THE TRIAD. BILL O’NEIL JOINS US NOW WITH THE STORY. MORE THAN HALF OF THE 11 CANDIDATES IN THIS RACE COME FROM OUR AREA. IT IS A DIVERSE GROUP OF REPUBLICANS OFFERING VOTERS A WIDE CHOICE TO CHOOSE FROM. FOUR OF THE 11 CANDIDATES IN THE GOP PRIMARY FOR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR GRANTED A SIT DOWN INTERVIEWS. SAM PAGE IS THE SHERIFF OF ROCKINGHAM COUNTY. I THINK YOU CAN MAKE THE POSITION OF LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR WHAT YOU WANT IT TO BE SOME PEOPLE MAY NOT THINK IT’S VERY IMPORTANT, SETH WOODALL IS A ROCKINGHAM COUNTY ATTORNEY AND BUSINESSMAN. I THINK THE ABILITY TO USE THAT OFFICE FOR THE PULPIT TO NEGOTIATE WITH LEGISLATURES AND TO GET OUT THERE AND BE HEARD ON THESE ISSUES AND GET BEHIND THE CITIZENS OF THE STATE. JEFFREY ELMORE IS A SCHOOL TEACHER AND STATE LAWMAKER. I THINK SOME OF THE OTHER FOLKS THINK THAT THE POSITION IS A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN WHAT IT REALLY IS, AND WITH MY WORK DOWN THERE, I SEE WHAT ROLE THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR CAN PLAY. PETER BOYKIN IS A SECURITY OFFICER AND A POLITICAL ACTIVIST. THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, REAL JOB. JOB IS TO LITERALLY BE A LOUDMOUTH. BUT YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO BE A VOICE OF THE ACTUAL CITIZENS. IT’S NOT SO MUCH YOUR OPINION. I HAVE A LOT OF THEM. WE ASKED THE CANDIDATES ABOUT SCHOOL CHOICE, CASINOS, MARIJUANA AND ABORTION. ALL FOUR CANDIDATES SAY THEY SUPPORT A BAN ON ABORTION, WITH EXCEPTIONS. I WOULD HAVE BEEN SUPPORTIVE OF A SIX WEEK, BUT THE VOTES WERE JUST NOT THERE. AND THE REALITY OF IT IS WITH THAT TYPE POLICY, YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE VOTES. IS THERE A FUTURE FOR SIX WEEKS, DO YOU THINK? I’M NOT SURE. THERE ARE SOME EXCEPTIONS. MEDICAL EMERGENCY OF THE MOTHER OF A POTENTIAL FOR LIFE OR DEATH SITUATION. UH, RAPE? INCEST. I THINK THOSE ARE SOME EXCEPTIONS. BUT IN GENERAL, I’M PRO-LIFE. I THINK WE NEED TO. I, I THERE ARE CERTAIN EXCEPTIONS THAT SHOULD BE ALLOWED FOR MOTHERS HEALTH. THEIR CHILD’S HEALTH. BUT OUTSIDE OF THAT, YOU KNOW, AN ABORTION JUST TO HAVE AN ABORTION. I DON’T BELIEVE IN IF YOU WANT CHILDREN TO BE BORN IN THIS WORLD, WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE THOSE. SO I THINK I HEARD THAT YOU FAVOR BANNING ABORTION WITH EXCEPTIONS. CORRECT. THE CANDIDATE HAS OFFERED DIFFERENT VIEWS ON MARIJUANA, BOTH RECREATIONAL USE AS WELL AS MEDICAL PURPOSES. DO YOU PERSONALLY HAVE A VIEW AS TO WHETHER OR NOT NORTH CAROLINA SHOULD ADOPT MEDICAL MARIJUANA? NO, I DO NOT. YOU DON’T HAVE A VIEW ON THAT OR RECREATIONAL WELL CONTROLLED PHARMACEUTICAL FOR A PURPOSE OF TREATMENT. AND A DIFFERENT FORM. I THINK I COULD GO WITH THAT, BUT BUT AS FAR AS THE SMOKING END OF IT, NO, I THINK THAT JUST LEADS