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Elections
Meet the candidates seeking local elected office
Early voting for the March 3 primary has opened in North Carolina, giving residents an opportunity to voice their concerns, hopes, and priorities at the ballot box.
The primary election is the first step in deciding who will appear on the ballot in November. It is not the election that determines who holds office, but it plays a critical role in narrowing the field.
During a primary, voters choose which candidates will represent each political party in the general election. Democrats vote among Democrats, Republicans among Republicans, and unaffiliated voters may choose which party’s primary they want to participate in. This is different from the general election, where all voters choose from the final slate of candidates, regardless of party.
The Republican primary ballot features the following elected positions:
Burke County Board of Commissioners
District Attorney (District 36)
N.C. District Court Judge (District 36, Seat 5)
N.C. Superior Court Judge (District 36, Seat 1)
N.C. Court of Appeals Judge (Seat 1)
N.C. Court of Appeals Judge (Seat 1)
U.S. House of Representatives (District 14)
U.S. Senate
The Democratic primary ballot has a smaller slate of elected positions:
N.C. Court of Appeals Judge (Seat 3)
U.S. House of Representatives (District 14)
U.S. Senate
Today’s edition of The Paper features profiles of candidates seeking local office and appearing on the primary ballot. Each candidate was given the same questionnaire and provided an equal and fair opportunity to respond to questions about their background and specific issues.
Each candidate’s answers are presented here as they were provided to The Paper without editing except in the case of obvious spelling or grammatical errors.
The Paper’s questions are in bold. The candidate responses are in regular type.
Early voting continues through Saturday, Feb. 28. Voting closes at 3 p.m. that day. Primary Election Day is Tuesday, March 3. Sample ballots can be found on the State Board of Elections website, ncsbe.gov/voting/sample-ballot.
The Burke County elections board office is at 2128 S. Sterling St. in Morganton. Call 828-764-9010 for more information.
Burke County Early Voting Locations
Burke County Board of Elections Office
2128 S. Sterling St., Suite 100 in Morganton
Glen Alpine Town Hall
103 Pitts St. in Glen Alpine
Hildebran/East Burke Library
101 Old State Hwy. 10 W-A in Hildebran
Rutherford College Town Hall
980 Malcolm Blvd. in Rutherford College
Burke Senior Center
501 N. Green St. in Morganton
Voting locations are open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, Feb. 28, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Registered voters can cast their ballot for the primary election at any Burke County voting site. Burke residents will be required to vote at their specific precinct during the November General Election.
Questions? Contact the Burke County Board of Elections at 828-764-9010 or visit the Elections office at 2128 S. Sterling St. in Morganton.
Elections
Shawn Freeman - Burke County Commission
Freeman
FOR THE PAPER
Full name: Christopher Shawn Freeman (Shawn)
Age: 54
Education: Bachelor of Science Organizational Leadership Criminal Justice Administration; Graduated Summa Cum Laude, Valedictorian
Current employer and job title: Retired Police Chief; Criminal Justice Instructor (Specialized Firearms and Hazardous Materials); NC Private Protective Services Firearms Instructor
How long have you lived in the district you want to serve?
My whole life, with the exception of working at Bald Head Island and Beech Mountain. I have always maintained my address here in Burke County.
What are your top three priorities you want to address if elected?
I’m running for County Commissioner to bring your voice back to the table. My top priorities are simple: transparency, listening to the people, and spending tax dollars wisely. Our community belongs to you, which means change should be driven by your ideas and for your benefit. I believe in total transparency because you deserve to know where your hard-earned money is going. I will ensure we use our county budget as a tool for progress — guided by your feedback and focused on the best interests of Burke County.
Burke recently fell to a Tier 1 county. What can be done to drive economic growth and bring us back up to a Tier 2 county?
Burke County deserves to be a place where families thrive, not just survive. Currently, state rankings show us falling behind in employment, income, and growth — but we can change that trajectory. My plan is to aggressively recruit businesses that bring skilled, high-paying jobs back to our community. We need to raise the median income so that no one is forced to move away due to financial stress. Let’s build a county where our children can build their futures right here at home.
If elected, what will you do to continue assisting the people of Burke County with recovery from Hurricane Helene?
In the wake of Hurricane Helene, we’ve learned a hard lesson about preparedness. But more importantly, we’ve learned that when the cameras leave, the hardship remains. Many of our neighbors are still struggling, even if you don’t see it on the news. We need a ‘boots-on-the-ground’ approach to leadership. That means getting out of the office, talking to families, and hearing their stories firsthand. By gathering this direct input, we can present a clear, undeniable case to Congress and state officials to ensure Burke County gets every dollar and resource necessary to rebuild.
Elections
Phil Smith — Burke County Commission
Smith
FOR THE PAPER
Full name: Karl Philip Smith (Phil)
Age: 65 years
Education: Graduate of Texas A&M University — B.S.; Gardner-Webb University — M.S.; Appalachian State University — Ed.S
Current employer and job title: (Retired) 30 years Burke County Public Schools, Educator; 30 years U.S. Army and North Carolina National Guard, Chief Warrant Officer
How long have you lived in the district you want to serve?
65 years. I was born here, lived here, raised my family here, and will die here — God willing.
What are your top three priorities you want to address if elected?
