Richard Hudspeth

Richard Hudspeth earned a bachelor's degree from Duke University and an M.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. His career experience includes working as a family physician and serving as the CEO of Blue Ridge Health.[1]

Richard Hudspeth did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2026 Candidate Connection survey.

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Campaign websiteHudspeth's campaign website stated the following:My Priorities1. FIX HEALTHCARE & CUT COSTS FOR WORKING FAMILIESHealthcare should be affordable, accessible, and local. As a family physician, I’ve seen the cost of inaction – rural hospitals at risk of closing, patients delaying care, and families going into debt for basic treatment.Here’s what I’ll work to achieve:Strengthen Medicare and Medicaid. Expand access to community health centers and ensure every person in WNC can see a doctor without driving two hours.Create a public option. Let non-profits and businesses buy into Medicare at cost – no subsidies needed. When companies see they can get quality coverage without 12-20% annual premium increases, the market will follow. This is how we build toward universal healthcare without disrupting 20% of our economy overnight.Lower prescription drug prices across the board. I’ve written prescriptions patients couldn’t afford to fill. Every life-saving medication should be affordable. If we can demand companies share profits with the government in other industries, we can negotiate fair prices for essential medicines.Maintain adequate funding for our rural hospitals and providers to ensure healthcare access for all rural residents.2. MAKE LIFE MORE AFFORDABLE FOR WORKING FAMILIESThe cost of living is crushing working families. I’ll champion policies that put money back in your pocket:Support fair wages and strengthen unionsInvest in infrastructure that creates good-paying jobs across ALL of WNCExpand access to affordable childcare so parents can workProvide immediate tax credits for small businesses rebuilding after HeleneCreate pathways to permanently affordable housing using recovery investments3. REBUILD WNC (AFTER HELENE)Hurricane Helene destroyed our homes. Washed away our roads and livelihoods. Months later, too many families are still waiting for help. This administration and our current representative have broken the social contract – while other hurricane disasters received 60-75% of total aid relief, we sit at 9%. Rural areas are being left behind again.Here’s my commitment:Secure every dollar promised to us. I’ll work tirelessly in Congress to ensure WNC gets full, fair funding for recovery. This administration and our current representative have broken the social contract – while other hurricane disasters received 60-75% of total aid relief, we sit at 9%. Rural areas are being left behind again.Fix FEMA, don’t destroy it. Republicans said they’d fix FEMA but haven’t delivered because they only have plans to tear things down. We need people committed to the hard work of creating better effectiveness, faster approvals, and simpler applications.Rebuild strategically, not identically. Use recovery investments to jumpstart permanently affordable housing and let entrepreneurs decide what to rebuild through immediate tax credits.Invest in resilience. We need flood prevention infrastructure, sustainable forestry, better land management, and good-paying jobs in renewable energy.Other Priorities I'll ChampionRESTORE CONGRESSIONAL AUTHORITYCongress must reclaim its constitutional role instead of ceding power to the executive branch and special interests.INVEST IN EDUCATIONWe have a generational responsibility: every child has a right to have access to the highest quality education, that is the promise of America for those who come after us, our children and grandchildren.While the States have the fundamental responsibility for funding education, including teacher pay, the Federal government has responsibilities to ensure accountability of the States to provide the highest level of education for each child.The destruction of the Department of Education abdicates its accountability and has immediately and dangerously passed more funding responsibilities to the States which do not have the ability to pivot on a moment’s notice.The Federal government has a responsibility to fund special education for all children in need.The Federal government has a responsibility to set national standards of accountability, supporting innovation and best practices.SERVE OUR VETERANSStrengthen the VA, expand mental health and addiction treatment, and ensure rural veterans get equal access to benefits and care.PROTECT EQUAL JUSTICEDefend equal protection under law, guarantee due process, support judicial independence, and ensure the right to representation.ADDRESS THE NATIONAL DEBTWith debt approaching $40 trillion, we need serious solutions that don’t balance the budget on the backs of working families.TACKLE INCOME INEQUALITYReform tax policy so the wealthy and corporations pay their fair share while working families get relief.— Richard Hudspeth's campaign website (February 13, 2026)Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.