Fayetteville Observer Voter Guide 2022: Meet the candidates for United States Senate
Four candidates are running for one of North Carolina's United States Senate seats.
Democrat Cheri Beasley, Libertarian Shannon W. Bray, Republican Ted Budd and Green Party candidate Matthew Hoh are competing to replace the retiring Republican Sen. Richard Burr.
Below are the candidates' responses to a Fayetteville Observer questionnaire. Responses have been edited for style and grammar.
Matthew Hoh
Name: Matthew Hoh
Age: 49
Immediate family: Separated. We were not able to have children.
Occupation: Disabled Marine combat veteran
Elected office held: None. I am a first-time candidate.
Contact: matthewhohforsenate@gmail.com; matt4senate.org; facebook.com/matt4senate; twitter.com/MatthewPHoh; instagram.com/matt4senate
What is your position on abortion? Should it remain legal in North Carolina and if so, with what restrictions? If it is banned at either the state or national level, what exceptions should be made? Abortion should be legal in all circumstances. It is a form of reproductive healthcare, and access to abortion should not be restricted for any reason. Carrying a pregnancy is a huge physical, psychological, and financial undertaking, and abortion bans cause undue and unnecessary hardship for pregnant people, regardless of exceptions. We need to offer safe, affordable abortions under a single-payer healthcare system, e.g., Medicare for All, while also addressing the factors that lead people to seek abortions. For example, finances play a significant role in people’s decision to seek abortions. We need a federal jobs guarantee, union rights, family leave, affordable childcare, and living wages adjusted for inflation so that people don’t fear job loss or wage cuts if they become pregnant. All of these would be a part of an economic bill of rights.
What is your opinion on whether the federal government should forgive student loans? The federal government should cancel student loan debt and make public education free at all levels. That includes pre-K, K-12, higher education and vocational education. Private banks should not be able to profit from people's education needs. The economic liberty arising from student loan debt cancellation will be transformative for families, communities and our nation. Likewise, public education, available to all Americans at all levels, will revolutionize our economy, workforce and society. Student loan debt cancellation and universal higher education policies are fair, just, economically sound, and needed to meet our country's future demands.For these same reasons, medical debt should also be canceled.
What can be done about gun violence in the United States? I carried rifles and pistols in combat. I have a respect for firearms and a clear understanding of what they do to human bodies based on real-life experience.
The American people have the right to responsible gun ownership for self-defense and hunting. However, it is too easy for domestic terrorists to obtain guns and carry out horrific acts of violence against vulnerable people, as was the case in Buffalo, Chicago, Uvalde, and too many other towns and cities to name. Many of these shooters were radicalized online in misogyny, anti-Semitism, white supremacy, homophobia, and fascism. We must stop these radicalization processes and work to keep vulnerable communities safe. In addition to background checks and waiting periods, a thorough in-person licensing and training program should be a requirement for possessing a firearm, especially outside the home. We must also dismantle the gun lobby, which has continually profited off these tragedies and blocked action on gun control by buying off politicians.
Prohibition and poverty have long been the primary root causes of crime. It is well past time to end the decades-long, failed, counterproductive and shameful War on Drugs. We must address the deep poverty in American society by ensuring all people are paid a living wage, have healthcare, and have access to free public education from pre-K through college (including trade/vocational programs).
Cheri Beasley
Cheri Beasley did not respond to the Observer's questionnaire.
Shannon W. Bray
Shannon W. Bray did not respond to the Observer's questionnaire.
Ted Budd
Ted Budd did not respond to the Observer's questionnaire.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Fayetteville Observer Voter Guide: Meet US Senate candidates
