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VOTER GUIDE: NC Senate District 48

By Lightning Reports, Published: October 23, 2024

The candidates for Senate District 48 are Republican Tim Moffitt, the incumbent, and Democrat Chris Walters.

Moffitt, 60, is a small business owner who manages day-to-day operations of several businesses, including a boutique real estate firm, a mountaintop vacation and events venue and an international executive search and management consulting firm. Raised in Henderson County, Moffitt has family roots that go back more than 10 generations in the N.C. mountains. He and his wife, Deanna, have five adult sons, two of whom are U.S. Air Force veterans. They live in the Bearwallow community.

Walters, 75, is a retired teacher and former construction worker with a bachelor’s degree in history. “I come from a family of 12 and have seven brothers and sisters still living in the area,” he says. “I have a long-standing interest in state and local government and like going to county commission and school board meetings.” He is divorced with a daughter and a granddaughter. He enjoys reading, working on his house, practicing piano, listening to podcasts and walking. 

Why are you running for the N.C. Legislature?

Moffitt: I am running for re-election to the state Senate to improve the lives of the families who call North Carolina home. I will use my legislative experience from serving one term in the Senate and three terms in the House and my nearly four decades in business to pursue conservative, common sense policies that enhance our economic freedom, our economic opportunities and our economic growth.

Walters: I’m running for the N.C. legislature to represent regular working families. I believe in fairness, empathy and accountability. I will listen fairly to all constituents’ concerns.

What are your highest priorities in the Legislature over the next two years?

Walters: We must connect broadband to rural areas, ensure affordable and accessible healthcare, conserve farmland and open space, fund early childhood education, teach real American history and protect the right to vote and ensure fair voting districts. I completely trust women to make their own healthcare decisions and I will fight hard for women’s reproductive freedom and self-determination. 

Moffitt: 1) I will reform the personal property tax and work to end the state income tax; 2) Pursue an aggressive course of regulatory reform to lower consumer costs and free up capital for business; 3) Drive down home prices and increase the housing supply by removing barriers that unnecessarily block the development of new homes and hinder the approval process; and 4) Find alternative, non-taxpayer revenue sources to stabilize the funding stream for North Carolina’s vast transportation infrastructure.

The Legislature has appropriated $794 million for private school vouchers since 2023. Do you support this spending? Why or why not?

Moffitt: Yes. I believe that all parents, regardless of their income or ZIP code, should have the choice as to where and how their children are educated. 

Walters: We have 23 public schools and 13,000 students in Henderson County. They’re doing a good job and deserve our support. I do not support the Republican private school voucher plan. It is government off- the-rails.  There is no accountability and no upper-income limit. Millionaire families can get a government subsidy for their private schools. Public schools are the largest employers in Western North Carolina. They provide income security for thousands of families and provide stability for our communities. There is no substitute for public schools. As your representative, I will vote for your school, your teacher, your coach and your bus driver.

What should the Legislature do (if anything) to increase teacher pay?

Walters: It’s the job of state government to pay teacher salaries. It’s the job of county commissioners to build and maintain school facilities. Our commissioners are generally doing a good job with local school projects, but the Republican-led General Assembly is failing to pay teachers competitive salaries. That’s their job and their constitutional responsibility and they are failing. I will vote against the corporate tax cuts and invest in our teachers and schools. 

Moffitt: Last year, we raised starting teacher pay to $44,000, with the average teacher now making roughly $58,000 in base pay. This does not include thousands of extra dollars in health and retirement benefits, county supplemental pay, or extra stipends for certifications and advanced degrees — for just ten months of work. If you compare that to the average annual salary in North Carolina of just $53,000 for 12 months of work, I’d say our teachers are in pretty good shape.

Who do you support for N.C. governor and why?

Moffitt: I will be voting Republican across the board — and I would ask anyone reading this to join me and do the same. As conservatives, it is of utmost importance this year that we remain unified and resolute.

Walters: I will vote for Josh Stein for governor. Stein has been a competent and hard-working attorney general for eight years and helped initiate and negotiate a massive settlement with drug companies that awarded billions of dollars to states to combat the opioid epidemic. Millions of dollars will come into Henderson County to help treat opioid addiction on account of Josh Stein’s hard work.