Joe Parfitt

Joe Parfitt served in the U.S. Army from 1999 to 2020. Parfitt earned a high school diploma from Northampton Area High School, a bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland in 2015, and a graduate degree from National Defense University in 2017. His career experience includes working as a teacher.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Joe Parfitt is a veteran, and a public school teacher who can no longer sit idly by as the North Carolina legislature fails to fund its students’ educations, reduces corporate taxes, and denies bodily autonomy to its residents.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

The basic duty of a legislature is to pass a budget. The North Carolina legislature is derelict in its duties and over a year late. Instead of fulfilling its primary role the house has instead been focusing on culture war nonsense while failing its constituents. When I am elected publishing a budget so the taxpayer can see where their money goes is my first priority.The North Carolina Constitution guarantees every child the opportunity to receive a "sound basic education". This right is primarily established through Article I, Section 15 and Article IX, Section 2 of the state constitution, which mandates a uniform system of free public schools that provide equal opportunities for all students.

Yet, in the past year, despite NC teacher pay being the worst in the nation, the Republican legislature has cut over $300 million in favor of private school vouchers. Public money should not be used for private schools and I will make every effort to eliminate these policies and to fund the public schools, which teach ninety percent of our youth, to ensure a sustainable, educated populace.The Republican legislature has put forth the most draconian forced birth measure in the nation, on the ballot as an amendment to the North Carolina constitution in 2026. If passed, it would make certain forms of birth control illegal and enforced by the death penalty. This does not reflect the values of the people of North Carolina, yet my opponent endorsed this amendment before negative national attention caused him to rethink his position. The voters deserve representation that diligently scrutinizes legislation and takes the ramifications to its citizens seriously before putting their name on it.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

When I am elected, I will tirelessly strive to make North Carolina public schools the best in the nation. This will necessitate increasing the compensation for teachers and school service personnel, investing in our community college’s capabilities, and increasing the corporate tax rate to fund it.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Currently my campaign is endorsed by Votevets, Planned Parenthood, and the North Carolina Democratic Party.