James Proctor, candidate for NC House District 23

Name: James C. Proctor

Political party: Republican

Age as of Nov. 8, 2022: 64

Campaign website: None

Occupation: Retired attorney

Education: Atlantic Christian College (now Barton), Class of 1981; Campbell University School of Law, Class of 1985

Have you run for elected office before? No

Please list highlights of your civic involvement: Former county party chair, 14 years. Former chair of the Edgecombe County Board of Elections.

What are the three issues that you see as most important to your district and what will you do to address them?

District 23 needs better intranet service and better cell phone service. Money has been appropriated but so far we have seen no results. School choice is also a high priority.

At a time when costs are rising, state government has a surplus. How should it be used?

We need to continue to ensure there is adequate money set aside in the rainy day fund, and that necessary infrastructure projects are completed. Any money above and beyond that should go to tax breaks for the taxpayers of the state.

Will you vote for Medicaid expansion in North Carolina?

Undecided.

What has the legislature gotten right, and what has it gotten wrong, about public education in North Carolina?

Charter schools and removing the cap on them is an area where the legislature has gotten it right. Authority needs to reside more with the local school boards than with the state.

Should North Carolina change its abortion laws? How?

The current state law banning abortions after 20 weeks should remain.

Please add anything else voters should know about your position on the legality or availability of abortion in North Carolina.

Absent a consensus within our society on the subject, I do not favor a ban on abortion. However the current state law with a 20-week cutoff seems reasonable.

Should medical marijuana be legalized in North Carolina?

Undecided.

What, if anything, should the legislature to do shape curriculum dealing with topics of race, sexuality and gender?

I think that this is an area more to be left to the local school boards than the state. Though dealing with sexuality below the fourth grade, at least, strikes me as generally a bad idea.

Do you accept the results of the 2020 presidential election?

Yes.