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Name: Christopher Partain
District/seat: Senate District 20
Province or provinces represented: Chatham, Durham
Political party: Republican
Age as of November 5, 2024: 50
Campaign website: cpfornc.com
Current occupation: VP Administration
Professional experience: I became a volunteer firefighter in Cabarrus County when I was in high school and transitioned to a career in law enforcement, becoming a sergeant within three years. I entered the transportation industry in 2005 and have served in several roles in the industry, managing multi-million dollar budgets while maintaining cost-effective business practices in the private sector, which I believe translate well to the public sector.
Education: Lee University – Cleveland, Tennessee, two years, did not complete my college education.
Include any notable government or community involvement. Former volunteer firefighter and law enforcement officer in North Carolina.
What would be your top priority if elected?
Education funding for teachers and support staff. If elected, I have committed to introducing legislation to eliminate the state income tax for K-12 public educators and support staff, which would mean an immediate 4.5% increase in take-home pay. This is just the beginning of a process to correct our shortcomings in teacher compensation and make North Carolina a competitive state in education financing without increasing our tax burden on our residents.
What percentage increase should state employees, school staff and teachers receive in the next state budget?
This is not a percentage issue, as I believe our state employee pay scales are not representative of the fields selected by our employees. I strongly support increasing the salaries of both teachers and support staff to better align with our current economic standard and specifically for our education workers, which may require a higher percentage increase compared to other state employees.
What legislation would you support to improve the Triangle’s transportation, housing or infrastructure? Please be specific.
As a resident of the Triangle area, I am acutely aware of the challenges our citizens face in transportation, affordable housing and infrastructure. Specific to legislation to improve these areas, I believe the NC General Assembly should work closely with local governments to assist with improvements at the local level. I also believe we can create a regional council to better address these needs across city and county lines, where the impact on our citizens will have a positive outcome across our region.
Do you think the Legislature should fund approximately $500 million for private school vouchers through the Opportunity Scholarship program? Why or why not?
Yes, with restriction. Today, these funds are not regulated to meet the same educational requirements that we demand from our local public school system. I believe we can have both public and private school options if we level the playing field and require every recipient of taxpayer dollars to meet or even meet the educational standards set by the NC General Assembly, in partnership with our educational leadership exceeds.
Is there an issue on which you disagree with your party? What is your position on this issue?
I am not a partisan politician. I’m running because I love this state and the people I can potentially represent. I am less concerned about a particular bipartisan position and more concerned that we fix the problems in our education system, simplify our government processes, and return our government to the people it serves. We won’t agree on everything, but I choose not to make enemies based on partisan beliefs.
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