Candidate for NC lieutenant governor, Republican Peter Boykin, answers our questions

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Name: Peter Boykin

Political party: Republican

Age as of March 5, 2024: 46

Campaign website: peterboykin.com

Current occupation: Security

Professional experience: Retail manager, restaurant manager, engagement manager, independent sales, lots of customer service.

Education: Master’s degree in IT security, master’s degree in e-commerce and entrepreneurship.

What offices have you run for or held before? Have you had any other notable government or civic involvement? Unsuccessfully ran for state House twice.

What do you think is the biggest issue in North Carolina that you would be able to shape if elected?

Everything boils down to infrastructure, education and jobs: In my position I could engage between We the People and the government that is supposed to be their representation to push for improvements that benefit everyone.

The lieutenant governor serves as Senate president. How involved do you want to be with the General Assembly and legislation?

I would consider this position as job, I intend to be very involved.

What would you do to strengthen public schools?

I think we need to work on emergency contingency plans, and strengthen the communication between schools, parents and the students with better transparency.

What should be done to address staff vacancies in state government?

We need to look for great talent, but also ensure that when we do we reward those staff already in important positions so we do not lose more staff while we back fill.

In what areas, if any, do you believe state government is wasting taxpayer money?

I feel there are always ways to improve processes in our government. We should look for ways to reduce costs and to modernize with the times.

Is there an issue on which you disagree with your party? What is your position on that issue?

I believe that conservative means to conserve, not to create hate against people. I think our party wastes its time calling everything they hate or misunderstand as “woke” and quit calling others in the party “RINOS” (Republicans in Name Only) because we all don’t agree on the same things. I think we should legalize marijuana and gambling and regulate them properly as tax revenue sources.

This story was originally published February 16, 2024 at 8:10 AM.

Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan

The News & Observer

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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.