Why I’m Running,

After we settled into our home and got involved again in community activities, we noticed that our current congressman was not taken very seriously. I researched his campaign promises, for instance, and found that he had promised to work for new jobs in the district. I did not see any evidence of new jobs, but did see many industries closing on a regular basis.

In addition, not only was he involved in personal controversies over ethics and lifestyle, but he seemed to be regularly associating with people who were either charged with or being investigated for a variety of crimes. On top of that, he was famous mostly for his attack dog style in the House of Representatives. His partisanship has developed to the point of being unproductive for the 10th District. He's contentious but quick to take credit for the work of others.

In 2006, while many Republicans complained about McHenry, we saw that no one stepped up to run against him in the primary. There was talk that McHenry could get elected to that seat for as long as he wanted, because no one was willing to challenge him.

Melissa and I did as most people do-we followed the issues on TV and in the newspapers and then we researched some issues in depth by way of the internet. We prayed for guidance and discussed the decision with our family. Finally, we looked at each other and agreed: If no one else was willing, I would step up to the challenge.

So, here I am. This is my first run for public office. I see my campaign as a positive for people who are just fed up with politicians being politicians. All I can offer is my personal honesty, integrity, my knowledge of the law and the legal system, my experience with the military -and the values I learned while growing up in Catawba County.

Melissa and I were high school sweethearts, so we've been together a long time. We both realized, when we moved back here in 2005, that our home, the area where we grew up, had changed dramatically in some negative ways.

With the loss of industrial jobs, people were having a hard time making ends meet. People were apprehensive about crime and illegal immigration. Families, in many cases, were being stressed to the limit.

We looked at Congressman McHenry, also, and couldn't find anything he had done to make things better for people in this district. In fact, we are convinced that he has become part of the problem, not part of the solution.

I believe, based on my maturity, experience working with a wide variety of people, and the negotiating skills I developed as a lawyer, that I can go to Congress and unite people, not divide them. During my military career, I have had to find ways to bring people together, even if they don't like each other or agree with each other's opinions.

While partisanship is important in some cases, it's not as important as fixing problems that affect the health and welfare of people in general. I recently read a letter from Representative Virginia Foxx, North Carolina 5th District, in the newspaper. In that article she stated that she was looking forward to 2008 because she believed that there was a sign of hope for bipartisan cooperation. Of the nearly 1200 votes taken in the House last year, "very little was accomplished and what was accomplished came in the flurry of activity at the end of the session," stated Rep. Foxx.

I pray that her optimism will take hold in DC and members of Congress will learn to work together in areas that are critical to the well-being of the people of our country. Unfortunately, our current representative has made it his mission to attack others in Congress. My mission will be to replace him, guaranteeing that the American people and the people of this District get the help they need.

I'm sure I will make mistakes. But, I believe I can offer a major change in substance and style of conservative leadership, in order to get government to work in ways that will improve the lives of our citizens. That's the biggest reason we have a government in the first place. It's nothing personal about Mr. McHenry; I just believe I can do a better job.