A local business owner declared Saturday his intent to run for U.S. Congress in North Carolina’s 11th District.
Vance Patterson of Morganton will join several Republicans vying for the chance to challenge incumbent Congressman Heath Shuler-D. Patterson was a candidate in the 2010 primary for the 10th District and came in second to Congressman Patrick McHenry-R.
Republicans Ed Krause, Spence Campbell, Dan Eichenbaum, Jeff Hunt and Chris Petrella have also announced their intentions to run against Shuler.
The N.C. General Assembly moved Burke County into the 11th Congressional District during the redistricting process in July. The district stretches from the border of Western North Carolina and ends at Henderson, McDowell Burke, Caldwell counties. Buncombe County, and Asheville, is split between the 10th and 11th districts.
Patterson, who has a bachelor’s degree in economics, is the president of Patterson Fan Company, Patterson Ventilation Company, Iron Brew Coffee and Frenzy.
He is a precinct chair and former first vice-chair of the Burke County Republicans, and he initiated the first Tea Party in the county in 2009.
“The economic crisis is coming at us and it cannot be stopped,” Patterson wrote in a statement to The News Herald.
“What do we do? Begin by laying a firm foundation on which to build jobs,” Patterson wrote. “Without a firm foundation, any effort or progress made will not last, and we will once again waste our resources as we did with the stimulus funds.”
He proposals to build that foundation by establishing fiscal responsibility, steady money growth, reasonable interest rates, free trade among states, fair trade among countries and a revised tax system.
Patterson also commits to working to bring manufacturing jobs to the district.
“Manufacturing is coming back,” Patterson wrote. “It will not be in the form of what left our district due to NAFTA. Rather these will be smaller enterprises paying better wages and requiring the skills, many of which are already present in our communities.”
He outlines a three-step jobs plan beginning with laying the foundation to build jobs, creating and coordinating a plan for the industries, communities and counties want to attract and setting up a commerce department within his staff to work with state and federal commerce departments.
Patterson’s statement said he opposes all forms of abortion, believes global warming is not man-made, is against amnesty for undocumented immigrants, supports the Defense of Marriage Act and believes in term limits.
Patterson suggests splitting Social Security into two parts: a safety net, funded by everyone for everyone, and a retirement fund. Individuals would contribute to their own fund and can choose to let the government or a private entity manage the account.
But, Patterson said there is more than one solution, and he welcomes other answers.
He is opposed to government run health care and proposes using an open market place for purchasing insurance, including across state lines; promoting alternatives to employer based health insurance; subjecting all medical benefits to medical necessity, not want.
Patterson is married to Mary Jo and has four children, Cody, Matt, Megan and Devin. Born in Kansas City, Mo., he has lived in Morganton for the past 17 years.
His hobbies include biking, snow and wake boarding, weight lifting and scuba diving.
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