Sunday, June 4, 2023
By Mark Jurkowitz | Outer Banks Voice on May 14, 2022
Two incumbent North Carolina State Senators, Bob Steinburg and Norman Sanderson, are competing in the Republican primary for the reconfigured District 1 State Senate seat that includes Dare County and contains constituents from both of their current districts.
Steinburg, an Edenton resident, is the current District 1 senator, as well as a retired businessman and member of the NRA and Ducks Unlimited. He is serving his second term in the NC Senate. He and his wife Marie have two sons and two grandchildren.
Sanderson, who lives in Minnesott Beach, has a half century of business experience in fields from law enforcement to childcare. Currently the District 2 senator, he has served for a decade in the NC Senate. He and his wife Linda have two children and three grandsons.
In order to help voters better assess their choices, the Voice emailed a set of questions to local candidates that are facing primary contests that will be decided on May 17. The candidates in this race responded and those responses are included below. (Some answers may be edited for length.)
Norman Sanderson: “Common Issues A) Inflation and soaring costs B) Secure borders c) Election integrity and 4) Uncontrolled spending at the federal level.
“District specific Issues A) Smart growth – Growing faster than local infrastructure can accommodate. B) Any situations that affect tourism — Inlets, Beach Re-nourishment, Local governmental services.”
Bob Steinburg: Voters are concerned about the effects of liberal policies on their pocketbook, the liberal assault on Eastern North Carolina values, and the lack of confidence we have in election security thanks to liberal judges. Those judges have thrown out a common-sense voter ID, despite overwhelming support for a constitutional amendment. And nobody has fought more for election integrity…I’m one of two NC Senators and the only candidate in this race who signed the letter requesting a nationwide audit.
“With inflation and COVID-19 restrictions, Eastern NC families are hurting from big government – too much spending, too much regulation. I’ve fought to reopen our economy, to let kids come back to school without masks, and to make sure it never happens again. Gov. Cooper may think he’s king, but the constitution limits his powers, and I am fighting to help our region recover from Roy Cooper’s shutdown.”
Norman Sanderson: “Seniority (Next term will be 6th most senior member in Republican Caucus).
“Chairmanships. Agriculture, Energy and Environment Committee—Farming, Fishing, Environmental Regulations, Beaches, Waterways, Energy Policy.
Judiciary Committee—Law Enforcement, Emergency Services, Courts, Prisons
Appropriations on Agriculture, Natural and Economic Resources—Funding for all parks, tourist attractions, Commerce Dept.
Legislative Ethics Committee.”
“Work Experience — Worked in Law Enforcement, Education, Childcare.”
“Energy Policy – With the warnings coming from experts all across our country about potential electrical blackouts in the coming months, I believe we are trying to move too fast on replacing our current energy grid with alternative energy. We are eliminating nuclear power facilities and stopping natural gas exploration in our nation. We must have reliable and affordable energy sources. Wind and solar have come a long way but are still a long way from being able to meet the demands of our society. I think we have subsidized alternative energy for too long. If it is the energy source for the future, it is time it stands by itself. My opponent is one of the top supporters for alternative energy, especially energy from wind turbines.”
Bob Steinburg: “Liberal activist judges forced two conservative senators into the same district; Norm is a friend, and we will be friends and allies after this race. I’m running because we need a Trump Fighter in the Senate. I was honored to be recognized by my colleagues after the last election with the “Rocky Balboa” award for taking the Democrats best punches and walking away victorious. Here’s why that matters: we conservatives can’t back down when the liberal media attacks conservative Christian values. I will never back down to anyone in the fight for our state’s future. I will take the fight to them – and win the fight.
“In addition, I am the only voice for our region on the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, and our fishing jobs depend on a strong voice. If I lose this election, Governor Cooper will get the opportunity to add a liberal environmentalist to a lifetime appointment on this commission, which would be disastrous to our coastal economy.”
Bob Steinburg: “I’m honored to be endorsed by the Police Benevolent Association for my strong stand with law enforcement in these days of ‘defund the police’ and other terrible ideas. I’ve fought hard for prison reform to make sure our corrections officers receive the pay and resources they need to keep our communities safe, which helped me to earn the State Employees Association of North Carolina endorsement too.”
Norman Sanderson: “Endorsement from Commissioner of Agriculture Steve Troxler.”
Norman Sanderson: “My gifts are teaching and serving others. My joy comes from helping constituents solve their own problems. I am a strong Christian, a fierce conservative and a servant leader. I help lead two prayer caucuses that pray for our government leaders and all elected representatives.
Bob Steinburg: “I’m a Christian, conservative, and lifelong Republican – and I will not apologize or back down in the fight for those values. I’m a fighter, because the liberal “fake news” media and the big-city elites will run all over us if we don’t stand up and fight back. One of four children born to devoutly Christian parents, I learned the value of hard work at an early age from my father, who worked at the local newspaper, and my mother, who worked at a bank.”
