N.C. House District 38: Collin Fearns

Name: Collin Fearns

Age: 28

Party affiliation: Democrat

Campaign website: Collin4nc.com

Occupation and employer: Operations Consultant – Self-employed 

1. What in your background qualifies you to represent the people of your North Carolina district effectively? What would you cite as your biggest career accomplishment? 

I’m a Raleigh native and a product of the Wake County Public School System. My life has been shaped by the very programs I am running to protect and improve. Raised by a single mother, I experienced firsthand how community support and state investments can change a child’s trajectory. My lived experience as a working-class North Carolinian means I understand the struggle of stretching a dollar. My background in service-industry management gives me a perspective that is currently missing in the General Assembly.

My biggest career accomplishment isn’t a title or sales record; it is the people I’ve grown with. As a manager, I took the most pride in seeing my team members move on to bigger and better opportunities. While losing talent was hard, helping others reach their potential always takes the edge off the loss. Additionally, my work organizing on the Kamala Harris presidential campaign was a pivotal milestone opening my eyes to my potential to serve my community and transitioned my skills from private-sector management to public advocacy.

2. What do you believe to be the three most pressing issues facing the next General Assembly? What steps do you believe the state should take to address them?

Is the budget, the budget, and the budget, too simple of an answer? If we are unable to pass a budget, little else matters. But to actually answer the question, we must address the fiscal cliff in 2027 to avoid the multi billion dollar shortfall. Our first step must be to repeal the automated tax cuts that benefit corporations and the wealthy while leaving our state revenue in a tailspin. We have to move away from the voodoo economics that prioritize private interests over public stability.

Second, we should turn to public education and turn off the spigot for the Opportunity Scholarship vouchers that drain resources that can go to our public schools. Finally, we need to focus on making it easier to build housing in our communities to lower costs for working families. We should focus on the missing middle and workforce housing. Those who work in our communities should be able to afford to live in them.

3. North Carolina expanded Medicaid two years ago. However, federal budget cuts now threaten the program due to a state “trigger law” that ends expansion if federal support drops below 90%. How would you address Medicaid funding to maintain coverage for the millions of North Carolinians enrolled?

It is a nightmare of our own creation. We imposed the 90% trigger, and we have the power to repeal it. As federal budget changes threaten our expansion, the General Assembly shouldn’t shrink from its responsibility; it should lead it. The idea that we would allow citizens to lose access to healthcare while we eliminate the corporate income tax isn’t just shortsighted, it’s cruel.

Medicaid isn’t an urban, suburban, or rural issue. No matter what region you live in, it’s a lifeline for parents with sick kids, adults with long-term health complications, and seniors who are trying to age with dignity with shrinking help from Medicare. I fully believe you can convince a majority of House members that it’s worth protecting if you take the time to talk it through and build respect.

4. The General Assembly has recently passed legislation limiting local control over zoning and development standards to address housing shortages. Do you support the legislature’s approach of limiting local zoning authority to increase housing supply, or should municipalities retain greater autonomy over land use decisions?

I support state-level standards that legalize a variety of housing types because the housing crisis is too large for municipalities to solve alone. Exclusionary zoning has acted as a ban on the very workforce housing our teachers and service workers need for to long. We have to eliminate red tape blocking missing housing like duplexes and accessory dwelling units which make our communities more affordable.

However, real leadership means the state acting as a partner rather than a dictator. We should have clear statewide expectations to boost our housing supply while working alongside local governments to ensure that growth is supported by schools and transit. The goal is to set a high bar for housing access without steamrolling the local expertise that keeps our neighborhoods vibrant and sustainable.

5. How would you address the rising costs of housing, child care, and basic necessities facing North Carolina families?

We must prioritize families over corporate interests by preserving the corporate income tax to fund relief. I would argue to eliminate the 2% local tax on all groceries and support the Child Care Act (HB 316) to reenact a state child tax credit and expand NC Pre-K. We also need to rein in Duke Energy’s profits to ensure reasonable rates as they seek massive hikes.

6. Climate disasters are intensifying: Hurricane Helene devastated Western North Carolina in 2024, Tropical Storm Chantal flooded the Triangle in 2025, and coastal erosion threatens the Outer Banks. With much affordable housing located in flood-prone areas and FEMA resources stretched thin, what is your plan for climate resilience and disaster relief?

Climate resilience is a survival issue, not a partisan one. We must invest now to save lives, property, and taxpayer funds, because rebuilding after a disaster is far more expensive than preparing for it. I support nature-based solutions like wetland restoration and responsibly building in floodplains. If Crabtree Valley Mall can survive all this time, so can our neighbors. We just have to invest in the infrastructure to protect them. 

7. The General Assembly recently passed a new congressional redistricting map. This marks the state’s seventh congressional map since 2016. How do you view the most recent redistricting? And do you support independent redistricting processes, or do you believe the legislature should retain this power? 

The most recent congressional redistricting was a naked power grab by the President of the United States. It’s not only a betrayal to the voters but a disgraceful use of power by the federal executive and his supporters in the General Assembly. No politician should be able to choose their voters; if they do, they will no longer be accountable and won’t listen to their constituents. I support an independent redistricting commission. 

