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The race for the seat in the 67th District of the North Carolina House of Representatives continued Monday as one of the two candidates on the ballot spoke at a Republican candidate forum at the Stanly County Agri-Civic Center.

Stanly County Commissioner Brandon King, who is running against Cody Huneycutt in the primary, told attendees he ran for local office two years ago “because the voice of the citizens wasn’t being heard.”

He said he was proud of the commission placing a school resource officer at each

public elementary school and that funding for volunteer fire departments is up 84% along with quicker response times.

King said he opposed the state bill on casinos, saying they “are a great way to make the poor poorer, or keep them down. Our society is already full of addiction and poverty.” He said he would not support a proposed casino in Anson County.

When asked about overreach of federal government, using the border in Texas as an example, King said he agreed with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s decision to use the Texas National Guard to “act against the invasion of immigrants.” He said he would stand firmly behind the state’s constitution and North Carolina’s rights under the 10th Amendment which King said “prohibits federal government overreach.”

King said he supported school choice. Parents “should have the most significant voice in the education of their children,” he said.

He added the playing field regarding funding of charter and public schools should be leveled and the government needs to “bridge the gap” between the two so both will be “operating on the same page.”

The candidate in closing stated he supports the heartbeat law regarding abortion “unconditionally,” and that he was “not in the pocket of the elites in Raleigh.”