SEE ALSO:
Bland, McAvoy and Moreland compete in Republican primary for District 1 Judge
Hege challenges Kidwell in Republican primary for NC House District 79 seat
Pellini and Cruden vie in Republican primary for District Attorney
It’s Burrus vs. Bateman for Dare Commissioner’s seat
Gaskins and Swartz compete in Democratic primary for Third District seat in Congress
Four GOP candidates challenge Murphy in 3rd Congressional District primary
Comments
Go to comments
Commercial Fishermen Supporter
Senator Sanderson is a true Leader for all of us in Raleigh, but especially to our Commercial Fishermen. He has WRITTEN and PASSED many Bills that support our working Watermen.
He supported and assisted in passing the funding of our dredge the Miss Katy that will be arriving soon.
Senator BS is attempting to take credit for Senator Sanderson’s many accomplishments, but the truth is in black and white. The Bills and Votes are a Matter of Public record. I encourage you to look at the General Assembly website to see for yourself.
BS is once again full of BS.
Support Eastern NC/Farming/Fishing/Freedom: Senator Norman Sanderson
OBX Voter
PLEASE pick the candidate without “Trump” in his answers. Maybe we’ll get some civility.
I’m an unaffiliated voter, but reading Steinburg in his own words…my heart goes out to someone filled with so much hate.
“Roy Cooper may think he’s king”, “Liberal activist judges”, “Fake news media”….Is anyone else tired of the nonsense?
Micah Daniels
Entrenched in the commercial fishing industry from birth until now, I am so appreciative of Senator Sanderson and the work he had done for the commercial fishing industry. Sanderson doesn’t offer lip service but has been very active in creating and advancing legislation during his tenure.
Martha R Fletcher
Awful Liberal this and awful Liberal that. That’s what Bob Steinburg is going with as a selling point for choosing him over his opponent? Out of four questions Mr. Steinburg railed on about “Liberals” in 3 of them.
In light of numerous issues with former President Trump, I cannot in good conscious support a candidate who supports Donald J Trumps efforts to circumvent a valid election and stole government records when he left office.
Both men talked about election integrity but in NC history election fraud has been perpetrated by members of the Republican party. How will these candidates address this in their platforms? I also need to be assured that the person who gets my vote will take my interests seriously too, without insults.
Martha R Fletcher
I’m concerned that the catch phrase Critical Race Theory is being used by either candidate on their campaign websites. This is curriculum that is NOT being taught in public schools. It is a curriculum of college level law students. It has never been taught in public school. Students are taught US History as they always have been at an age appropriate level. I am suspect of candidates who try to scare me with issues that do not exist.
Tim
Mr. Steinburg won the “I’m more like Trump than you are” contest. Not good credentials in my book.
sandflea
OBX Voter says:
“Roy Cooper may think he’s king”, “Liberal activist judges”, “Fake news media”….Is anyone else tired of the nonsense?”
I am! Your post is exactly spot on. These MAGA’s have nothing. The only thing they are “for” is endless power, fear, and grievance. They “sympathize” with their base who for the most part are mad at everything and everything is someone else’s fault. They have crappy lives, crappy jobs, crappy wives, crappy husbands, crappy kids, crappy everything; even their pets. Its the brown peoples fault that they have a crappy job. Is someone else’s fault they didn’t pay attention in school. Its someone else’s fault they or their family members are on drugs.
Their list is endless. They focus on what the less fortunate are getting rather than trying to improve their own situation. They have no solutions for anything. Just hate, conspiracy, Q, Q and more Q. Their political “leaders” never answer any substantive questions because they have no serious answers. This Sanderson character is the bottom of the barrel. Did anyone notice he didn’t put anything forth to better anything? Power at all costs. The MAGA’s want an Autocracy; a dictator; a fascist regime. Thats what Russia has.
Take a look at Russia. How’s that working out for them? How have most dictatorships worked out. How did Germany, Italy and Japan fare at the end of WWII? Mussolini was hanged in the town square by meat hooks. Hitler shot himself. How did Libya and Iraq end up. Look at how Venezuela and Brazil are doing. These are all craphole countries. Wake up people. READ. Your cell phone is a super-computer. There is a Google Machine in it. Use it and wake the bleep up.
thomas
What kind of Christian is this Bob Steinburg? He strikes me more like the devil and he should be ashamed of himself for using Christianity as nothing but an advertisement campaign slogan. It is like Trump calling the national guard to open fire on protestors so he can walk across the street from the White House and hold up a Bible for a photo shoot. I don’t care about politics one bit, but this Steinburg fellow strikes me as mean and the polar opposite of anything remotely close to being a devout Christian. He should be ashamed of himself.
Brent
Bob Steinburg is awful. His temperament and judgment is appalling. He doesn’t have a good moral compass. Look forward to having Norm Sanderson representing the Outer Banks.
Alvah H. Ward, Jr.
I encourage both men to get serious about stabilization of Oregon Inlet and plan now for both construction of Jetties and start serious planning for a “Key West” type highway to Hatteras.
Dredging has not and will not work at Oregon Inlet and neither will keeping highway 12 in its current location. There comes a time when concerns for the environment must accommodate
the public need.
anotherobxman
C. None of the above. These two are absolutely worthless as public servants. Neither one of them knows the meaning of the term.
Jeff Walker
Gotta say the increasingly bizarre and unhinged radio ads from both guys the past couple weeks have been entertaining. Wouldn’t hold out much hope though of adequate representation for Dare County in Raleigh from either joker.