8. The General Assembly failed to pass a 2025–27 budget, leaving teachers without raises. North Carolina ranks 43rd nationally in teacher pay. How would you address teacher compensation, and what will you do to ensure a budget passes that adequately funds education?

Leaders in Raleigh love to talk about increasing teacher pay, but rarely do more than match inflation, if that. To comfortably live in the communities where they work, starting teachers need at least $52,000 to afford market-rate housing without a second job. We cannot act surprised by our retention crisis when our educators struggle just to keep their heads above water.

I will bridge the gap by building a bipartisan coalition around this crisis. The House’s 2025-27 budget proposal already championed a $50,000 starting salary, proving that many across the aisle realize our current path is unsustainable. I will work with any member willing to prioritize classroom stability over corporate tax cuts. I will prove that a $52,000 starting salary is not just a moral choice, but a fiscally responsible investment in North Carolina’s future.

9. North Carolina currently has a 12-week abortion ban with certain exceptions. Some legislators have proposed further restrictions. Do you support the current law, do you believe access should be expanded, or would you support further restrictions?

I support the standards laid out in Roe v. Wade. Our current State law and attempts to go even further are examples of politicians putting their personal beliefs before the health and beliefs of their constituents. Their extreme agenda doesn’t represent North Carolina values, and I would work to repeal them. 

10. Federal legislation will ban most hemp-derived THC products, like delta-8, by November 2026, threatening North Carolina’s hemp industry. Meanwhile, recreational marijuana remains illegal and medical marijuana bills have stalled. What is your position on hemp regulation and how would you address the upcoming federal ban, if at all?

I believe we should legalize recreational marijuana and tax it at a rate comparable to liquor. Not only would this create revenue that our state treasury desperately needs, but it would also take the knees out from under the underground markets and eliminate a primary revenue stream for organized crime in our communities.
With a federal ban on hemp-derived products like Delta-8 set for November 2026, North Carolina faces a choice: we can let a billion-dollar industry collapse and watch that money flee to states like Virginia, or we can lead. By legalizing and regulating marijuana now, we can protect our small business owners, ensure product safety for consumers, and finally stop leaving hundreds of millions of tax dollars on the table.

11. Gov. Josh Stein recently signed “Iryna’s Law,” which eliminates cashless bail, requires mental health evaluations for certain defendants, and attempts to restart the death penalty by requiring alternative execution methods if lethal injection is unavailable. The law also accelerates death penalty appeals. Where do you stand on the death penalty and changes made by the law?

I understand the need for closure after a tragic loss, but I don’t believe the state has the right to seek vengeance. Given our justice system’s human flaws, we cannot guarantee an innocent life won’t be taken; therefore, I oppose capital punishment.

We must keep repeat violent offenders out of our neighbourhoods. But, Iryna’s Law misses the mark. Simply limiting pretrial release doesn’t solve the root cause of that tragedy. North Carolina must increase investments in mental health awareness and treatments. Furthermore, stricter guidelines for repeated misdemeanors effectively turn our jails into warehouses for the poor and the mentally ill. Lastly, while I believe we should expedite all criminal appeals to ensure timely justice, we must leave the door open for new evidence to ensure an innocent person is able to clear their name.

12. Tech companies are investing heavily in North Carolina data centers, bringing jobs and tax revenue but also consuming significant electricity and water resources. How should the state balance data center investment with environmental protection and community concerns?

When it comes to data centers, I take a cautious approach. By default, these facilities should pay for the resources they use, and I support a large load tariff to ensure their costs aren’t passed on to the average consumer. We must also ensure they aren’t destroying the environment; there is no point in shifting to clean energy if we’re using it to power facilities that drain our local supply and threaten our groundwater. At the moment, I have too many questions about the long-term impacts to give these projects a blank check.

13. Give an example of an opinion, policy, vote, or action you changed based on constituent feedback. If you have not yet held elected office, describe a time when you changed your position on an issue after listening to those affected by it.

My philosophy is that every voice carries impact, and my most important job is to listen and learn from those I hope to represent. While I have not yet held office, I’ve made an active effort to follow the work of the General Assembly closely. A clear example of when I changed my position was during the debate over the shrimp trawling ban (HB 442) that failed in the House last year.

Initially, the bill seemed like a straightforward way to protect our coast. However, as I watched the debate, listened to families whose livelihoods were on the line, and heard from respected environmental leaders like Representative Pricey Harrison, I realized I was wrong. The facts showed the ban would have destroyed a centuries-old North Carolina industry without addressing the real environmental issues our state and coastal communities face. I will always be willing to admit when I’ve misstepped and change my mind.

14. Are there any issues this questionnaire has not addressed that you would like to address? 

I want to address the broader context of this primary election. My generation is facing its “moment.” Like those who came before us, we have to decide how we will move forward.

Many of the hard fought victories from our past are once again under attack. Public education is being demonized. Barriers to the polls threaten the very foundation of our democracy. Our families are facing crises on multiple fronts and are waiting for the next shoe to drop. That could be the loss of healthcare, skyrocketing electric bills, or a loss of food subsidies. The stakes could not be higher.

It is going to take fresh voices, new ideas, and the kind of energy that only comes from those who have a direct stake in the next fifty years of our state’s future. We need a new generation of leadership in the General Assembly that refuses to accept the status quo. I am running to be part of that change.