The Political Beat Candidate Guide: North Carolina State House District 96

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Park Inglefield (D)

Why are you running?

The status quo isn’t working for North Carolinians. I’m running because my neighbors deserve a representative who shows up, listens, and delivers results. We are facing a cost of living emergency and the General Assembly isn’t doing enough to support working families. I want to bring Catawba County voices to Raleigh to fight for affordable housing, strong public schools, and a government residents can trust.

Are you in favor of the three constitutional amendments on North Carolina’s ballot? Why or why not?

I oppose all three amendments. The income tax amendment would lock a 3.5% cap into our Constitution, permanently favoring the wealthy and profitable corporations while limiting legislators ability to respond to emergencies, a recession, hurricanes, or school funding needs.

The property tax amendment is vaguely written, giving Raleigh power to limit the revenue counties and towns rely on most, risking cuts to schools, fire, and police. Permanent constitutional provisions shouldn’t be used to hamstring local governments power. Their own elections should take care of this.

I also oppose extending photo ID to mail-in ballots. It’s an unnecessary barrier that will make voting harder for seniors, disabled, and rural voters.

What should the state do about data centers?

I support a moratorium on new large-scale data centers until the state fully studies their impact on our electric grid, water supply, and environment. Several NC towns have already paused projects for this reason and Raleigh should follow their lead. I oppose all tax exemptions and subsidies for data centers.

I’ll push for strict penalties and clawbacks when a facility pollutes, overdraws local water, damages land and wildlife habitat, or exceeds its power allotment, with repayment of any benefits received.

Protecting our grid and natural resources must come before corporate giveaways.

CMS has faced numerous controversies over the past month, what, if anything, should state lawmakers do?

CMS families deserve transparency and stability, not more turmoil. With the State Auditor, SBI, and now the FBI investigating alleged financial irregularities, state lawmakers should let those investigations run their course without political interference, while demanding full transparency from the district. I would push for stronger financial oversight and reporting requirements for school districts statewide, so problems surface before federal and state investigations are needed. Most importantly, lawmakers must ensure the chaos in the central office doesn’t disrupt funding or instruction for CMS’s 148,000 students.

What legislation will you pursue to bring down costs?

I will push legislation to protect families from utility rate hikes tied to data center growth, expand access to affordable housing and childcare, and lower healthcare and prescription drug costs.

I support targeted tax relief for working families and small businesses rather than broad cuts that benefit large corporations. I’ll also fight for transparency in how utilities justify rate increases to the Utilities Commission, so North Carolinians aren’t stuck subsidizing costs they didn’t create.

What sets you apart from your opponent?

I am 32 years old. The decisions made in Raleigh over the next decade will shape the rest of my life, my career, and whether I can afford to raise a family. My campaign is powered by a large base of small-dollar donors from my community, not a handful of large checks. My campaign reflects the interests of thousands of people in my district. The question voters should ask is simple: is my opponent accountable to you, or to his donors?

At 77, Jay Adams has skipped candidate forums and made himself largely unavailable to constituents. Jay pursues special interest projects for his buddies and advocates for a “proper road racing circuit in North Carolina.” He’s out of touch, has gotten lazy, and the time has come to send him home. I show up and answer tough questions in front of the public. I’ll stay accessible once elected because this job belongs to the voters, not special interests or projects, and not to the people writing the biggest checks.