North Carolina House of Representatives District 69 candidate surveys, 2022

Elections in North Carolina, 2022

---

On the ballot: U.S. Senate • U.S. House • State Senate • State House • Supreme court • Appellate courts • Local ballot measures • School boards • Municipal

This article shows responses from candidates in the 2022 election for North Carolina House of Representatives District 69 who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey.

• Click here to see candidates and election results.
• Click here to see Candidate Connection survey responses.

Candidates and election results

General election

General election for North Carolina House of Representatives District 69

Incumbent Dean Arp defeated Leigh Coulter in the general election for North Carolina House of Representatives District 69 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Dean Arp (R)	66.6	22,418
		Leigh Coulter (D)	33.4	11,249

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 33,667
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses

Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Survey responses from candidates in this race

Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Expand all | Collapse all

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Leigh Coulter (D)

Gun Safety. In light of the ever expanding gun violence crisis, I am fully supportive of common sense gun safety measures. I believe that with great power comes great responsibility. I support measures that require gun licensure, permitting, background checks and safe storage. I also support the full measure of proposals known as Red Flag laws. I work with law enforcement and responsible gun owners to stop the terror that has been unleashed on our Country by a tortured interpretation of the 2nd Amendment. No one, anywhere, and certainly NOT children at school, should fear for their lives 24 hours a day.

Health Safety. There are serious disparities in my district around health and wellness. The Covid pandemic has made this all too apparent in too many communities. This is why I support getting politics out of Public Health and why I support Medicaid expansion at the bare minimum. Our businesses need healthy employees and our communities deserve healthy families. North Carolina has the resources to make this a reality for all its residents. It is time to stop categorizing folks on the basis of who deserves to be healthy and who does not. Secondly, reproductive health care IS health care. All North Carolina residents should have the freedom and the privacy to make their own health care decisions without the interference of any State entity.

Climate Safety. https://files.nc.gov/ncdeq/climate-change/clean-energy-plan/Exec-Summary-NC-Clean-Energy-Plan-OCT-2019-.pdf

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Leigh Coulter (D)

I am most passionate about policy areas that affect the quality of life for all of us in North Carolina. Therefore, I pay most of my attention to measures that effect the three primary areas I have listed above. Of course, strong, well funded, well respected public education supports all of these. I will advocate for the full funding of Leandro as a baseline for our public schools. North Carolina has in the past been known as the education state. We can achieve this honor again.

I am committed to policies that couple economic development and clean energy. I want to see many more resources sent to the very poorest areas of my district, region and state. We all do better when we ALL do better.

I am also committed to efforts that expand diversity, equity and inclusion. We all need to build the listening and relationship skills that are required by the multicultural democracy we are creating. My district and our state is home to many diverse communities. My goal is to enable all of them to be prosperous and thriving.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Leigh Coulter (D)

I look up to and have great respect for all of the early suffragists who fought so diligently for full citizenship for women. Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, Alice Paul and so many others. I also have deep, deep respect for the work of Francis Perkins whose work underpins ALL of modern society.

I am also deeply inspired by all of the early labor leaders like Dolores Huerta and folks on the front lines of diversity inclusion like Pauli Murray.

I appreciate the example of Paul Wellstone and his ability to bring the voice of the public into the halls of power where the voice of business reigns.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Leigh Coulter (D)

Yes, You Are More Powerful Than You Think by Eric Liu Also, The Case for the Nation by Jill Lepore

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Leigh Coulter (D)

Humility. Honesty and Integrity.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Leigh Coulter (D)

To listen for understanding as Steven Covey taught us.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

Leigh Coulter (D)

The first historical event I experienced was the assassination of John F. Kennedy. My family were big fans of televised parades and we never missed one. I was six years old and sitting under my mother's ironing board for the mist of lavender that would drift down to me.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Leigh Coulter (D)

My very first job was at Sears and Roebuck at the local mall in Virginia. I started at 15 and worked there until I graduated high school. I worked at the cosmetics counter where I had the opportunity to meet people from all walks of life.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