My top three priorities are actually all intertwined in some way. In order for our county to succeed and advance, a good commissioner must have more than three priorities and each one must be to improve the economy of Burke County, and I would do that by attracting more industries with good paying jobs here. This is done by providing for (1) a skilled and educated workforce, (2) having good medical services here with hospitals and doctors, (3) a good system of public safety including our Sheriff’s Department, fire departments, and emergency medical services, (4) a good system of parks and recreation including our trails and services to our children, (5) attracting good restaurants and entertainment, (6) better housing and more of it, and (7) transportation through our public transit system and maintenance of our roads. All of these things work together to attract better paying jobs for citizens and to provide a better quality of life.
Burke recently fell to a Tier 1 county. What can be done to drive economic growth and bring us back up to a Tier 2 county?
Here, I would ask you to return to my answer in question No. 1 above. If we concentrate on those areas, advancing from Tier 1 will be no problem. However, an explanation of the Tier Rankings is needed. Each year the North Carolina Department of Commerce is required to place all 100 counties in one of three tier categories: 40 counties in Tier 1, 40 counties in Tier 2, and 20 counties in Tier 3. This year Burke County was placed in Tier 1 due mainly to the devastation from Hurricane Helene. Several other counties in Western North Carolina dropped at least one Tier designation also including Buncombe, Henderson, and Haywood to name a few. In total 18 counties in North Carolina shifted Tier status. The public should know that Burke County’s local economy is strengthening and many indicators show real progress. The Tier calculation simply reflects how Burke compares to the rest of the state during a period in which many counties — especially large, urban counties — experienced historically rapid growth and industrial expansion. Simply put, Tier rankings are based on the unemployment rate, median household income, population growth, and property tax base per capita. We should not be overly concerned about moving to Tier 1. We will be back to Tier 2 soon. No one reading this woke up one morning and thought “Oh gosh, Burke County just moved into Tier 1.” We would not have even known if Raleigh had not informed us. As my favorite writer, Hal Borland, once said, “No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn.”
If elected, what will you do to continue assisting the people of Burke County with recovery from Hurricane Helene?
Again, I must refer you to question 1. Improving our economy is the best prescription for total recovery. However, we must continue to work with FEMA and other federal and state agencies to help in all matters of cleanup and restoration. Our county employees are diligently working to assist families and individuals in all areas of health and human services and in all facets of public safety. The best thing we can do is to continue to improve our emergency services to be better prepared for the next natural disaster that may strike our county. We are currently in the process of improving every aspect of emergency services. We will recover!
Elections
Randy Burns - Burke County Commission
Burns
FOR THE PAPER
Full name: Randy Burns
Age: 60
Education: Burke County Schools, 1984; Associate Degree in Applied Science from Catawba Valley Community College, 1996; undergraduate studies in Engineering Technology at Western Carolina University (ongoing), with continued education and professional training in education leadership, public safety, public administration, and workforce development.
Current employer and job title: Senior Executive Director for Campus Centers at Catawba Valley Community College, overseeing operations, planning, and workforce development initiatives in Catawba and Alexander counties.
How long have you lived in the district you want to serve? I am a lifelong resident of Burke County.
What are your top three priorities you want to address if elected?
My top priorities are fiscal responsibility, public safety, and economic growth. I will continue working to protect taxpayers by keeping Burke County financially strong and operating efficiently. Public safety remains essential, and I am committed to supporting EMS, law enforcement, fire services, and 911 to ensure timely and reliable response. Finally, growing our local economy and tax base is critical. Creating jobs and attracting investment helps ease pressure on property taxes while strengthening long-term stability for our county.
Burke recently fell to a Tier 1 county. What can be done to drive economic growth and bring us back up to a Tier 2 county?
Tier designations are influenced by regional and statewide factors, including natural disasters and economic shifts beyond local control. Our shift was the result of Hurricane Helene. Every western county affected by the hurricane saw an impact on its tier rating. The path forward is continued investment in workforce development, infrastructure, broadband access, and business recruitment. Burke County has made progress through industrial site development and strong partnerships with education and industry. Sustained economic growth — not higher taxes — is the key to improving our standing and strengthening the county’s future.
If elected, what will you do to continue assisting the people of Burke County with recovery from Hurricane Helene?
Recovery is an ongoing process. I will continue advocating for state and federal resources to help families and businesses fully recover, building on the more than $32 million for Burke County residents we have already fought for and received commitments for. Burke County is still working through FEMA and other disaster recovery programs, and I will remain engaged to ensure our citizens receive the assistance they deserve. That includes housing support, infrastructure repair, and funding for mitigation projects that reduce future storm impacts. Our community showed resilience and compassion, and it is the government’s responsibility to follow through.
Elections
Tony Padgett — Burke County Commission
Padgett
MICA BANKS / THE PAPER
Full name: Anthony Richard Padgett
Age: 51
Education: High school diploma — continuing education
Current Employer and Job Title: JIRDC — trainer HCT; Oak Hill Fire and Rescue — firefighter; Grading and Landscaping — owner and operator
How long have you lived in the district you want to serve? 51 years
What are your top three priorities you want to address if elected?
Taxes on fees charged to the citizens.
County outsourcing work that could be done with our own manpower.
No limit on trash at the convenience site.
No charge at the county landfill.
Burke recently fell to a Tier 1 county. What can be done to drive economic growth and bring us back up to a Tier 2 county?
Have more affordable housing.
Work with the state to use the vacant buildings, such as Broughton and the complex (Burke Industrial Park) at Kathy Road.
Fight for higher wages and incentives.
Lower property taxes.
If elected, what will you do to continue assisting the people of Burke County with recovery from Hurricane Helene?
Partner with state and federal agencies for funding.
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