Walter Dalton – Democrat
After serving six terms in the state senate, and one as lieutenant governor, Walter Dalton is taking his next political step.
Dalton, the current lieutenant governor, wants to restore some of the General Assembly’s cuts to education and also plans on expanding the community college system and increasing the use of Advanced Placement classes.
While he thinks the state can regain jobs by focusing on education, Dalton also wants to implement a program by which employers hire long-term unemployed individuals through a trial period of employment.
In addition, he plans to provide a one-time $2,000 tax credit for each long-term unemployed worker a business hires.
Dalton also wants to promote jobs in the fields of agriculture, tourism and military, as well as create jobs through refurbishing military equipment. He also wants to see more protections surround hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” to make the process safer.
Dalton would oppose a sales tax increase for his first budget.
He also opposes attempting to opt out of the Affordable Care Act because of the federal funds it would provide to the state.
Dalton also wants to expand both broadband Internet access to rural communities and programs supporting rural economic growth.
Pat McCrory – Republican
Mayor of Charlotte from 1995 to 2009, Pat McCrory wants to update North Carolina’s tax code.
McCrory supports reducing the individual income tax and the corporate income tax rates for businesses, as well as eliminate the death tax.
On the topic of education, McCrory supports system reform rather than more funding.
He supports performance-based pay for public school teachers and wants to increase the number of charter schools in the state.
McCrory also wants to create two high school diploma pathways: one that prepares students for four-year colleges and another that prepares students for a vocation.
In addition, he thinks all students must be on the correct reading level for their grade level before advancing to fourth grade.
On energy, McCrory favors an “all of the above” plan, which would utilize biofuels, coal, solar, wind and nuclear energy.
He also supports hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” and natural gas exploration in the state.
McCrory would focus on supporting agriculture, including increased research, vocational training and water capacity through efficiency.
McCrory also wants to see the repeal of the federal Affordable Care Act.
