A handful of Gaston candidates attended a forum, find out what they had to say

The Divine Nine fraternities and sororities of Gaston County recently hosted a candidate forum at St. Stephens AME Zion Church in Gastonia to give voters an opportunity to get to know potential future elected officials.

The audience wrote down questions and and handed to event staff. Long-time WSOC-TV reporter Ken Lemon moderated the event.

Candidates in attendance included:

• Brenda Eskridge, running for the Board of Education at large
• Che'z (Shea) Adams, running for the Board of Education Gastonia Township
• Sydnie Hutchinson, running for NC House of Representatives seat 108
• Donnie Loftis, running for NC House of Representatives seat 109
• Pam Morgenstern, running for NC House of Representatives seat 109
• Corey Creech, running for NC Senate District 43
• Jonathan Fletcher, running for Register of Deeds
• Kristin Moyer, running for Register of Deeds

Here’s a rundown of the questions posed, and answers given.

Questions for the Board of Education Candidates

How will you work to increase supplements for Gaston County teachers?

Adams said she is willing to stand and march with teachers in Gaston County and email whoever she needs to email.

Eskridge said she would call or email whoever she needs to speak with to look for solutions. She added that North Carolina is ranked 46th in the country for teacher pay, and Gaston County offers less in teacher supplements than most counties of similar school district size.

What will you do to recruit and keep quality teachers for EC (Exceptional Children) students?

Eskridge said she would work to increase the wage for EC teachers and look for that funding at the state level. She added that looking at districts with successful EC programs and copying their tactics could help.

Adams said as an EC teacher herself, she knows what the daily struggle is like. She said being more loving toward EC teachers and standing with them when they fight for what they need would be the best route. Adams added that EC teachers are going to other counties for better pay, so solving the pay gap between Gaston and other counties could help.

What would you do to make our schools safer?

Adams said Gaston County schools have policies in place to keep students safe, but they are not followed by everyone. She said she would lean into solving that issue and work with the community to fundraise for more security.

Eskridge said her biggest fear while her daughter was attending high school in Gaston County was to receive a text from her about an active shooter situation. Eskridge added that if there is funding for football field turf and sports, the school board should have the same energy for school security.

What is one change you would bring to the Gaston County Board of Education?

Eskridge said she would want to work together with the other board members and be more transparent with the community. She added that communicating with parents on important issues that impact their children would be a focus.

Adams said some schools need more help than others, and she would advocate for spreading resources more equally. She added that every student deserves a building in which they can comfortably learn.

Questions for the State Candidates

What positions will your campaign implement to stimulate job growth?

Morgenstern said she would look at appealing to various different ages and figuring out what types of work and business interest people in the area.

Loftis said North Carolina has been number one on business across the United States for the last three years. He said he would continue to foster the business relationships he has established and move forward with policies that have worked in the last few years.

Hutchinson said Gaston County can continue to grow responsibly, but not at the expense of seniors or low-income families. She said she would like to cut the red tape on corporate growth, work toward a higher minimum wage at the state level, and lean into child tax credits.

Creech said he would like to move away from legislation that gives tax cuts to large businesses at the expense of North Carolina residents.

After Roe V. Wade was overturned, North Carolina officials limited a woman's right to get an abortion and consequently limited access to care in facilities that offer abortions, what are your thoughts on those positions?

Morgenstern said women are coming to North Carolina in search of care from states where that right has been completely eliminated. She believes North Carolina leaders need to make sure the state does not go any more extreme with legislation limiting access to healthcare and should protect women's rights, she said.

Loftis said this is a sensitive subject, but he is glad that the states have the right to choose what is right for them. He said he is pro-life, and there are contraceptives available. Loftis added that he's trying to focus on the foster care system and addressing those needs.

Hutchinson said women are the best people to speak on this issue. Abortion is about healthcare and bodily autonomy, she said. Hutchinson added that Black women are at a higher risk of dying from pregnancy complications than women of other races and removing the right to choose can cost lives, so the state should not take away a woman's right to choose.

Creech said he is pro-choice, and he believes part of the problem is that leaders already in office do not have empathy or the ability to put themselves in the shoes of someone else. "I can't have a baby, so I would definitely want to leave that choice to the women," he said.

