BY MIKE KUBINIEC

In the last election cycle, our district did not get the voice it deserved.

When the previous representative stepped aside late in the filing period, the race changed instantly. As a result, the 2024 Republican primary for House District 95 never occurred. Voters were denied the opportunity to compare candidates, ask hard questions, and choose the direction of our community.

That may not have been anyone’s design. But it was undeniably a missed opportunity — and we cannot afford to repeat it.

This year, I am running because representation should be earned in open debate, not inherited by circumstance. Elections should be decided by the people. You deserve candidates who show up, clearly state their priorities, answer questions directly, and earn support through ideas and accountability.

Wherever I go, I make my goals clear. As your representative, my priorities are to:

♦ Keep North Carolina and Iredell County safe;
♦ Grow our economy while keeping taxes low;
♦ Reform public education funding and increase local control;
♦ Strengthen election integrity laws; and
♦ Faithfully serve the residents and veterans of District 95

Voters deserve clarity. They deserve to know not only who a candidate is, but what that candidate intends to do.

That is why I believe it is fair to ask: What is the record? What are the priorities? What direction will be pursued?

Todd Carver has served our community in law enforcement, and that service is honorable. However, public service in the legislature requires more than a résumé — it requires a clear governing vision and a record that reflects it.

Let ‘s explore his past record to gain some insight into Rep. Carver’s public record and world view, and is he carrying out the will of the people in Iredell County.

As a member and former chairman of the Iredell-Statesville Schools Board of Education, Rep. Carver voted in July 2020 to approve the superintendent’s recommendation to bring in outside Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) training and professional development services — an initiative that has cost taxpayers more than $400,000 since 2020.

In October 2022, while serving as chairman of the school board, he publicly criticized two Republican school board candidates and endorsed their opponents, raising concerns among many voters about party unity and leadership judgment. 

During the pandemic, he consistently supported extended masking and contact-tracing policies that kept students out of classrooms for prolonged periods — decisions many families in our district questioned as data evolved.

Most recently, as our representative in the N.C. House, Rep. Carver was the only Republican to vote against House Bill 636, legislation requiring school districts to adopt policies ensuring that library materials meet standards for age appropriateness and academic suitability. For this, Carver was scolded by NC House Republican Leadership and he had to apologize to Rep. Neal Jackson, who sponsored the bill.

These are not personal attacks. They are matters of public record. And they deserve discussion.

My philosophy of leadership is different.

I am not a rubber stamp. I actively shape outcomes. I am not here to nod and vote — I am here to govern. I am not running to preserve the status quo. I will use my voice strategically to advance the interests of District 95.

Every decision, every vote, and every relationship I build will connect back to measurable results for our district.

I will ask hard questions. I will study the full picture before casting a vote. I am independent-minded and willing to challenge assumptions when the facts require it. I will work collaboratively whenever possible — and stand firmly when necessary — always focused on delivering real results for Iredell County and North Carolina.

District 95 deserves a representative who sets direction, demands accountability, and earns the trust of the people through clarity and action.

Let this be the election where voters finally get the full voice they were denied last time. Your vote should shape this seat — not the calendar, not the timing, and not circumstance.

Thank you for being engaged, informed, and committed to real choice. Our district is strongest when every voter has a voice. I humbly ask for your vote.

Mike Kubiniec is the District 5 representative on the Iredell-Statesville Schools Board of Education. He is a candidate in the March 3 Republican primary for the 95th District seat in the N.C. House.