A couple weeks back I published the 10 House Districts Most Likely to Switch Parties. Although it was difficult to rank the seats (especially without knowing about candidates, open seats, etc.) one of those districts that made the list was HD-35, currently represented by Republican Chris Malone. The district made the list in part because of speculation earlier this year that Malone might seek higher office, meaning that he would retire from the House.
Well, we can put the kabosh on that rumor. I recently got the chance to sat down with Rep. Malone, who wants to make it clear that he’s running for reelection, not for any statewide office, including Council of State. Furthermore, Malone says he’s ready for a spirited contest. Last year, Malone was easily reelected over his Democratic challenger, businessman Brian Mountcastle. The 56%-44% margin in that contest was a substantial improvement over his initial election in 2012, when he won by just 51%-49%, possibly suggesting that Malone’s incumbency has increased his appeal with voters.
The 35th district encompasses northeastern Wake County, including the towns of Zebulon, Wendell, and Wake Forest. For most of the district, Malone is a familiar name. Prior to his election, he served as Town Councilman for Wake Forest and then as a member of the Wake County Board of Education. This makes him a known quantity for voters, as his name has appeared on the ballot time and time again. The one challenge for Malone is that the district, like most of Wake County, is seeing a large influx of new residents, many of whom aren’t aware of his prior service. (The town of Rolesville, which lies in the district, is the fastest-growing town in North Carolina.)
For Malone, that means constantly having to tend to business back home. A policy-oriented legislator, Malone is working on a number of bills, some of them dealing with local issues but many that are wider in scope. One of the most notable is HB 923, a mental health crisis bed bill, which addresses a serious need in the community. It is currently being negotiated in the budget process.
Malone is of course a member of the House, which doesn’t always see eye-to-eye with their counterparts in the Senate. On some specific pieces of Senate legislation, Malone has a few reservations. He says he isn’t for the sales tax redistribution plan that the Senate has proposed. He’s also on the fence when it comes to a constitutional amendment which some refer to as the Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights, or TABOR, saying that it sounds good in theory but it could prove problematic in execution – on that issue, he’s in a wait-and-see mode and says he will need to study it some more.
Like many of his constituents, Malone originally hails from outside North Carolina, in his case, New Jersey. He currently works as a case manager at G4S Compliance and Investigators. And like most legislators, he laments that serving in the General Assembly is considered a part-time job that demands a nearly full-time commitment. He says this makes it nearly impossible for someone like him to serve in the legislature without also coming from a wealthy background, and suggests possible solutions like raising legislative pay.
More than anything, Malone tries to remember that he’s just “the guy next door”, and views himself as a citizen legislator just trying to do the right thing. If voters feel the same way, he shouldn’t have any trouble being reelected next year, and Malone will continue to be a familiar name to residents of the 35th district.
John Wynne is the “conservative voice” at PoliticsNC, where he also provides polling analysis and commentary on legislative campaigns. When not writing about politics, he enjoys gardening and listening to opera. Contact: johncwynne@gmail.com.
Ehh. More Aron, less Chris. 🙂 Also, 12,000 fewer people voted in D35 in 2014 vs 2012. Granted, Democrats appear to have been even less interested in turning out than Republicans, but I’m not sure Malone losing 4,500 voters signals his “appeal” is growing.
I think he gained 8000 since 2014 and another 4k over 2012… “appeal”
Yes, mental health crisis beds are needed to address the demand for emergency services, including people acting in a way that is a threat to their safety or the safety of others. Expanding Medicaid would be a beneficial step and would be paid for primarily by the federal government.
Two thoughts….”The one challenge for Malone is that the district, like most of Wake County, is seeing a large influx of new residents”
We don’t know what these newcomers are like, partisan-wise, thus it’s hard to predict their impact.
Second, people need to soundly reject this full time legislature talk, because I doubt very seriously that the people will derive any benefit from the further establishment of an entrenched political class.