Robert (Spider) Thompson

Questionnaire from The Chamber of Catawba County

Please tell us a little about yourself and what prompted you to run for office.

I have lived in western Iredell County since 1985. I am a retired public school teacher (36 years), coach, and athletic administrator who has spent my life serving North Carolina’s students and families. I am currently back in the classroom as a behavioral interventionist for Iredell County Schools and am an Assistant Football Coach for Mooresville High School.

I’ve been married to my wife, Rhonda, for 40 years. I’m a proud father to Jared and my daughter-in-law, Amanda, and “Popie” to my wonderful grandchildren Sol and Sophia.

For decades, I worked in our schools and on our athletic fields, mentoring young people and partnering with parents. I’ve seen firsthand what happens when we invest in public education, and what happens when we don’t. That experience is why I’m stepping forward to serve in the North Carolina House.

What experiences, skills, or perspectives have best prepared you to serve in this role?

I've spent my life serving North Carolina's students and families. For 36 years, I taught in our public schools and served as a coach and athletic administrator. Those roles taught me to listen, to work alongside parents and colleagues, and to stretch limited resources to meet real needs. I saw firsthand what happens when we invest in public education, and what happens when we don't: the students who thrive when they have what they need, and the ones who fall behind when they don't, including kids who came to school hungry.

I'm not a career politician. I'm a teacher and a neighbor who believes in putting the people of North Carolina over politics. I will bring the same common sense, hard work, and commitment to others to the NC House that I brought to our classrooms and ball fields.

If elected, what would be your top two priorities?

Fully funding North Carolina's public schools. That means paying our teachers what they deserve and making sure every student has the resources to succeed in school. It also means ensuring no child goes hungry by providing free breakfast and lunch.

Fully funding programs that serve our most vulnerable citizens. About 19,000 North Carolinians with intellectual and developmental disabilities are waiting for home and community-based services, and I will fight to fund more waiver slots to bring that number down. No one on a fixed income should ever go hungry, so I will make sure North Carolina fully funds its share of SNAP and supports programs like Meals on Wheels.

Elected officials often face difficult decisions involving competing priorities, limited resources, and differing perspectives. How would you approach those decisions and work with people who may see an issue differently than you do?

I will strive to listen to the people of my district about decisions that affect them. Most people want the same things: good schools, safe communities, and good jobs. We often disagree on how to get there. I'll respect colleagues on both sides of the aisle, look for common ground, and give credit for good ideas wherever they come from. I won't always agree with everyone, but I'll always explain my reasoning and remember that I represent all of District 89.

North Carolina needs reliable funding to build and maintain roads and other infrastructure as the state grows. What infrastructure investments should the state prioritize, and how should North Carolina fund its long-term transportation needs as fuel-tax revenues become less dependable?

Most of District 89 is growing rapidly, and our infrastructure is lagging behind. NC 16 is the most direct route to Charlotte, and while the widening south of Newton helped, drivers still hit backed-up traffic once they reach Lincoln County and get closer to the city. NC 150 is a daily headache for families in southern Catawba County who drive to Mooresville to work and shop. The widening project is finally underway, but it won't be finished until 2030. I'll fight to keep these projects funded and on schedule, and to make sure our part of the state gets its fair share as the Charlotte region keeps growing.

Infrastructure also means clean water and reliable internet. Most families in our district rely on private wells and septic systems, and as development grows around us, we need to protect our groundwater, make well testing easy and affordable, and help homeowners repair failing systems. Where communities want to connect to municipal water and sewer, the state should help make that possible. And every home in our rural areas deserves high-speed internet.

As cars get more fuel-efficient and more drivers go electric, the gas tax alone can't pay for our roads. Every vehicle, including electric vehicles and heavy trucks, should pay its fair share. The state should keep dedicating part of existing sales tax revenue to transportation and draw down every available federal dollar, so we can fund roads without raising taxes on working families. And NCDOT must be accountable for how it spends the money it already has. Families live within a budget, and so should the state.

Employers continue to face challenges finding and retaining skilled workers. How should the state support K–12 schools, community colleges, career and technical education, and other workforce programs to better prepare North Carolinians for available careers?

