen, Jr.
Benton Sawrey
NC House
Linda Bennett
Kevin G. Thurman
Larry Strickland
Donna McDowell White
Wendy Ella May
US Senate and House of Representatives
1/ Please introduce yourself. Tell us about your experience, and tell us how you will represent the people of Johnston County in Washington DC. (Video)
US Senate
Matthew Hoh
US House
Bo Hines
Sen. Wiley Nickel
2/ Access to high-speed internet is a concern for residents, businesses, and farmers in Johnston County. What would you do while in Washington to help bring connectivity to Johnston County? (Video)
US Senate
Matthew Hoh
US House
Bo Hines
Sen. Wiley Nickel
3/ What are the main issues you will be addressing in Washington for the people of Johnston County? (Video)
US Senate
Matthew Hoh
US House
Bo Hines
Sen. Wiley Nickel
4/ What is the best way for you to support small businesses while you are in Washington? Will you be supporting tax breaks, creating new workforce programs, supporting existing programs? (Video)
US Senate
Matthew Hoh
US House
Sen. Wiley Nickel
Bo Hines
Johnston County Commissioner
1/ Please introduce yourself. Tell us a bit about your background, and what makes you the right choice to serve the people of Johnston County? (Video)
April Stephens
Evelyn Lane Sanders
2/ Johnston County is a beautiful and unique place to live. Our residents are proud of its heritage and want to preserve it. At the same time, growth is happening in the county. How do you balance preserving heritage and tradition with growth and change? (Video)
April Stephens
Evelyn Lane Sanders
3/ Transportation is a big concern in our county. Traffic is an issue like never before. There is much talk about the need for some form of public transportation, be it commuter rail to Raleigh or public bus service in the county that would allow people to go to work, the doctor or shop. What are your thoughts on public transportation in Johnston County? (Video)
Evelyn Lane Sanders
April Stephens
4/ What does the future look like for Johnston County? How will Johnston County be different because you served? (Video)
Evelyn Lane Sanders
April Stephens
5/ Internet connectivity is a concern across the county. During COVID, this became evident as people could not work from home and students could not do schoolwork. The lack of connectivity has impacted our farmers. There is a lot of data that our farmers can get from their equipment but without high-speed internet, they cannot access it. Meanwhile we have seven different types of fiber running down I-95. There are creative public private partnerships that could assist in bringing broadband and fiber to the community. What would you do to connect the communities in Johnston County? (Video)
Evelyn Lane Sanders
April Stephens
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