DOWN THE PATH. WE KNOW PEOPLE SMOKE IT, THEY SELL BLUNTS LIKE CRAZY. YOU GOT A COMPANY UP THE STREET HERE IN GREENSBORO THAT SELLS BLUNTS. EVERYBODY KNOWS. WHY ARE WE NOT TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE TAXES AND EVERYTHING? COULD YOU TELL ME WHY? MEDICAL MARIJUANA DOESN’T WORK FOR YOU? I’VE SEEN MY AREA, I BELIEVE, TARGETED FOR OPIOID USE. SO WHEN YOU SEE THAT PROCESS, ARE WE GOING TO YET INTRODUCE ANOTHER DRUG THAT COULD BE TARGETED TOWARDS AN AREA FOR REVENUE PURPOSES? THERE’S ALSO NO CONSENSUS AMONG THE FOUR CANDIDATES ON THE ISSUE OF ADDING MORE CASINOS IN NORTH CAROLINA. THERE ARE A LOT OF DOLLARS, AND I HEARD A LOT OF CONVERSATION ABOUT MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, SOMETHING LIKE THIS. BUT WHAT DOES IT DO TO YOUR COMMUNITY? NORTH CAROLINA’S THE BIBLE BELT, AND WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT GAMBLING AND GAMING, WHERE YOU STAND ON ADDING CASINOS IN NORTH CAROLINA, I’VE GOT A LOT OF CONCERN WITH IT. I’M FROM A VERY RURAL AREA, A HIGH POVERTY AREA, AND IT CONCERN ME. WHERE’S YOUR STAND ON CASINOS? I HAVE NO OPINION ON CASINOS. I’VE NEVER BEEN TO A CASINO, SO I DON’T HAVE ANY OPPOSITION TO CASINOS IN GENERAL. I THINK THAT THEY SHOULD ALLOW CASINOS TO BE LEGAL IN NORTH CAROLINA, BUT THEN IT SHOULD BE UP TO THE LOCAL AREAS TO DECIDE. SO IF ROCKINGHAM COUNTY FOR, SAY, DOESN’T WANT A CASINO, THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE A VOTE. THEY DON’T WANT TO HAVE A CASINO. ALL FOUR REPUBLICANS SAY THEY SUPPORT SCHOOL CHOICE, INCLUDING PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER JEFFREY ELMORE. TELL ME WHY YOU SUPPORT SCHOOL VOUCHERS. SPENDING PUBLIC MONEY ON PRIVATE SCHOOLS. I FEEL LIKE I WANT ACHILD TO BE WHEREVER THEY ARE SUCCESSFUL. MAY THAT BE ON AN ONLINE CHARTER. MAY THAT BE IN A PRIVATE SCHOOL. MAY THAT BE HOME SCHOOL. I TRULY BELIEVE THAT YOU SHOULD HAVE SCHOOL CHOICE. THOSE DOLLARS SHOULD STILL BE SPENT IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL BECAUSE YOU STILL HAVE THOSE STUDENTS IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL. YOU SUPPORT THE IDEA OF SPENDING TAX DOLLARS ON PRIVATE SCHOOLS. I THINK IT’S I’M A PARENT CHOICE GUY, AND I THINK IF THE THE PEOPLE OF THIS STATE VOTE FOR LAWS AND VOTE AND PUT PEOPLE IN PLACE THAT, UH, IT’S THE PARENTS DECISIONS WHERE THAT MONEY SHOULD GO TO, WE SUPPORT PUTTING PUBLIC MONEY, TAX MONEY INTO PRIVATE SCHOOLS. I BELIEVE THE DOLLAR SHOULD FOLLOW THE STUDENT. UH, WE SHOULDN’T BE DEPRIVING PEOPLE OF AN OPPORTUNITY AND CHOICE. I THINK THE CHOICE THAT COMPETITION IS GOOD. ALSO, THERE WERE TWO OTHER CANDIDATES FROM OUR AREA IN THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR’S RACE. FORSYTH COUNTY DA JIM O’NEIL AND FORMER STATE SENATOR DEANNA BALLARD FROM WATAUGA COUNTY. NEITHER OF THEM GAVE US AN