Over my years in public education, I have watched students find their way academically, and I have learned that a four-year degree is not the only path to a successful career. A CTE course in high school or a technical community college program has been the bright future for so many students I have known

Preparing North Carolina's workforce should be a shared responsibility. The state's job is to fully fund our public schools and community colleges, so students can explore fields like advanced manufacturing, healthcare, construction, and information technology, and so adults can afford to retrain for new careers. That includes competitive pay for teachers and community college faculty, because we can't prepare students for high-skill careers without experienced instructors in our classrooms and CTE shops.

Employers also have an important role to play. Businesses that need skilled workers can partner with high school CTE programs and community colleges like Catawba Valley and Mitchell by helping provide equipment, supporting instructors, and opening their doors to students. I especially believe in paid apprenticeships, which let young people earn a paycheck while they learn a trade and give employers workers trained to their needs. When schools and businesses each do their part, everyone wins.

Finally, workers need to afford to live near their jobs, which is why housing that keeps pace with job growth matters as much as training does.

As North Carolina grows and energy demand increases, what policies should the state pursue to ensure businesses and residents have access to reliable and affordable energy?

Every family and business deserves electricity at a price they can afford. North Carolina is growing, and working families and seniors on fixed incomes shouldn't pay the bill for growth they didn't create.

The Utilities Commission should hold power companies accountable for every rate increase, and large users like data centers should pay the full cost of the power they need. The state should also support our two local electric cooperatives as they upgrade their systems, so rural members aren't left behind.

I will also support weatherization programs that help seniors and families cut their bills, and after Hurricane Helene, we must strengthen our grid against severe weather.

Housing availability and affordability can affect workforce recruitment and economic growth. What role should the state play in expanding housing options, and how should state policy balance financing, regulation, infrastructure needs, and local decision-making?

A home of your own shouldn't be a luxury. Median home prices in our area now run from about $315,000 in Catawba County to over $400,000 in Iredell. Young families can't afford to buy their first home, and retirees who want to downsize can't find smaller, affordable homes. When people can't find housing that fits their stage of life, employers and communities both suffer.

I believe North Carolina should expand down payment assistance for first-time buyers, invest in the Housing Trust Fund, and encourage builders to offer more smaller, single-level homes and accessible housing that work for seniors and young families alike. Seniors and people with disabilities on fixed incomes also need property tax relief, instead of what is proposed in the Constitutional Amendments: a blanket cap that would take funding for our schools, first responders, and other local services. The state should expand targeted relief to more seniors and reimburse counties for the cost, so longtime homeowners aren't forced out of the communities they helped build.

On regulation, the state should make sure North Carolina families aren't competing against Wall Street for starter homes. Large investment firms are buying homes with all-cash offers, outbidding local families and turning them into rentals. North Carolina should give families who plan to live in a home a fair first look before corporate buyers can make an offer, and require clear public reporting on who is buying homes in our communities. The state should also support small, hometown builders, not just the big developers who already have Raleigh's ear, and help renters build toward ownership by letting on-time rent payments count toward their credit.

Growth also needs infrastructure. Much of our district relies on wells and septic, so the state should help communities fund the water, sewer, and road improvements new housing requires, instead of leaving local taxpayers to foot the bill.

Finally, local communities know their needs best. Raleigh should provide tools and funding, not one-size-fits-all mandates, and let counties and towns decide how and where to grow.

North Carolina recently established a statewide floor for child care subsidy reimbursement rates. What additional steps, if any, should the state take to improve the availability and affordability of high-quality child care and address its impact on families, providers, employers, and workforce participation?

The new statewide floor for child care subsidy rates is a real step forward, especially for rural providers who have long been paid less than those in larger cities for the same quality of care. But it's a first step, not the finish line.

As a retired teacher, I know that quality care depends on the people providing it. Child care teachers are some of the lowest-paid workers in our state, and providers can't keep good staff when they could earn more at a fast-food restaurant. The state should invest in better pay and benefits for early educators, including help with their own child care costs.

As a teacher, I've seen that a strong foundation helps children academically. I believe four-year-olds in North Carolina should attend free Pre-K in our Public Schools, regardless of their parents' income or where they live. Free Pre-K for all would also relieve working parents of day care costs for a full school year. In the meantime, we need to reduce waitlists so families who qualify for subsidies actually receive them.

Employers benefit when parents can go to work, so they should be part of the solution. The NC Child Care Tri-Share program, in which the state, the employer, and the family each pay a third of the cost, is a great model, but it's still small, with funding to serve only about 300 children statewide. I'll fight to expand it so more working families can benefit. When families have child care they can count on, parents can work, businesses can hire, and children get the start they deserve.