Fayetteville Observer Voter Guide 2022: Meet the candidates for North Carolina House 43

Incumbent Republican Rep. Diane Wheatley, who was elected in 2020, faces a challenge from Democrat Elmer Floyd for the North Carolina House of Representatives District 43 seat. Floyd is a former six-term representative for District 43.

District 43 covers all of Cumberland County east of the Cape Fear River, the Linden area, and some parts of southern, central and eastern Fayetteville. 

Below are the candidates' responses to a Fayetteville Observer questionnaire. Responses have been edited for style and grammar.

Elmer Floyd

Name: Elmer Floyd

Age: 79

Immediate family: Dorothy Bohannon Floyd, Debra (James ) Hill, Bonita (Stephen) Nauss, LaTonya (James) Rose III and Christy Bohannon

Occupation: Retired, city of Fayetteville Human Relations director

Elected office held: North Carolina General Assembly, House District 43, six terms

Contact: doel416@gmail.com; facebook.com/RepElmerFloyd; elmerfloyd.com

What restrictions, if any, would you impose on abortion in North Carolina? If the pregnancy is ectopic, or if the fetus has died and its corpse could cause a deadly infection, or the pregnancy otherwise could severely injure or kill the mother, what language would you put into the statutes to ensure that doctors can terminate the pregnancy and save the mother’s life without fear of being prosecuted? None. If the pregnancy is life threatening or could severely injure the mother the doctors can terminate pregnancy without the fear of prosecution.

When a bill to legalize medical marijuana goes before the General Assembly next year, would you support or oppose it, and why? Support — revenue driven

If the Democratic governor and the Republican leaders who want Medicaid expansion are unable to make a deal for it this year, would you support or oppose doing it next year? What should the government do for lower-income workers and others who don’t have health insurance because they can’t afford to buy it on the open market and who are prohibited by federal law from buying it through Obamacare? Yes, I support Medicaid expansion if they are unable to reach a general consensus. The state may implement its own plan for those that can not afford to buy it on open market and who are prohibited by federal law from buying it through Obamacare.

Diane Wheatley

Name: Diane Wheatley

Age: 71

Immediate family: Al, Arleen, Brian David

Occupation: Retired registered nurse; retired small business owner; community volunteer; state representative

Elected office held: Cumberland County Board of Education,10 years; Cumberland County Board of County Commissioners, 4 years; North Carolina House of Representatives, 2 years (currently serving)

Contact: ddwheatley@yahoo.com; DianeWheatleyNC.com; facebook.com/DianeWheatleyNC

What restrictions, if any, would you impose on abortion in North Carolina? If the pregnancy is ectopic, or if the fetus has died and its corpse could cause a deadly infection, or the pregnancy otherwise could severely injure or kill the mother, what language would you put into the statutes to ensure that doctors can terminate the pregnancy and save the mother’s life without fear of being prosecuted? It is my wish that all children would be given the chance to live. The question is how to strive for this as a legislature in a way that won't be vetoed by the governor, overturned by the courts or replaced by some subsequent legislature. I have always supported an exception to laws restricting abortion when the mother's life is legitimately in imminent danger. In the very low percentage of cases resulting from rape or incest, I cannot bring myself to mandate that decision away from someone who has been so horribly violated. I do reject the argument that the pre-born are somehow not human or that abortion is merely "healthcare."

When a bill to legalize medical marijuana goes before the General Assembly next year, would you support or oppose it, and why? As a registered nurse I would never want to deny any medication to a patient that has shown efficacy and safety in treating an illness. I would support legalizing a pharmaceutical derived from marijuana if it was produced by a legitimate pharmaceutical company, dispensed by a licensed general pharmacy and available only with a medical doctor's prescription. The law authorizing it would have to be in compliance with the federal controlled substances act and not objected to by law enforcement.

If the Democratic governor and the Republican leaders who want Medicaid expansion are unable to make a deal for it this year, would you support or oppose doing it next year? What should the government do for lower-income workers and others who don’t have health insurance because they can’t afford to buy it on the open market and who are prohibited by federal law from buying it through Obamacare? Whether I could support a bill expanding Medicaid would depend entirely on the wording of the bill. A poorly written law could have a devastating impact on the state budget and might overwhelm the medical community's ability to provide services. I would support a bill expanding Medicaid if it was affordable and sustainable. The agreement with the federal government should provide that the state could withdraw if the funding formula was changed to the detriment of the state. At the same time, we should work to improve private insurance markets and incentivize work-related insurance coverage.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Voter Guide: Meet NC House 43 candidates