Sen. David Rouzer seeks re-election to District 12 seat
By Matthew Whittle
Published in News on February 19, 2010 3:04 PM
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Sen. David Rouzer
State Sen. David Rouzer, R-Johnston, has filed for re-election to the District 12 seat representing all of Johnston and part of Wayne counties.
Rouzer, who was elected to his first term in 2008, said he is running again because after spending just a year in the General Assembly, he is certain "we need a new mindset in Raleigh."
"I am hopeful that a majority of conservatives will be elected at the state and federal levels this coming November so that we can make the major changes necessary to get our economy moving again," he said. "The same old mindset of more taxes, more spending and more regulation does nothing but give unelected bureaucrats more power and reduce the standard of living for the rest of us."
In the Senate, he said, Republicans are expected to be competitive in at least 10 races, and only need to win six of those to gain the majority, provided they keep their current seats.
"That unprecedented. Usually we need to win something like six of six," he said.
And, Rouzer said, while he's not taking either the primary or the general election for granted, he does think he's the best person to represent the district.
"If I do the things I need to do and continue to represent the people of Johnston and Wayne counties as I have been, I think that I should be in pretty good shape I hope," he said. "I'm a conservative and I think the vast majority of the folks in Johnston and Wayne counties are conservative, and I'm trying to represent them to the best of my abilities."
During his first term, Rouzer introduced several bills, including one to help prevent identity theft that was passed into law. Several that were not -- ones that would require drug testing for all welfare recipients, provide a $15,000 homebuyer tax credit and create medical malpractice reform -- he believes would be if presented to a Republican majority.
The 38-year-old McGee's Crossroads community resident and former advisor to U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms also said that if re-elected, his primary focus would be improving the state's economy and its budget.
"We must cut taxes across the board for our small businesses and entrepreneurs so that they can afford to keep the employees they have and hire back the employees they have been forced to lay off," he said. "We must reform our state government into a more adaptable and efficient body of agencies so it better meets the needs of the state while operating on less. And we must suspend the onerous and often contradictory maze of regulations that make it so costly to do business and compete in the global economy.
"We need to return our government to the basics and be a better steward of the taxpayers' money. That's my stance and that seems to be the majority sentiment of the folks in my district."