Kent Keirsey, candidate for US House of Representatives District 13 in NC

Name: Kent Keirsey

Political party: Republican

Age as of Nov. 8, 2022: 41

Campaign website: keirseyforcongress.com

Occupation: Business leader and Army Reserve officer

Education: United States Military Academy-West Point, Stanford University JD and MBA

Have you run for elected office before? No.

Please list highlights of your civic involvement: Army infantry officer, earned the Army Ranger Tab, led soldiers in combat in Iraq’s “Triangle of Death.” Awarded Bronze Star Medal. Instructor in the U.S. Army Ranger School and ROTC. Built businesses to solve some of the nation’s top issues. Created jobs for hundreds of Americans.

What is your plan for limiting the effects of inflation?

We got here because President Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi spent trillions and paid people not to work. They want to raise our taxes and spend more. To fix inflation we need to stop the spending, lower taxes and open up the economy. I’ll fight to make the Trump tax cuts permanent and balance the budget.

What is the federal government’s role in controlling or ending the COVID-19 pandemic?

Politicians running our government were too quick to restrict our freedoms, and too slow to return those freedoms when it was clear they should. The federal government should immediately remove any remaining restrictions or regulations that impede businesses, families or individual liberty.

What is the federal government’s role in combating the effects of climate change?

Our adversaries, like Communist China, face no repercussions for the massive amounts of pollution they produce, while we over-regulate at home. We must empower our energy industry, reestablish energy independence and pursue an all-of-the-above strategy towards energy production.

What is your plan for reducing violent crime?

We should fully fund the police and keep violent criminals locked up and off the street. Since the rise of the Defund the Police movement, we’ve seen a rapid spike in crime across the country. Once we arrest violent criminals we need to keep them in jail where they belong.

What should happen if Roe v. Wade is overturned?

I believe all life is worth protecting. As the proud father of two young children and a combat veteran who has led troops into battle, I understand how truly precious life is. In Congress, I’ll always fight to protect life at all stages from the unborn to the elderly.

Is there an area where you disagree with your party? Why?

Career politicians in both parties have failed to address America’s spending problem, and too often forget who they serve. This is why I am calling for term limits. My goal in life is to never become a career politician, I treat this as a tour of duty.

What are your top issues? Pick up to three.

▪ Immigration

▪ Economy and jobs

▪ Crime and safety

Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan

The News & Observer

919-829-4877

Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan is the Capitol Bureau Chief for The News & Observer, leading coverage of the legislative and executive branches in North Carolina with a focus on the governor, General Assembly leadership and state budget. She has received the McClatchy President’s Award, N.C. Open Government Coalition Sunshine Award and several North Carolina Press Association awards, including for politics and investigative reporting.