Steve Girard

Steve Girard earned a high school diploma from West Forsyth High School and a bachelor's degree from the University of Georgia in 1985. His career experience includes working in insurance. He has been affiliated with the American Heart Association, the Richmond Symphony, Safe Harbor Women's Shelter, the Brantley Center at Appalachian State University, and Venezuela Now.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I’m Steve Girard, a North Carolinian from Clemmons, shaped by small-town values of hard work, integrity, and community. I attended West Forsyth High School, NC State, and the University of Georgia, graduating in 1985. My career in insurance took me across the country — Dallas, Richmond, Chicago, Atlanta — where I spent 40 years building a career on risk management, responsibility, and relationships. Those lessons guide my approach to public service: leadership is about serving people, not advancing oneself.

I’m running for Congress because our system is broken. Career politicians and big money dominate, leaving families, seniors, veterans, and small business owners behind. Public service was never meant to be a career; it’s a duty answered with integrity. That’s why I support term limits and refuse all donations — I will owe nothing to lobbyists or special interests, only to the people of NC-5.

I bring practical solutions: expanding telehealth and preserving COVID-era capabilities, protecting Social Security and Medicare, capping insulin and essential generics, empowering parents with education choices, and helping small businesses thrive.

I’m committed to accountable, principled leadership. Every vote I cast will ask: Does this help the people of the 5th District? I’m Steve Girard, a husband, professional, and problem solver — running to bring a new voice, new ideas, and real accountability to Washington.

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?

A New Voice for NC-5

I’m running to bring a new voice and new perspective to Congress. Career politicians and big money dominate Washington, leaving our district behind. I will listen, show up, and serve only the people, not lobbyists or special interests. Every vote will ask: Does this help the 5th District?Term Limits and Accountability

Public service was never meant to be a career. I support term limits to stop career politicians from holding our communities hostage and ensure fresh ideas and leadership. I refuse donations and PAC money, so I answer only to the people of NC-5.Practical Solutions for Families

I focus on results: creating jobs and expanding affordable housing, expanding telehealth and COVID-era capabilities, protecting Social Security and Medicare, capping insulin and essential generics, supporting small businesses, and giving parents control over education. Real solutions, not political games.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

The area of public policy I’m most passionate about is government accountability and political reform. I support term limits, reducing the influence of money in politics, and returning power to citizens instead of career politicians and Washington insiders. This focus guides everything I do, from proposing practical solutions for families to fighting for a government that truly serves the people of NC-5.

Campaign websiteGirard's campaign website stated the following:Jobs, Small Business, and Rural GrowthWe cannot wait for Raleigh or local governments to fix our economy. Here is what I will push immediately:Boost rural manufacturing by shifting reshoring incentives away from only large citiesCut small business regulation. Simplify compliance so businesses do not need lawyers and accountants to start or growRural Reinvestment Tax CreditA dollar-for-dollar federal tax credit for businesses that will:Create jobs in rural countiesOpen storefronts in hollowed-out downtownsRenovate empty commercial buildingsFederal incentives, including:Cash grants and guaranteed low-interest loans for buildersFive-year federal property tax offsets for first-time homebuyers in rural countiesIncentives apply only to full-time residents and primary homesReduce red tape at all levels of government that suppresses the building of starter homes and the licensing of tradesmenRural Infrastructure Acceleration FundDirect project funding—no studies, no delays—to expand broadband, fix dangerous roads, and modernize water projects and bridges. For example, a county with unsafe bridges, limited broadband, or outdated water systems could apply once, and funding would flow within 60 days. Projects are chosen based on immediate need, not state averages.Cutting Waste, Big Bills, and BureaucracySingle Subject Legislation — one issue per bill200-Page Cap on Regular Legislation — over 200 pages must be split into separate billsReturn to a True Federal Budget Process — Congress must pass twelve separate appropriations bills on timeEliminate Outdated Regulations Annually — every agency must remove outdated or duplicative rules and report publiclyHealth Care That Works in Rural AmericaAllow families to buy insurance across state lines and create federal tax credits to make coverage affordableMake pandemic-era telehealth rules permanent, including Medicare telehealth from home, phone-only visits, and cross-state careFully reimburse rural clinics and expand mobile health services, including mental health and addiction careEliminate hospital transfer barriers so rural ERs can quickly transfer patientsTie federal health funding directly to county-level need, not state averagesCap insulin and essential generic drug prices where competition has collapsedProvide incentives, including student loan forgiveness, to attract doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals to rural areasIncrease authority for physician assistants and nurses to expand accessSocial Security and MedicareProtect Social Security and Medicare — no cutsNo raising the retirement age. We keep our promisesLooking Out for Seniors and the ElderlyTheir income and expenses need to be more predictableCosts should be capped where ableNo more cuts to Medicaid and MedicarePermanent tax relief on Social Security benefitsPush for real property tax relief for senior residents on their primary homeEducation That Works for FamiliesCut federal mandates by 50 percent to reduce paperwork and empower local school boardsReturn the savings back to the local school districtsExpand school choice—public, private, charter, magnet, online, or homeschoolSunset all federal education programs every ten years, so Congress must re-justify their existenceMandatory School Transparency and Parents' Federal Education Bill of Rights — all curriculum, reading lists, spending, and results must be online; parents are guaranteed access to lesson plans, materials, teacher communications, and opt-out choicesUniversal Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) — federal dollars follow the student for public, private, charter, homeschool, tutoring, and vocational trainingVocational and Skilled Trades Expansion Act — massive federal investment in trades, plus employer partnerships and wage subsidiesTeacher Pension and Retirement Protection — federal oversight standards ensure states cannot raid pension systemsSafe, Orderly, Common-Sense Border PolicyMandatory E-Verify for All Employers — penalties for companies, not workersFinish Physical Barriers Where Border Patrol Requests Them — modern fencing, surveillance, and access roadsImmediate Deportation of Fentanyl Traffickers — zero toleranceSecond Amendment and Gun RightsNational Concealed Carry Reciprocity — a North Carolina permit should be valid nationwideEnd Back-Door Gun Registries — ban federal agencies from collecting or storing firearm ownership dataOppose federal red-flag laws that bypass due processProtect semiautomatic firearms from federal bansRestore Due Process Standards for ATF Rulemaking — Congress must approve major regulatory changesStrengthen penalties for gun crimes. Target criminals who use guns illegally—not hunters, collectors, or citizens protecting their familiesVoter ID and Election IntegrityRequire voter ID for all federal electionsIn-person votingMandate same-day results reporting for federal racesAudit federal elections every cycleLife and Abortion PolicySupport limits on late-term abortion with clear exceptions. These decisions should be made at the state levelOppose federal limits on abortionFund access to contraceptionSupport adoption and maternal care — increase support for maternal health in rural areas, prenatal care, adoption tax creditsOppose any federal funds to be used for performing abortionsPolitical Reform and Ending CorruptionBan members of Congress from trading individual stocksBan members from working for lobbyists after servingFavor term limits — three terms for House and one term for Senate— Steve Girard's campaign website (February 9, 2026)Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.