2024 is a critical election year for North Carolina. With so many names on the ballot in November, the voters–as well as the candidates–are hoping these choices will lead to change in the state.
While North Carolina Democrats are trying to break the current super majority in our House and Senate, state Republicans are rallying to maintain it. That means electing and in many cases reelecting far-right Republicans to the legislature in order to maintain their power and control.
One of the far-right Republican legislators up for reelection is Rep. Allen Chesser, who has represented the 25th district in the North Carolina House since 2022. While endorsing Chesser, Destin Hall, the House member presumed to become the next Speaker of the House, stated that Chesser’s reelection is “vital in ensuring we are able to keep our super majority in the next election”
Chesser has also been endorsed by two other notable extreme Republicans in North Carolina Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson and U.S. Congressman Dan Bishop. Robinson is the Republican nominee for Governor and is most (in)famously known for his extreme stance on abortion, his anti-LGBTQIA+ rhetoric, and his crude remarks towards women. Bishop, the Republican nominee for Attorney General, is well-known as the chief architect of House Bill 2 which was a piece of anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation that cost North Carolina over $3 billion in lost business.
It is not just party support that has led Chesser to be recognized by figures such as Mark Robinson and Dan Bishop– Chesser agrees and votes in alignment with the GOP’s far-right platform for North Carolina. Chesser has voted in favor of numerous bills put forward by other extreme Republican leaders that have drawn criticism and been at odds with the will of the people he is meant to serve. These bills range from education and abortion access to gun laws and taxes.
Chesser, who describes himself as “100% pro life”, gives this quote “I have been and always will be pro-life. My policies in office would reflect that. I would sponsor, co-sponsor and support any pro-life bill that focuses on protecting the lives of the pre-born.”
True to this statement, Chesser voted in favor of Senate Bill 20, the 12-week abortion ban that is currently state law, as well as in favor of overriding Governor Roy Cooper’s Veto of the bill. Because this law moved North Carolina’s abortion ban from 20 weeks down to 12 weeks, we now have one of the strictest abortion bans in the country. Chesser has said he is proud of the restrictions he’s voted for.
Chesser has also said he’s proud of being a primary sponsor for House Bill 49, a bill put forward last year that would allow individuals to carry handguns into churches that also serve as schools.
Following that, he voted in favor of Senate Bill 41 which repeals pistol purchase permits and allows individuals with a concealed carry license to carry weapons into schools. In addition to his voting record, Chesser is also proud of his endorsement from the National Rifle Association, despite the majority of North Carolinians wanting stricter gun laws.
On the topic of education, Chesser has voted in favor of bills that would restrict what students learn in schools by outlawing certain topics and materials. Chesser voted in favor of House Bill 187, which outlaws Critical Race Theory and Senate Bill 49, which restricts discussion of gender identity and sexuality in school curriculum. Governor Roy Cooper vetoed Senate Bill 49, as advocates, health care professionals, teachers and parents all expressed concerns over how the bill could harm LGBTQIA+ youth as well as the level of censorship the bill would entail. Yet once again, Chesser and the GOP majority in the House overrode the Governor’s veto.
During Chesser’s first term in the NC House, a number of Republican led bills he voted in favor of have brought on national criticism as they aim to take control of people’s lives in a way that contradicts what North Carolinians want.
The same can be said about the company he keeps, as Dan Bishop and Mark Robinson have both garnered national attention over extreme political controversies. Dan Bishop described Chesser as a fighter for “individual freedoms”, but his time in the House tells a different story: one of control.
Chesser is set to face off against Democratic challenger Dr. Lorenza Wilkins in the November general election. Wilkins says his campaign will focus on empowerment, engagement and equity.
