Rockingham County candidates outline education, public-safety and taxes at Madison forum

MADISON, Rockingham County — Candidates for multiple local and state offices fielded questions and outlined priorities at a candidate forum hosted at True God Gospel Baptist Church in Madison.

The forum, moderated by a local organizer, drew Republican and local-office candidates who emphasized three recurring themes: education funding and local workforce development; public-safety staffing and retention; and property-tax relief or revenue-neutral alternatives.

Steve Girard, a Republican running for the U.S. House in the 5th District, framed his federal campaign around “accountability, term limits and money.” Girard pledged, “I will serve no more than 3 terms,” and criticized his opponent’s fundraising, saying her campaign held “over $3,000,000” raised largely from outside the district. He also urged greater participation by faith communities in civic life and said temporary tax measures in recent federal bills risk being used as leverage in future budget fights.

Sam Page, who said he is running for the North Carolina Senate after a long career in local law enforcement, and Seth Woodall, a candidate for the North Carolina House, both identified education and workforce ties as priorities. Woodall urged redirecting existing education funds and partnering with community colleges to better prepare students for local jobs. Page supported school-choice options and called for collaboration between schools, community colleges and businesses to retain graduates in the area.

County-commission candidates — including Greg Zigler, Kevin Southern and Paul C. Wilson — emphasized independence from outside influence and promised to consult local residents before making decisions. The candidates discussed forming roundtables with veterinarians, shelter staff and law enforcement to address animal-cruelty complaints and backyard breeding, and each rejected closed-door decision-making.

On foster care, Kevin Southern said Rockingham County has “about a 160-some” children in care and urged residents to consider fostering while calling for county leaders to work with understaffed social-services teams on structural fixes.

The sheriff’s race included multiple candidates who said recruitment and retention are top challenges. Candidates proposed steps such as making local pay competitive, restoring retirement and medical benefits, step-raise structures for deputies, and improving office culture so deputies are empowered to do their jobs. Several candidates said public safety accounts for a significant share of local budgets and urged commissioners to prioritize staffing to reduce vacancies in patrol and detention.

Kelly Stanfield Carter, running for clerk of superior court, described 29 years of experience in the clerk’s office and said her first priority would be streamlining services and increasing public accessibility under the county’s new computer system.

School-board candidates debated the metrics the board should use to measure success. Dr. Kimberly Thompson Hairston said she supports state standards but seeks more local flexibility, revamping school report cards and protecting classroom positions from cuts that arise when mandates are unfunded. Candidates endorsed transparent, student-focused budgeting and prioritized teacher recruitment and retention alongside career-technical and fine-arts programming.

The forum included a prayer and invocation by Pastor Mark Smith and concluded with reminders to register and vote. The event produced policy pledges and contrasts among candidates but no formal motions or votes.