Fayetteville Observer Voter Guide 2022: Meet the candidates for North Carolina Senate 19

Democrat Val Applewhite and Republican Wesley Meredith are vying for the North Carolina Senate District 19 seat currently held by Democratic Sen. Kirk deViere.

Senate District 19 encompasses most of the population and land area of Cumberland County, including the rural areas on the northern, southern and eastern sides, plus Hope Mills and portions of Fayetteville.

Below are the candidates' responses to a Fayetteville Observer questionnaire. Responses have been edited for style and grammar.

Val Applewhite

Name: Val Applewhite

Age: 61

Immediate family: Adult sons, Joseph Applewhite and Damani Applewhite

Occupation: Real estate broker

Elected office held: Three-term Fayetteville City Council 2007-2013

Contact:ValApplewhiteNCSenate.com; facebook.com/ValForNCSenate

What restrictions, if any, would you impose on abortion in North Carolina? If the pregnancy is ectopic, or if the fetus has died and its corpse could cause a deadly infection, or the pregnancy otherwise could severely injure or kill the mother, what language would you put into the statutes to ensure that doctors can terminate the pregnancy and save the mother’s life without fear of being prosecuted? It is unfortunate that women are experiencing full attacks on their sexual and reproductive health in this country. I would oppose any new restrictions on access to abortion in North Carolina. I would also oppose any language that could lead to prosecution of doctors that perform these procedures. The decision to have an abortion is one of the most personal and difficult a woman will ever make; it must be left to the woman, her family and her doctor. Period. Hard stop.

When a bill to legalize medical marijuana goes before the General Assembly next year, would you support or oppose it, and why? I would support it. As a 20-year disabled Air Force veteran I understand the physical and emotional trauma veterans experience resulting from their service to our country. The legalization of medical marijuana has consistently been an issue discussed with veterans across the district. They are asking us to do more than "thank them for their service," they need help with life after they've served. Supporting the legalization of medical marijuana is one way we can do that.

If the Democratic governor and the Republican leaders who want Medicaid expansion are unable to make a deal for it this year, would you support or oppose doing it next year? What should the government do for lower-income workers and others who don’t have health insurance because they can’t afford to buy it on the open market and who are prohibited by federal law from buying it through Obamacare? Medicaid expansion would be the most effective and efficient way to ensure that low-income North Carolinians are able to access quality, affordable healthcare. It's ridiculous that we are one of only a handful of states, that has not yet done so. In addition, Medicaid expansion would free up millions of federal dollars, keeping rural hospitals open and bringing good-paying jobs to the state. In the state senate, I'll be a solid vote with Governor Cooper to bring Medicaid expansion to our state."

Wesley Meredith

Name: Wesley A. Meredith

Age: N/A

Immediate family: N/A

Occupation: Landscaping contractor

Elected office held: Fayetteville City Council and NC state senator

Contact: wesley1meredith@gmail.com

What restrictions, if any, would you impose on abortion in North Carolina? If the pregnancy is ectopic, or if the fetus has died and its corpse could cause a deadly infection, or the pregnancy otherwise could severely injure or kill the mother, what language would you put into the statutes to ensure that doctors can terminate the pregnancy and save the mother’s life without fear of being prosecuted? All life is sacred. I support policies that protect and respect the lives of unborn babies and pregnant mothers. I adamantly oppose late-term and partial-birth abortion and would work to restrict those barbaric practices. I would only support new regulations on abortion that include clear exceptions for rape, incest, protecting the life of the mother, and compassionately caring for fetuses with catastrophic deformities who cannot survive outside the womb or have already died.

When a bill to legalize medical marijuana goes before the General Assembly next year, would you support or oppose it, and why? I cannot say if I would support a yet-to-be-written or filed bill in 2023, but I would support legalization of medical marijuana if there were clear and enforceable regulations and implementation of the policy. Many veterans and other individuals with debilitating, long-term pain — including terminal cancer or other illnesses — have advocated for medical marijuana to treat their symptoms. I sympathize with them and will work to implement a commonsense policy that brings them relief while maintaining strong safeguards, keeping drugs out of the hands of children. I oppose the legalization of recreational marijuana.

If the Democratic governor and the Republican leaders who want Medicaid expansion are unable to make a deal for it this year, would you support or oppose doing it next year? What should the government do for lower-income workers and others who don’t have health insurance because they can’t afford to buy it on the open market and who are prohibited by federal law from buying it through Obamacare? Yes, I support Medicaid expansion, particularly in the context of overall healthcare reform. North Carolina has a provider shortage. If we expand Medicaid to hundreds of thousands of low-income individuals, which I support, we should also expand access to doctors, nurses, other providers, and healthcare facilities. I have supported free market reforms to increase competition and drive down healthcare costs. I continue to support those reforms, as well as Medicaid expansion, which would increase access to care as well as decrease the cost of care for people with private insurance who are currently paying for folks without insurance.