Candidate for NC secretary of state, GOP’s Christine Villaverde, answers our questions
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Name: Christine E. Villaverde
Political party: Republican
Age as of March 5, 2024: 53
Campaign website: https://votevillaverde.com
Current occupation: Small business owner and homeschool mom
Professional experience: Police officer and emergency manager
Education: Master’s degree in Public Policy
What offices have you run for or held before? Have you had any other notable government or civic involvement? GOP nominee for NC Congressional District 2
What do you think is the biggest issue in North Carolina that you would be able to shape if elected?
As North Carolina’s Secretary of State my priority will be to ensure that my agency is restrained in its spending and is limited to what is necessary to serve North Carolina. Government spending has grown dramatically, and I aim to curb this so that the citizens of North Carolina can keep more of their hard-earned money. As a steward of taxpayer funds, I will make sure that every dollar spent by my agency is only spent in their best interest. I am committed to making tough choices to save taxpayers’ money.
What do you think is or is not working well under the current office holder? If not, how would you change it?
Registering businesses is an integral duty of the Secretary of State in North Carolina. On average, creating an LLC in other states after the registration documents are submitted takes a week for completion; however, North Carolina can take up to seven weeks! As Secretary of State, I will improve customer service experiences by innovating and pushing forward with better practices, implementing modern tools such as AI, and better utilizing available technology to streamline agency processes.
What should be done to address staff vacancies in your agency and in state government as a whole?
Faced with recruiting and retaining the talent I will need as Secretary of State to deliver high-quality services to North Carolinians will be a challenge. I can utilize a variety of ways to remain competitive to the evolving needs of current and future employees by offering flexibility in scheduling, offering on-the-job training opportunities for professional advancement and emphasizing the high-quality state benefits package.
Is there an issue on which you disagree with your party? What is your position on that issue?
I am in agreement with the core issues of the Republican Party.
How will you incentivize businesses to come to or stay in North Carolina?
Various agencies of the North Carolina executive branch have recently handed down extensive rules and regulations, many of which place undue burdens on businesses and continue to hinder job creation. In order to incentivize businesses to come to and stay in North Carolina, I will work to create a framework within my organization to make it easier to form a business by rolling back burdensome regulations, rules and mandates. Many of these mandates and rules are not at all necessary for the public interest and simply advance personal agendas. To strengthen North Carolina’s economy, I will fight to reduce the burdens placed on businesses, particularly on small businesses. For businesses to thrive in North Carolina, the government simply needs to get out of the way.