Leigh Coulter (D)

The governor and all the members of the state legislators should be adults who, at minimum, do not wish to actively harm any, ANY of our state's residents. The ideal relationship would be one of thoughtful, critical and on-going dialog and debate. Every single member should bring their own capacity for critical judgement to the table and use it. Every single member of the legislature should have a measure of emotional intelligence and the capacity for compassion. These have been sorely over the last decade or so and it has twisted, and strained what would normally be a must less contentious relationship.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Leigh Coulter (D)

North Carolina's greatest challenge over the next decade is to rid itself of the extremists in the GA who do not represent the VAST majority of the residents. In tandem, we must address the climate crisis and immediately begin to transition to clean energy sources. We must implement resiliency strategies across every single sector of our economy. From agriculture, manufacturing, tourism and everything in between. North Carolina is a wealthy state with the talent pool to secure a bright future for everyone.

What are the benefits and drawbacks of a unicameral state legislature, in your opinion?

Leigh Coulter (D)

I am not knowledgeable about this topic. I would need to read and think about this a good bit.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

Leigh Coulter (D)

Not necessarily. Anyone who has had experience with decision making by a group process will have developed the emotional toughness necessary to engage in government decision making. This experience could include your child's PTA, the neighborhood HOA, an appointed position on a local town advisory board, the school improvement team, for example. Also, any woman who has run a household, kept a job, raised children and been a care taker for senior parents is vastly qualified by experience to be a member of the General Assembly.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Leigh Coulter (D)

Of course. No good conversation comes from hiding yourself in a metaphorical broom closet. Democracy works best when more of us participate AND democracy is built with language. We must put ourselves in relationship with other legislators in order to have productive conversation.

What process do you favor for redistricting?

Leigh Coulter (D)

I favor the process of an independent redistricting committee. We have proved beyond doubt that partisans can NOT do it.

If you are not a current legislator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

Leigh Coulter (D)

The environmental committee, the education committee and the budget committee.

Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Leigh Coulter (D)

Gosh. There are so many. Barbara Jordan comes to mind. Shirley Chisholm and Paul Wellstone for starters.

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

Leigh Coulter (D)

No.

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

Leigh Coulter (D)

Yes. I was in attendance a few years ago for the swearing in ceremony for a new cohort of NAVY recruits. I was standing behind a young man when the commanding office who was presiding made his way around the room shaking hands.

Speaking to this young person, I heard the CO ask why he had enlisted in the NAVY.

"To hold myself to a higher standard" was the reply.

This young man is my son. I try every day to live up to that "higher standard."

Should the legislature oversee or grant the use of emergency powers?

Leigh Coulter (D)

I have to read and think about this, as well. before I am able to comment.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Leigh Coulter (D)

Of course. Backing out of the driveway requires compromise. Our expectations for policy making should be no different. In a healthy democracy, compromise is the currency of operation.

See also

More about these elections:

• North Carolina House of Representatives elections, 2022

Select a district below to read responses from candidates in those races:

District 1District 2District 3District 4District 5District 6District 7District 8District 9District 10District 11District 12District 13District 14District 15District 16District 17District 18District 19District 20District 21District 22District 23District 24District 25District 26District 27District 28District 29District 30District 31District 32District 33District 34District 35District 36District 37District 38District 39District 40District 41District 42District 43District 44District 45District 46District 47District 48District 49District 50District 51District 52District 53District 54District 55District 56District 57District 58District 59District 60District 61District 62District 63District 64District 65District 66District 67District 68District 69District 70District 71District 72District 73District 74District 75District 76District 77District 78District 79District 80District 81District 82District 83District 84District 85District 86District 87District 88District 89District 90District 91District 92District 93District 94District 95District 96District 97District 98District 99District 100District 101District 102District 103District 104District 105District 106District 107District 108District 109District 110District 111District 112District 113District 114District 115District 116District 117District 118District 119District 120Submit