Dennis Justice seeks seat held by retiring State Senator Tom Apodaca

From Dennis Justice

Press release

Dennis Justice, a long-time conservative political activist, has announced he will seek the North Carolina Senate District 48 seat currently held by retiring State Senator Tom Apodaca.

Justice, a 45 year-old widower with children, is currently a welder at Thermo-Fisher in Weaverville. He has a Master’s degree in Sports Management from American Military University, a leading accredited online university. He has been the President of the Henderson County Republican Men’s Club and a Fletcher precinct chairman for the Republican Party.

He has also been the Vice-president of the Asheville Smoke hockey booster club, a volunteer for Western Carolina University basketball legend Henry Logan’s youth basketball leagues and camps, and frequently attends meetings of the Asheville-Buncombe Regional Sports Commission, where he volunteers for events they sponsor. He is also an independently-ordained minister.

“Four years ago, I strongly considered running against Sen. Apodaca as I was strongly opposed to the so-called ‘marriage amendment.’ I strongly regret I did not, I let a lot of friends in the LGBT community down by not running. But everything I warned the Republican Party about this hurtful and unneeded amendment was proven correct as it did nothing to save a single marriage nor delay the eventual legalization of gay marriage. As the amendment is now worthless, there should a referendum this November to repeal it.”

Justice has run for Henderson County Commissioner twice, Board of Education three times, and Mayor of Fletcher once. “If you learn more from failure than from success, I should be God by now,” Justice joked. “But I will not ‘sell out’ my views for votes. Somebody has to stand up to the establishment of both major parties. My campaign is for the independent and Republican working-class voters who have to pay the price for wrong-thinking legacy projects.”

Justice is known for his independent streak. His start with politics was with the group United We Stand America. He worked with a non-partisan campaign in 1997 to defeat a Henderson County school bond referendum, and lobbied against other tax and bond referendums in Henderson County. He actively campaigned against the “marriage amendment,” saying it actually weakened religious liberty and would not stop the Supreme Court from eventually legalizing gay marriage.

“Due to the party’s change of laws moving the primary date to March, as someone who just changed affiliation from unaffiliated back to Republican, I will not be able to officially enter until at least December 9. But I’m definitely in.”

“I’m nobody’s rubber stamp. I will not accept special interest money. The maximum I will accept from anybody is $99. My primary loyalty is to my conscience, what is actually best for the taxpayers of my district and the state in general.”

Among Justice’s campaign views:

Justice will seek an immediate repeal of Article 14, Section 6 of the North Carolina Constitution, the so-called “marriage amendment.” He will seek to repeal government authority to marry couples, as he feels it interferes with religious liberty. “The government’s job in marriage is to record and enforce a contract with adult citizens. That’s it.”

Justice will seek to make it far easier for “non-major” parties and independents to run for public office.

Justice proposes a state constitutional amendment to have ballot initiatives and term limits. He would only serve up to two two-year terms if elected. “Our local party needs entirely new blood.”
Justice opposes the statewide bond referendum. “Our children’s needs are our problem, not theirs.” Justice also will push to make it easier for local governments to raise capital for local projects, but will seek state and local mandates of four-year limits on bonds, a path to eventual debt-free government.

Justice is morally opposed to all “corporate welfare,” believing the best “jobs program” is debt-free government.

Justice is far more inclined to support small business and startups. “Real job creation is from small business. If every small business could hire just one person, we wouldn’t have a jobs problem.”
Justice would support vouchers for schools, but only if every parent got them. If they do not, he opposes vouches. He advocates future local flexibility in school scheduling and supports physical education.

Justice supports dramatic increases in the state’s public online library, and a massive expansion of the college entry program in community colleges and online degrees in universities where practical.
Justice will fight “teacher flight” by seeking a significant increase in teacher pay, while increasing standards in teacher colleges to become teachers, making current teachers more valuable.
Justice opposed the legislative takeover of Asheville’s water system.

Justice supports efforts for Asheville’s proposed new performing arts center. He also will support building a regional disaster shelter at the Western North Carolina Agricultural Center, a concrete dome that should shelter people affected by weather disasters. (It could also potentially be a small sports arena.)

Justice is a strong advocate for legalization of medical cannabis, and thinks residents should have a right to vote locally on recreational legalization. He opposes for-profit prisons on moral principle.
Justice advocates for more mental health hospitals in North Carolina.

Justice would advocate for legalizing horse racing, but with tax revenues going to local governments for recreation. He thinks the lottery should find one primary education use and stick with it. (He would prefer increasing teacher pay.)

“I don’t believe in party loyalty is more important than doing what is right. Party loyalty forces decent people to support leaders with senority pushing indecent laws and legacy projects. The so-called ‘marriage amendment’ is proof of what happens when party loyalty overrides common sense. My loyalty is to my conscience. I will represent the working class Republicans and independents who don’t have a true voice, the next generation of young and young-at-heart conservatives.”

“The entirety of my platform can best be summed up by Romans 13:8 of the Bible: Owe no man anything but to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.”

“You cannot lead free people if you cannot live free yourself.”

For more information, contact Dennis Justice:

Twitter: www.twitter.com/DennisJustice
E-mail: applechess@aol.com