HPU College Republicans Chapter hosts Republican Candidate Forum

High Point University’s College Republicans Chapter held a 2024 Republican Primary Candidate Forum on Tuesday, Jan. 30. Candidates from all over the state attended to speak about some of the top political issues in North Carolina and the U.S. Those running for Governor, Lieutenant Governor and House District 62 attended. HPU students interested in politics were given the opportunity to meet and connect with the candidates. The event was open to all students as well as the public.

 

Mary Sosebee, president of HPUCR, opened the night with a few words. “We were told by many that an event of this size would be a daunting task. But as young republicans making our way into politics, we saw a dire need to bring an awareness of politics to our campus and to our students. We were not shied away by the challenge. But we wouldn’t be here tonight if it weren't for the candidates, who not only showed an eagerness to participate with young voters but have displayed their faith in the next generation of republican leaders." 

 

Lorisa Klinger, treasurer for HPUCR, led the crowd in prayer. This was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.    

 

“There are too many young conservatives in this nation who find themselves too afraid to speak out about their political beliefs with confidence, stemming from the fear of being shut down or silenced. But tonight I hope that young republicans who are skeptical about getting involved in politics, can feel the encouragement and positive support that I have felt throughout the planning of this event,” said Sosebee.   

 

Rules were given to candidates beforehand as well as a briefing of the questions that were going to be asked. There were four panel groups, with N.C. Governor going first, N.C. House District 62, N.C. Lieutenant Governor and then N.C. 6th Congressional District last. Each candidate was given 45 seconds for an opening statement, 1 minute to answer each question, one opportunity for a 30 second rebuttal at any time of their choosing and another 45 seconds for closing statements. Each panel received 5 questions. Sosebee and Will Scholtes, the vice president of HPUCR, acted as the moderators for each discussion. They asked and timed each question.  

 

Dale Fowell, candidate for N.C. governor, was called to the floor first. They began with asking Fowell’s plan regarding fiscal responsibility and what he plans to do to keep N.C. fiscally responsible while also reducing the tax burden.

 

The next topics included education and transparency of medical costs. The last question was regarding his qualities as a candidate. In closing, Fowell said, “I attack problems, I don't attack people.” He is with the people and for the people. He focuses on humility, humanity and ethics.  

 

After Fowell, all candidates for the N.C. House District 62 were invited to the floor. Opening statements started with Ann Schneider, then Jaxon Barber, Michelle Bardsley, John Blust and last was Britt Moore. Sosebee and Scholtes started with questions about education focusing on Senate Bill 49 (S.B. 49). They followed with questions about public safety, economic development, abortion and election integrity.  

 

The highlight of the question regarding public safety included discussions of bringing back funding for the police and raising the support for first responders. To close with the highly emotional and personal topic of abortion, Schneider and Bardsley said, “Every life is precious." Each candidate agreed with this statement.       

 

Next, the N.C. Lieutenant Governor candidates took the floor. Seth Woodall opened, followed by Rivera Douthit, Jeffery Elmore, Marlenis Hernandez Novoa and Hal Weatherman. The first question was about leadership and what additional duties each candidate would be willing to take on if elected.

 

That question was followed by the topic of education and infrastructure. With the massive population growth, infrastructure has been greatly affected and the candidates were asked what advancements in infrastructure and transportation they feel should be top priority. Economic development was the next topic, followed by the question of how each candidate plans to bring new businesses to N.C. Some pressing issues in the state were discussed as well.  

 

The candidates for the N.C. 6th Congressional District took the floor last. Opening statements started with Jay Wagner, Christain Catselli, and concluded with Dr. Mary Ann Contogiannis. Questions were started with the topic of foreign policy; each candidate discussed building up our military and showing that the U.S. is a strong force. The next questions regarded insider trading within congress, student loan forgiveness, term limits for congress and if age should be taken into consideration when voting. The final question was on the topic of border security.  

 

With these candidate’s closing statements, there was the only rebuttal of the evening. Wagner emphasized that this is his home; he is from the district and voting for someone outside of the district would be unwise. Contogiannis asked for a rebuttal against Wagner and proceeded to prove that she did not jump into the race from out of the district. Even though she was not born in the district, she has been in the district since she was 2-years-old.          

 

The closing statements from the N.C. 6th Congressional District concluded the forum.  

 

For the final remarks, Scholtes said, “This is my second year with the organization and I am very proud of the tremendous growth that our chapter has shown by putting on an event of this magnitude. I’d like to start off by thanking all of the candidates that participated in tonight's event. We wish you all the best with your campaigns…Thank you for your time and may god bless you all.” 
 

One of Sosebee's goals as President of HPUCR this year was to bring more awareness to their organization. This event showed that HPUCR is succeeding at making an impact.  

 

“One of the reasons I think it's so important to have events like this and make them easily accessible to students, is because there are so many issues that affect us in our young 20s or even as 18 and 19-year-olds, that we may not realize are affecting us now. Then in the next 10 to 20 years, these issues will have a major impact on us, and if we encourage more students to get involved in politics now, we can have an impact on the success of policy and the way the government is run that will help us in the future,” said Sosebee.  

 

After 7-hour work days, researching for the questions, getting in contact with the candidates and an overall year's worth of planning, HPUCR held a top-notch forum that had a great turn out. Students from schools such as Duke University and Belmont Abbey College also attended the event. The candidates were eager to get in front of college students and they showed that they mean it when they say they are running to represent them. The High Point College Republicans Chapter set themselves apart and were successful.