Swain County Republican Mike Clampitt is hoping the third time will be the charm in his effort to defeat incumbent state Rep. Joe Sam Queen, D-Haywood, for the House District 119 seat.

Queen, an architect, is running for his third term in the House. Previously, he served three terms in the state Senate. He beat Clampitt by a little more than 1,100 votes in 2012 and 2014.

House District 119 includes Jackson and Swain counties, along with parts of Haywood County. The N.C. FreeEnterprise Foundation considers the district competitive.

Clampitt, a retired Charlotte firefighter, said the biggest difference between the candidates rests with their ideologies.

“He is liberal-left for bigger government,” Clampitt said of Queen. “I’m for smaller government, less regulation, and more money in people’s pockets.”

Jobs are always a top issue for the rural area of western North Carolina, Clampitt said. Morality and family values are concerns, too.

“It’s pretty much the Bible Belt,” said Clampitt, who is pro-life. “The liberal left just needs to go away.”

Clampitt said he opposes the state’s certificate of need law, which allows state bureaucrats to limit the supply of some medical services and equipment unless the provider can show a “need” for more of that service.

“I think the certificate of need should go the way of the Dodo bird.” Clampitt said. “It should be extinct.”

He opposes renewable energy mandates, which, he says, lead to higher costs for energy users. He supports school-choice initiatives, including charter schools and vouchers, and would like to move away from Common Core curriculum in the public schools.

Clampitt said he wants to work on tax policy and eliminate the state income tax. “It puts more money in the individuals’ pockets,” he said.

But he opposes expanding the sales tax to cover services and labor. “I do consider that an ethical issue,” he said. “A tax on a person’s labor is a tax on sweat equity.”

Clampitt said he wants to look at cutting spending on entitlements and thinks people receiving government benefits should be subject to drug tests, as should all elected officials.

Queen did not respond to multiple requests from Carolina Journal for an interview.

Queen’s campaign webpage touts his experience: “He’s proven. He’s effective. Joe Sam Queen gets it done.”

The Queen webpage credits Queen with helping get a new Western North Carolina Livestock Center, growing tourism, supporting gaming opportunities in Cherokee, expanding broadband access in the mountains, and funding Advantage West to help diversify the economy.

The page says Queen supports lifelong learning opportunities for people in western North Carolina. It also says the state must work to ensure children start school healthy and ready to learn. He supports keeping classroom sizes small.

Queen, on his webpage, says he supports investments in programs that promote healthy lifestyles, and that he believes in investing in preventative health care.