Several members of the community, especially Black community members, let it be known that the confederate symbols are racist, how do you feel about confederate symbols on display at government buildings?

Creech said that as a Black man, it is offensive to him. He does not mind having these discussions with other political candidates that feel differently than he does, but it is hard to feel unity with those on the other side of the aisle when they are fighting for offensive symbolism, he said.

Hutchinson said they are a symbol of hate and feel stuck in the past. They should be removed to build more trust within the community, she said.

Loftis said the community should decide what is best for them.

Morgenstern said she believes the monuments should not be in front of public buildings. They should be in a museum, in storage, or sold, she said. "That one there is at our courthouse to be a symbol of justice? No. It's not," she said. "It needs to go."

What changes would you make?

Creech said we need unity and to hold more forums and hear from the people more frequently, not just at election time.

Sydnie said politicians do a lot of talking and not enough listening. She said she would like to build policies off of the needs of the people and invest in public education.

Morgenstern said she would listen to people, get to know the community's needs, and work to uplift people working jobs they love, especially teachers.

Loftis said we need to raise teacher pay and change the foster care and adoption system to make it easier and more affordable to adopt in North Carolina.

Questions for the Register of Deeds Candidate

Gaston County is growing, which means an increase in important courthouse documents as new families lay down roots. How will you work with that growth?

Fletcher, who has worked in the Register of Deeds office for many years, said he is already seeing that growth. He said more staff won’t cut it without the funding to cover those additional staff members. Fletcher said he would focus on the relationships he has established with Gaston County leaders to get the funding to handle the increase.

Moyer said she has spoken with the Register of Deeds in many other counties and knows how important relationships are in the position. She said she would also work with Gaston County leaders to address those needs.

What changes would you make in the Register of Deeds Office?

Fletcher said there is always room for improvement and change, but the office has had great leadership under current Register of Deeds Susan S. Lockridge.

Moyer said she has drafted thousands of legal documents in her career and would bring refreshed experience to the office.

How would you work to prevent breaches in cybersecurity that could compromise the personal property and information of Gaston County residents?

Fletcher said Gaston County’s property check program online is a great resource for property owners to keep tabs on their property information for peace of mind. He added that the office has systems in place for cybersecurity.

Moyer said that as a long-time attorney, she is familiar with the ever-changing general statutes that govern offices like the Register of Deeds, and she will continue to adapt and uphold the highest standards for cybersecurity in the office.

Questions for all candidates

Can you provide an example of a difficult decision you made?

Moyer said, in her role she has to make sure at times that people follow regulations, and when they are not following regulation, she sometimes has to make the difficult decision to shut them down, which she knows will affect families. It is never an easy decision, she added.

Fletcher said that every day the deeds office must make difficult decisions about people's important documents. There are times when someone might not have all the information they need to get a back-up identification document and they need it in a pinch, but the office has to weigh the situations very carefully to prevent fraud.

Morgenstern said in her work with the homeless, they often need medical treatment, both physical and mental. She finds that sometimes she has to make the hard decision to let it go when they cannot be encouraged right away.

Loftis said last year, he had to vote regarding how the state of North Carolina would proceed after Roe V. Wade was overturned. Loftis is strictly pro-life, and said he does not think women should be able to get an abortion at any stage. After talking with his pastor, he decided not to vote at all, but changed his mind in case his one vote could be the difference between a more restrictive or less restrictive law.

Sydnie said that as a paralegal she makes difficult decisions everyday while delivering hard news to people who lost their livelihood due to state legislation that doesn't protect workers.

Creech said the difficult decision for him was whether he should address the comments Loftis just made, but he consulted God, and God said that decision should be left up to women. Creech added that in his former career in Information Technology, he took a stand for a group of people and ended up losing out on a promotion.

Eskridge said that as a healthcare provider, she sometimes has to make the difficult decision to dismiss patients. While no provider ever wants to walk away from someone in need, there are situations where the patient might pose a safety risk or other issues to the providers, and they have to part ways, she said.

Adams said during her 14-year career as a social worker, she once had to make the difficult decision to move a certain case to the top of the pile in order to prevent a child from following through on school shooting plans he had drawn up. Cases are typically worked in the order in which they were received, but Adams could not wait on the case, she said.

This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: A handful of Gaston candidates attended a forum, find out what they had to say