Name as it appears on the ballot: Tim Longest

Age: 33

Party affiliation: Democrat

Campaign website: www.timfornc.com

Occupation & employer:  Consumer Protection Attorney, Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips Grossman, PLLC

Years lived in North Carolina: 33

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

I am running for re-election and have represented the people of House District 34 in Raleigh for almost two years. In that time, I have advocated for working families, strong public schools, protecting reproductive freedom, and making needed investments in state government and infrastructure to secure North Carolina’s future. As one of the youngest legislators, I have brought a fresh perspective to the General Assembly by advocating for policies like tackling junk fees, protecting our natural resources for future generations, and insisting on transparency in government by introducing a constitutional amendment guaranteeing access to public records and meetings. 

I was born and raised in eastern North Carolina and am the son of a lifelong public-school teacher and state employee. I know that it took the long-term vision and commitment of leaders who came before us to build the public institutions that make our State great. That’s why I will continue to advocate for investments and policies that will ensure a bright future for North Carolina.

I bring considerable experience to my role as a legislator. As a lawyer in private practice, I advocate for consumers, workers, and small businesses, primarily in consumer protection and antitrust matters. Prior to serving in the General Assembly, I worked as a law clerk on both the North Carolina Supreme Court and North Carolina Court of Appeals and clerked or interned in all three branches of state government.

  1. 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?

Investing in North Carolina’s people. The most important thing our General Assembly can do is invest in our people and bring down costs for North Carolina’s working families. That starts with fully funding our public schools and raising teacher pay. It also means working to make things more affordable. During my first term, I have advocated for support for working families by introducing or sponsoring legislation to reinstate the Earned Income Tax Credit, ban junk fees, invest in affordable housing and childcare, and expand Medicaid. We must continue to make investments in North Carolina’s future.

Helping Western North Carolina recover. This fall, Hurricane Helene caused unparalleled extreme flooding and widespread destruction in Western North Carolina. The people of North Carolina have come together to support WNC, but our state legislature must do more to help this region rebuild in the next legislative session, including by making critical investments in roads and infrastructure destroyed by the hurricane. 

Protecting women’s reproductive freedom. This past term, the Republican majority in the General Assembly passed a sweeping 12-week abortion ban, and some Republicans have indicated they want to go further. We must protect women’s reproductive freedom by codifying Roe v. Wade in North Carolina law, not impose additional restrictions on access to abortion. 

  1. To what extent do you support municipalities exerting local control over issues such as regulating greenhouse gas emissions, criminal justice reforms and police oversight, and passing development-regulating ordinances?

Too often, the General Assembly has failed to make progress on important issues and has been an adversary of cities, towns, and counties instead of a collaborator. I believe the state should take the lead making progress in an issue area and set broad policy. However, in general, the statewide policies enacted by the General Assembly should also give municipalities the flexibility to pursue additional innovative policy ideas in areas like emissions regulation, criminal justice reform, and regulation of development. That will ensure municipalities remain the laboratories of democracy generating new policy ideas our state needs without excessive micromanagement by the legislature.

  1. Do you support raising North Carolina’s minimum wage, and if so, by how much? 

The cost of living have risen dramatically in recent years, but North Carolina’s minimum wage has not kept pace. Indeed, it has not been increased since 2008. That’s why I support increasing the minimum wage to at least 15 dollars per hour, indexed to inflation, to ensure North Carolina workers can support themselves and their families. During my first term, I cosponsored the Working Families Act (H.B. 569), which would do just that.

  1. What, if anything, should the state legislature do to address the growing affordability crisis and support low-income families in North Carolina?

I have consistently advocated for policies that would make things more affordable for North Carolina’s working families. During my first term, I introduced or sponsored legislation to reinstate the Earned Income Tax Credit, ban junk fees, invest in affordable housing at the state level by funding North Carolina’s Housing Trust Fund, expand NC Pre-K and childcare options, provide free school lunch, and expand Medicaid. I would continue to advocate for these and similar policies and seek innovative ways to bring down costs for North Carolina families.

6. What is your vision for transit in North Carolina? What kind of regional transit systems should the state work to implement and what kind of transit legislation would you support?

North Carolina is growing, and to meet that growth, we must make it easier for people to get between their homes, jobs, and needed services, whether that is making transit easier within our cities and metro areas or better connecting our rural places to metro areas. I support bold, comprehensive, and multi-modal transit to accomplish this, which includes as its centerpiece regional rail. Such a system must also include well-connected and well-maintained roads and funding for necessary bike and pedestrian infrastructure to finish out routes.

7. Would you support an independent process for drawing new legislative and congressional districts?

Yes.

8. Do you support expanding funding for Opportunity Scholarships? Do you believe the legislature has a role in ensuring that private schools don’t further raise tuition on families and taxpayers with the infusion of hundreds of millions of dollars into the private school economy?  Please explain your answer. 

No, I will continue to oppose expansion of this program giving more taxpayer dollars private schools without adequate accountability. Without any guardrails or accountability, this money could be subject to waste, in the case where schools simply raise tuition and pocket the difference without providing any more benefit, or even fraud or abuse because of the lack of oversight and regulations. Instead, this money should go to support our public schools.

9.  North Carolina is one of the lowest-paying states for teachers in the nation. Schools across the state are facing shortages of educators, support staff, and other key personnel. By what percentage should the next budget raise wages for teachers and school employees? What else can the General Assembly do to improve working conditions for teachers and make the teaching profession more attractive to potential future educators?

As the son of a lifelong public school teacher in eastern North Carolina schools, I know there is much more we must do to ensure we can recruit and retain great teachers and staff in our schools and reduce vacancies. Most importantly, we must substantially increase pay to compete with the private sector. I would raise state employee pay by at least 10% and teacher pay by at least 16% over the next two years to recruit and retain the best for our state. We should expand the successful North Carolina Teaching Fellows program to build our pipeline of educators from North Carolina’s public universities—an expansion for which I previously advocated by sponsoring H.B. 849.

10. North Carolina bans abortion after 12 weeks’ gestation. Do you think abortion access in North Carolina should be expanded or further restricted, or do you support the current law? 

I strongly opposed and spoke out against S.B. 20, the extreme 12-week abortion ban passed by Republicans last year. I oppose the current law and support protecting women’s reproductive freedom by codifying Roe v. Wade into North Carolina law.

11. Do you support reforming North Carolina’s marijuana laws? Do you support full legalization? Please explain your position. 

Yes, I support full legalization of marijuana for adults in North Carolina. The majority of North Carolina voters support full legalization of marijuana. It is time for our state to catch up with the growing number of states who have legalized marijuana for both medical and recreational use. I also support legalization of medical marijuana as an intermediate step if full legalization is not realistically achievable now.

12. Do you support strengthening gun safety regulations such as expanding background checks, banning bump stocks, and raising the age to buy or otherwise regulating the sales of assault-style weapons? Please explain. 

Yes. In my first term, I have advocated for commonsense gun safety regulations that will make our communities safer while respecting Second Amendment rights. These measures include closing the private sale loophole in the background check system opened by the repeal of the pistol purchase permit system, requiring safe storage of firearms, and authorizing extreme risk protection orders for those who pose a serious risk of harming themselves and others.

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