On Election Day in 2016, Democrats held an advantage of 645,000 registered voters over Republicans in North Carolina.
That gap had closed to under 35,000 by the time of President Donald Trump’s second inauguration and continues to shrink. The political party that ran this state for over a century will soon be dethroned in a historic rejection of their leaders and policies.
Whether it’s the economy, public safety or education, Democrats have failed to lead and failed to implement policies to help North Carolina families. By contrast, Republicans have focused on delivering a family-first agenda to make our state a better place to live, work and retire.
The most impactful tax reform in North Carolina history began in 2013. Under Republican leadership, our state became a pioneer in tax reform, reducing the burden on families and small businesses. Individual tax rates were as high as 7.75% and are now under 5% and on track to go under 4%. Republicans showed political courage and belief in conservative values in order to make life better for families in our state. Corporate tax rates also went from the highest in the Southeast to the lowest.
Not only have Republicans made life better for families, but we have also invested billions of dollars in our rainy-day fund. Democrats in 2010 left a mess for Republicans to clean up: high taxes, sputtering economic growth and billions of dollars in debt to the federal government.
Once Republicans paid back this debt, leaders in the General Assembly courageously set aside funds to ensure we would never find ourselves in the same situation. Today, funds from these accounts are able to be deployed to help western North Carolina recover from Hurricane Helene.
Given these positive moves to improve North Carolina’s economy, it’s no surprise that others have taken notice. North Carolina’s tax reform is a gold standard among other states that have followed our lead. North Carolina has consistently been rated a top state for business by CNBC. Make no mistake: Without Republicans crafting state policy, we would not be as prosperous as we are today. The GOP continues to dominate legislative elections because the people of our state trust Republican policies.
Protecting communities and the public from threats is one of the first duties of government. As we have seen in our current political climate, one party stands for the rule of law and the other stands for sanctuary cities and criminals. Cities such as Asheville, Charlotte, Durham, Fayetteville and Raleigh have all set records in recent years for murders and violent crime while proudly proclaiming their sanctuary city status. These policies are opposed by a majority of North Carolinians. That’s why the passage of legislation to require sheriffs to work with ICE and stiffening penalties for riots is critical to upholding the rule of law. The families of our state deserve to live and thrive in safe cities and towns.
Finally, North Carolinians are rejecting Democrats’ empty rhetoric in education. Democratic leaders for generations have talked about improving education, but their actions only made our public schools worse.
When Republicans took over the General Assembly in 2011, improving education outcomes was the guiding principle. Meaningful changes have been implemented such as performance increases, Science of Reading skills and over $1 billion in additional funding. The last time Democrats controlled the state legislature, teachers were furloughed and education funds were cut in order to pay for Democrats’ wasteful spending. Most importantly, however, was a recognition that public schools were not the only way we can educate our children.
North Carolina’s embrace of school choice has given thousands of families the freedom to choose an education plan that works best for them. In the most recent legislative session, the popular Opportunity Scholarship program was expanded to include all of North Carolina’s families. When we give students and families more options, we open our education system to innovation and create a dynamic market for talent and workforce development.
The policy differences between Republicans and Democrats are clear. At the ballot box, North Carolina families are choosing Republicans and rejecting Democrats. Today, there are more elected Republicans in every level of government than ever before. As the Golden Age under President Trump’s common-sense leadership makes our country great again, North Carolina’s success is evidence that good policy does indeed make good politics.
Jason Simmons is North Carolina Republican Party chairman.
