Laura Wiley Endorses Jon Hardister for NC House

Former NC House Rep. has offered a public endorsement of our campaign. It is an honor to receive her endorsement. Mrs. Wiley was kind enough to release the following statement:

You may have seen Jon Hardister, candidate for House District 59, knocking on your front door. After all, he has personally visited over 3,000 of citizens homes to talk with them about his solutions for our most pressing needs in Guilford County and North Carolina. An advocate for less government regulation, lower tax burdens for citizens and businesses, and a proven determination to listen to the voice of the electorate makes him the best candidate for the tasks ahead of him in the General Assembly. As a former Representative, I know what it takes to make a real difference in Raleigh - good solutions and a work ethic to make it happen. Vote Jon Hardister for a strong voice in Raleigh.

Laura Wiley

Former NC House District 61 Representative

Mike Winstead Endorses Jon Hardister for NC House

Guilford County Commissioner Mike Winstead has publicly endorsed our campaign for NC House. It is an honor to receive this endorsement, and I appreciate Mike's support. 

Winstead, a Republican, is currently serving his second term on the Guilford County Board of Commissioners. He offered the following letter as an endorsement of our campaign:

To the Voters of NC House District 59,

I would like to publicly express my support for Jon Hardister, candidate for NC House District 59. Jon is a sincere, hard-working individual who truly wants to make a difference in our state government. He understands the issue that are facing our citizens, and he has the right temperament for the job.

With a background of working in a small business, Jon has a unique perspective of the problems we are facing. he understands that we must rely on the private sector, not the government, to get our economy back on sound footing. He will advocate for less government, and he will bring a responsible approach to how our tax dollars are spent.

When I first met Jon, I was impressed with his passion to get involved with public service. It was clear that he has sincere concerns about our future. I am confident that he will work hard and dedicate himself to addressing the concerns of our citizens.

Furthermore, I hope that you will join me in voting for Jon Hardister in the Primary Election on May 8. There is no question in my mind that he is the right person for this job. I look forward to voting for him, and I would be proud to have him as my representative.

Mike Winstead, Jr.

Greensboro, NC

Letter to the Editor (4/19/2012)

The following is a letter to the Editor that appeared in the Thursday, April 19 edition of the Rhino Times:

Voting for Hardister 

 Twenty-five years ago, my backyard neighbor, who was always complaining about local government, told me he had not registered to vote because he didn't want to serve jury duty. It made me realize that if you don't get involved, you deserve what you get.

 Jump ahead to today and a knock on my front door. When I go to open it, standing there is a young man who introduces himself to me by saying, "I'm Jon Hardister, and I'm running for the North Carolina House." He tells me he was raised in Greensboro, attended high school here and graduated with a degree in political science.

 Notice he still hasn't told me if he was running as a Republican or a Democrat. He does tell me his leadership skills didn't evolve overnight, but came from hard work in the private sector.

 He tells me he has a vision for North Carolina. He wants our state to be business friendly. He wants to control spending, lower taxes. He wants to make government more efficient. He believes education is the key to good jobs in the community. I may be registered Unaffiliated but I will be voting for Jon Hardister.

John Woolsey 
Greensboro

Letter to the Editor (3/27/2012)

Below is a letter to the Editor in support of my campaign for NC House that was published in the Greensboro News & Record. It was written by a gentleman whom I met on the campaign trail. It is a very thoughtful letter, and I appreciate the kind words.

Hardister impresses with ideas and insight

Recently I received a surprise visit from a very nice young man who was walking the streets soliciting support for the upcoming state election. He was surprising in that he is a university graduate and wants to give back to his state by serving in the government. He was a handsome, well-groomed and very well-spoken person. He raised many questions about our local and state government and proposed answers. He also raised other general questions. His goal is to seek election as a North Carolina state representative.

I encouraged him and wished him well and expected to see him reach his goal. I was amazed at his insight into the government and his concept of the issues raised. I believe he would make a valuable asset to the government and urge your support for his election. His name is Jon Hardister, and I believe he has much to add to the state government. I encourage you also to support Jon.

Al Myrick
Greensboro

It's Almost Time to File

Candidate filing for the 2012 election begins this coming Monday (February 13) and runs through the end of the month. I plan on going to the Guilford County Courthouse to file my candidacy on the first day of the filing period. By this time next week, I will be an official candidate on the ballot in Guilford County!

Update from the Campaign Trail

Governor Perdue Steps Aside

As you know, Governor Bev Perdue recently declared that she will not seek a second term. This was a surprise to a lot of people, including myself.

So why is she stepping aside? It's hard to say, but I would speculate that there are a few reasons. Low approval numbers and weak reelection prospects are certainly part of the equation.

So what does all of this mean? Well, it solidifies the fact that Governor Perdue is not doing a good job. If she were doing a good job, she would certainly be running for reelection.

Other than that, not much has changed. Democrats are likely to nominate someone who will continue the flawed policies of the Perdue Administration. This means that Republicans will have to work hard to defeat whoever Democrats nominate to run in Perdue's place.

As far as Democratic gubernatorial candidates are concerned, there are two who have officially entered the race. They are Lieutenant Governor Walter Dalton and NC Rep. Bill Faison.

Other potential Democratic candidates include Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx, Congressman Brad Miller, Congressman Heath Shuler, former Congressman Bob Etheridge, and former State Treasurer Richard Moore. Erskine Bowles has also been mentioned as a potential candidate.

Pat McCrory Set to Officially Join NC Governor's Race

Republican Pat McCrory, the former Mayor of Charlotte, is going to officially enter the race for governor on Tuesday, January 31. He is likely to be the only well-known Republican in the race and he needs our support. He'll make an excellent governor and we need to work hard to help him get elected.

President John Tyler and his Grandchildren

It was recently brought to my attention that John Tyler, the 10th President of the United States, has grandchildren who are still living. This is an incredible story and I found it to be fascinating.

President Tyler, who was born in 1790, served as President of the United States from 1841 to 1845. While in his 60s, Tyler fathered a son by a wife who was 30 years his junior.

Their son, Lyon Tyler, was born in 1853 (before America fought the Civil War) and died in 1935. But in the 1920s, while he was in his 70s, Lyon father two sons by a wife who was more than 30 years his junior.

Lyon Tyler's two sons, Lyon Tyler Junior and Harrison Tyler are still living today. They are both in their 80s and they are the legitimate grandchildren of President John Tyler.

No Tax Increase

Last week Governor Bev Perdue proposed raising the state portion of our sales tax from 4.75 percent to 5.5 percent. This is clearly a bad idea because we do not need to be raising taxes in the middle of a weak economy.

Instead of rasing taxes on our citizens, we need to be focused on spending taxpayer dollars more wisely. We should also focus on making government smaller and more efficient.

In addition to being more frugal with taxpayer dollars, we should also work to lower taxes and to simplify the tax code. Doing this will create a better business environment, which will lead to job creation and more opportunity for our citizens.

Protecting taxpayer dollars will be one of my top priorities as a member of the NC House. I will oppose wasteful spending and apply a cost-benefit analysis to every decision. I will also work to lower tax rates so our citizens can keep more of their hard-earned money.

"Collecting more taxes than is absolutely necessary is legalized robbery."
- President Calvin Coolidge