Politics

Baldwin touts conservative credentials in Senate race

Lisa Carpenter Baldwin is seeking the Republican nomination for the 48th state Senate District.

By Bill Moss, Published: January 6, 2016

Lisa Carpenter Baldwin traces her political inspiration to her fifth great-grandfather from the 18th century.

Christian Carpenter was a signer of the Tryon Resolves, an expression by North Carolina colonists against the British crown a year before the founders drafted the Declaration of Independence.
“In fiery language, this document expressed dissatisfaction with acts committed by the British government at the battles of Lexington and Bunker Hill in Massachusetts, referring to ‘the unprecedented, barbarous and bloody actions committed by the British Troops,’” she says.
She has fought her own battles against long odds. As a conservative Republican, she won a seat on the Buncombe County School Board. And though she lost re-election, she says that experience gave her a solid foundation from which to seek the Republican nomination for the 48th Senate District, a seat held by Sen. Tom Apodaca, who is retiring. The district covers southern Buncombe County and all of Transylvania and Henderson counties.
“More than 50 percent of the state budget is spent on education which makes my school board experience invaluable,” Baldwin says. “I support free market education reform efforts and expansion of school choice. State Education Savings Accounts will allow the money to follow the child, increasing competition among public and private schools which will result in improved education outcomes for students.”
In an interview, she blamed her re-election loss in 2014 on a liberal uprising. But she says she was rewarded for her outspoken opposition to Common Core.
“I was one of 20 School Board members that Civitas invited to Raleigh for a Common Core information meeting,” she said. “They brought in all the experts from the entire nation.”
The John Locke Foundation awarded her the 2012 James K. Polk Leadership in Public Service Award.
A North Carolina native, Baldwin, 51, was valedictorian of her class at Bessemer City High School in 1983 and a summa cum laude graduate of UNCG in 1987. After earning a master’s degree in economics from the University of Maryland she worked as an economist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Now she raises her four children, volunteers and writes a column for the Asheville Tribune, a conservative weekly.
“I do live in the Fletcher area,” she says. “I can understand that someone would be concerned” that she’s not from Henderson County. She can tick off many connections she has to Hendersonville through her children. “If you look at my track record on the School Board it didn’t matter if you were in Reynolds district or Erwin or North Buncombe. I always tried to be helpful to everybody represent all the students in Buncombe not just the ones in Reynolds.”
She says the Asheville Tea Party supported her as a School Board member and that she expects to have Tea Party support in the Senate race.

Baldwin emailed answers to questions the Hendersonville Lightning posed on current topics.

What is your opinion of the $2 billion bond referendum that will be on the March 15 primary ballot?
I believe that the $2 billion bond referendum is essentially a “pork barrel” of pet political projects that will saddle the next generation with debt. It is, essentially, a tax increase, contrary to its portrayal by the website, http://connect.nc.gov/. If university facilities, parks, the zoo and agricultural research are a priority, then these projects should be in the budget. I have two children at NC State University and I see empty classrooms and underutilized buildings on campus. With today’s technology, on-line classes and distance learning, brick and mortar is less important than ensuring we have qualified master teachers.

Baldwin is among a small group of Republicans who have formed a group opposing the $2 billion bond issue, which has the back of Republican Gov. Pat McCrory and most leaders of the Legislature, which is controlled by Republicans.

How do you feel about the Ecusta Trail?
“The proposed Ecusta Trail would make use of a former railroad bed; however, the possible $3.7 million price tag just to purchase from Norfolk Southern puts it out of reach. I believe valuable taxpayer dollars should fund core services, not greenways. If the Friends of the Ecusta Trail want to pursue donations and grants, then they should. A volunteer-led effort would be appropriate. My three sons are all Eagle Scouts and have organized multiple volunteer-led efforts that benefit the community. Western North Carolina is blessed with multiple hiking trails; I would question the amount of the ‘economic benefit’ of adding the rail-trail.”

As a Buncombe resident, how would you effectively serve Henderson and Transylvania counties?
“I have a proven track record of responding to constituent concerns within 24 hours while on the Buncombe school board. In Buncombe, school board members are elected countywide; I always responded to parent needs regardless of what school district they lived in. Likewise, I will work to actively poll citizens on their concerns in all three counties, as well as attending civic and county commission meetings. I also spend time and money in Henderson and Transylvania Counties’ retail stores. In high school, my daughter was a Pardee Hospital volunteer. My youngest son will be working with the Mountain Horticultural Research Center this summer on his senior project. My two oldest sons spent time at the Pisgah Astronomical Research Center in Rosman, building their own telescopes and then participating in one year research projects with PARI. My husband’s hobby and talent is bagpiping and he has played at events in all three counties.”

Click here for the full news release from Baldwin on her campaign.