In Pitt County, North Carolina, incumbent Republican Rep. Tim Reeder is campaigning for a second term in the state House while Democrat Claire Kempner mounts a 2024 rematch. Both candidates say the region’s families need affordable health care, quality schools and good jobs.
Reeder’s legislative record
Reeder, a practicing emergency‑room physician, chairs the NC House Health Committee. This session he helped pass 19 bills that became law, including House Bill 67, which requires surgical smoke‑filtering systems in certain facilities and creates an interstate licensing compact for physicians and physician assistants.
He also sponsored House Bill 696, which added $319 million to fully fund the Medicaid rebase through 2026 after a prolonged stalemate. The bill includes Medicaid work requirements, monthly eligibility checks, and new reporting requirements for fraud, waste and abuse. It also limits telehealth for applied behavior analysis therapy, a common autism treatment.
Reeder secured $15 million for a new patient‑bed tower at East Carolina University Health’s Beaufort Hospital, $109 million to complete the ECU School of Medicine, $4.5 million for the Pitt County‑Greenville Airport Authority, and directed sewer and water funding to local municipalities.
Focus on three pillars
Reeder says a thriving community rests on three pillars: health care, education and jobs. He proposes a state fund to help build health facilities in rural areas, from doctors’ offices to hospitals, recognizing that many rural providers lack capital.
On education, Reeder backs public schools and continues to fund Opportunity Scholarships – state‑provided school‑choice vouchers that let parents use public money for private‑school tuition. He argues that “the money should follow the child” so families can choose the best education for their kids.
He also wants to curb the region’s “brain drain” by aligning community‑college curricula with local workforce needs, encouraging graduates to stay and work in Northeastern North Carolina.
Kempner’s priorities
Democrat Claire Kempner, a mother of three who moved to Pitt County in 2016, centers her campaign on strengthening public schools. She opposes the Opportunity Scholarship program, saying it funnels public money into private schools and that the county’s open‑enrollment policy already provides school choice.
Kempner points to a care closet at her child’s elementary school that asked parents for boys’ underwear, highlighting the need for basic resources. She blames the Republican‑controlled legislature for budget shortfalls that leave schools underfunded.
She also emphasizes affordable health care and reliable utilities, echoing voters’ concerns about rising prices.
Campaign finances
According to recent campaign finance reports, Kempner has raised about $30,000, while Reeder has raised roughly $298,000. Kempner acknowledges the fundraising gap but says her grassroots door‑knocking and community outreach will compensate.
Other races in the region
In nearby Nash County, Republican Rep. Allen Chesser is defending his seat in House District 25 after a narrow 2022 victory. Chesser’s platform focuses on affordability, including a proposal to eliminate the grocery tax and ensure data centers pay their fair share.
Chesser sponsored House Bill 1032, which would have exempted groceries from local sales tax, though the bill did not become law. He also backed legislation expanding the amount disabled veterans can exclude from taxable income.
Both races illustrate the broader contest in Northeastern North Carolina: Republicans emphasizing fiscal responsibility, health‑care access and school‑choice vouchers, while Democrats stress public‑school funding and tighter oversight of state spending.
Original reporting: Carolina Public Press — read the source article.
