Editor’s note: The Daily Advance recently sent a series of questions to both Republican 1st District Congressional candidates Laurie Buckhout and Sandy Smith about issues the newspaper believes are important to voters of the First Congressional District, which both candidates hope to represent.
Political newcomer Laurie Buckhout and two-time congressional candidate Sandy Smith are competing for the GOP nomination in the March 5 primary to take on incumbent Democratic Congressman Don Davis in the November general election.
Buckhout, of Edenton, is a retired U.S. Army colonel who served 26 years in the military, which included commanding an 800-person combat battalion during the war in Iraq in 2003 before later serving a stint at the Pentagon.
After leaving the Army in 2010, Buckhout started Corvus Consulting, a consulting and services company specializing in electronic warfare and cyberspace operations, before selling it in 2019.
This is Smith’s third bid for the office. In 2020, after winning the Republican primary in a landslide, Smith was defeated by then incumbent Congressman G.K. Butterfield, who won with 52.4% of the vote to Smith’s 47.6%.
Then in March 2022, Smith, a Nash County business woman, again won the Republican primary, collecting 31.4% of the vote in a field that included six other Republican candidates. But in the November 2022 General Election, she lost to Davis, who is in his first term, 52% to 48%, or by 12,216 votes, in 2022, in the former First District.
The Daily Advance asked both Smith and Buckhout the same series of questions. Only Buckhout responded to the questions. Her answers follow:
TDA: Border security is emerging as a key issue in the 2024 election. What should be the country’s “immigration policy?” Should that policy include the mass deportations of undocumented immigrants? Do you support ending or modifying birthright citizenship?
Buckhout: “Before there can be any discussion about immigration reform, our southern border must be secured. We must secure the border and prevent unknown foreign nationals from entering our country illegally.
“We need to make comprehensive legislation that will reinstate the policies under the (Donald) Trump administration such as the ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy and putting an end to catch and release. We have to be a sovereign nation that has a secure border and we can know exactly who is coming to our country.”
TDA: Are you concerned about “election integrity” in the March 5 primary election in the First District or the November general election if you’re successful in the primary? Why or why not?
Buckhout: “I ran a tech firm. The simple reality is if there’s a computer involved, it can be hacked. My top concern is we are doing everything we can to ensure every legitimate vote is counted and we prevent fake votes. Republican lawmakers in N.C. have made good strides in protecting our ballot integrity but we can always do more.”
TDA: The 1st House District you’re running to represent is mostly rural and contains large numbers of residents who either live in poverty or are low income. The fact you’ll represent more than 20 counties if elected also shows the district’s population is declining as more young people leave to pursue opportunities elsewhere. As an elected member of Congress, what would you do to increase jobs, decrease the number of people living in poverty, and help ensure more young people who live in the district stay to pursue success at home?
Buckhout: “We have to recognize there are multiple pathways to the American Dream and support all those pathways. Four-year college is not for everyone and we need to also focus on programs that encourage apprenticeships and other workforce development.
“And we have to make sure the government is not discouraging entrepreneurs from creating new jobs. A new and better job for an individual in this district helps create new and better opportunities for everyone in our communities.”
TDA: Do you support providing more military aid to Ukraine? If so, why? If not, what do you say to those who claim that halting military aid to Ukraine now will only lead to that country’s submission to its Russian invaders and encourage Russian President Vladimir Putin’s territorial ambitions elsewhere in western Europe?
Buckhout: “I believe that we must ensure that we have accountability for previous funding to Ukraine and that we know exactly what we are sending money to and what for. This would include strict accounting practices that all American businesses should follow. We must be good stewards of taxpayer’s money.
“I am no fan of Vladimir Putin, but we must do what is best for American interests above all else and look through all future decisions about the war under that lens.”
TDA: Should the U.S. government attempt, through shipments of arms or any other method, try to influence how Israel conducts its military offensive in Gaza? Do you have any criticisms of how Israel has conducted this four-month campaign that’s resulted in the deaths of more than 26,000 Palestinians?
Buckhout: “Hamas invaded Israel and brutally raped Israeli women and barbarically mutilated and murdered Israeli men, women, and even children and infants. Israel has a right to defend itself against these animals.”
TDA: Former President Donald Trump has stated that if elected he would replace the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, but thus far hasn’t said what he would replace it with. Do you support replacing the ACA, and what would a new healthcare policy look like? Would it contain protections for preexisting conditions? How do you keep those and still get rid of the ACA?
Buckhout: “I think healthcare should be between you and your doctor. Americans were promised, ‘If you like your healthcare, you can keep it’ but that was a lie. Any sort of reform should have the patient as the top priority.”
TDA: Climate change and its effects on the economy and people’s health and safety will require challenging policy decisions by Congress in the future. What are your thoughts about climate change and what will be your priorities when addressing the issue?
Buckhout: “I think any efforts to address climate change must be realistic. The Biden administration forcing automobile manufacturers to produce electric vehicles that most folks in NC-1 can’t afford or can’t use is not the answer.”
TDA: Would you support a federal ban on abortion? If so, what kind of ban would it be? Would it contain any exceptions and would it be for a specific period after a woman becomes pregnant?
Buckhout: “As the only candidate to be endorsed by the pro-life SBA (Susan B. Anthony) List, I believe every life is precious and would vote to preserve life, including the mother’s. I support consensus limits on late-term abortions, with reasonable exceptions, when scientific evidence proves the baby can feel pain.
“I find it abhorrent that the extreme left would allow abortions to occur at any time for any reason — even including babies born alive. We must also provide enhanced prenatal and postnatal care and other resources to the women and families facing difficult circumstances.”
TDA: Why are you the more electable Republican candidate to win the November general election?
Buckhout: “I’m a conservative fighter who will fight to secure our border. I’ve spent a career fighting for my country. I spent 26 years in the Army helping take the fight to the bad guys and then I started a company to help save American lives by defeating IEDs (improvised explosive devices) before they could kill and maim our service members. Now I want to fight for the working families of NC-1.”
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