Iconoclast Jones seeking 12th term in 3rd CD

Republican U.S. Rep. Walter Jones has been representing eastern North Carolina in the U.S. House for 11 terms. He’s hoping to make it 12.

Democrat Ernest T. Reeves, a retired U.S. Army captain who lives in Greenville, wants to unseat him.

Jones, 73,  said he decided to seek another term in Congress to counter the influence of money in Washington.

“I want the government to return to the people,” Jones said. “I’m not going to be controlled by money.”

The redrawn 3^rd Congressional District covers much of coastal North Carolina — from Jacksonville north to the Virginia state line. In addition to including portions of Pitt County, where both Jones and Reeves reside, the district includes Currituck, Camden, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Chowan, Tyrell, Dare, Hyde, Beaufort, Craven, Greene, Lenoir, Jones, Pamlico, Carteret, and Onslow counties.

The N.C. Free Enterprise Foundation rates the 3^rd District as leaning Republican.

Jones has not always been a Republican. Before running for Congress, he served 10 years in the state House as a Democrat. In 1989, he was one of 20 Democrats — including then-state Rep. Roy Cooper — who joined with House Republicans to oust longtime House Speaker Liston Ramsey, D-Madison.

Even today, Jones says, pundits have a difficult time fitting him with a political label. Jones recounted what a former aide, Glen Downs, said about him to the D.C. press a few years ago.

“Glen said, When he goes to the floor of the House, I do not know if he will vote as a conservative, or a populist, or a Libertarian,” Jones said. “I’m really somewhat independent and go toward where the vote is for the people I represent.”

Jones said that helps explain why he voted against a number of major bills over the past decade, including the Affordable Care Act, the Wall Street and Detroit bailouts, and the stimulus bill during the Great Recession.

Jones said the top issue in the campaign is the $19.7 trillion national debt. When President Bill Clinton left office in early 2001, the national debt was $5.6 trillion, he said.

“In 16 years — both parties are guilty of this — we have more than tripled the debt of the nation since Bill Clinton was president,” Jones said. “It can’t keep going this way because, if it does, we will become Greece in a few years.” He said we already are seeing deficits and debt restraining government programs, and it’s going to get worse unless somebody puts the brakes on deficit spending.

Jones said that’s one reason he supports getting American troops out of Afghanistan. He also thinks Congress has abdicated too much of its war-powers responsibilities to the executive branch when it comes to sending troops in harm’s way. “It’s time for the Middle East countries to get involved and stop sending Americans over there,” Jones said.

Jones said the Affordable Care Act needs to either be repealed or restructured. “A massive takeover by the federal government is never a good thing,” Jones said.

He also said the major difference between him and his opponent, who he describes as “a fine gentleman,” is experience. “We have a proven record of serving the people and a proven record of listening to the people,” he said.

Reeves ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate earlier this year but lost to nominee Deborah Ross.

Reeves also ran for U.S. Senate in 2014 but lost to Kay Hagan in the Democratic primary. He made an unsuccessful bid for mayor of Greenville in 2015.

Reeves did not agree to be interviewed by Carolina Journal about the congressional race. When he ran for Senate in the spring, he told CJ he was running to make government more responsive. He said he talked to people across the state and they don’t think the government is there to work for them.

Reeves also said jobs were the main issue, and he supported increasing the minimum wage.

According to his campaign website, Reeves would like to see apprenticeship programs established for unemployed people. He supports the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid expansion. He also supports a bipartisan effort to strengthen Medicare.

Reeves’ web page says he supports a strong military, but he doesn’t favor deploying large numbers of troops to any area unless absolutely necessary. He says he believes the nation’s interest is better served with “smaller, faster, lethal units that can get in and out of an area of operation within a prescribed timeframe.”

In addition, Reeves webpage says Congress needs to “act sooner rather than later” to keep Social Security solvent. He believes Congress should intervene to ensure all citizens have the right to vote in all elections without interference from governors or state legislatures.