Anthony Pierce is running for the position of Alamance County commissioner in the Nov 8 midterm elections . He once ran for the position in 2020 as a first-time candidate, but was unsuccessful and came in fourth place during the primaries. Now, he is running again as the only Democrat against Republican candidates, Craig Turner and Steve Carter, for a seat on the all-Republican board.
Pierce is a North Carolinian native, growing up in Durham for most of his childhood. He originally started working as a paramedic, working his way up the ranks to the command staff where he transferred to critical research and started developing cancer drugs. Currently, Pierce works on the Alamance Planning Board and Emergency Management Committee where he examines needs for current ordinances related to planning and development and plans and reviews chemical storage facilities that could pose a threat to Alamance County and its resources should an incident occur
Pierce said there is a need for leaders that can relate to the citizens they serve. He said he does not believe the current board of commissioners takes the time to truly invest in understanding what are the issues all across the county, leading some residents to feel they are not being heard. Pierce said his election as county commissioner would benefit Alamance County, because his experience in public service will bring new insight to the board.
“It starts with leaders who care, and can be the voice and the change the county really needs,” Pierce said.
Should he be elected, Pierce aims to tackle Alamance County’s “competitive” education system, as he said the education system is the foundation of Alamance’s Community, but there are also large disparities in the quality of education between schools. The Board of Commissioners is responsible for setting the county’s budget each year, which includes determining how much funding to provide to local public schools. Pierce believes the solution to education disparities is relocating resources from tax and sales dollars toward education.
“Our kids and teachers have been underserved and operating in less-than-ideal conditions far too long and we need to fully fund our school system so that our kids can learn in environments that are conducive to learning and in a place that they feel proud of," Pierce said.
Pierce said he also believes Biden’s policy to waive student loans would help many college students in Alamance, but his main plan is to focus on the public school district so students can learn in an environment they can truly be proud of.
Another platform, Pierce said, is to make sure Alamance County residents have access to health resources, no matter where they are in the county. The Board of Commissioners approves the budgets for local health agencies and helps promote public health in the county. Pierce said he would like to further fund Alamance’s first responders and establish more partnerships with the overall health care system in Alamance County — specifically Emergency Medical Services, hospitals, Alamance Regional Medical Center, clinics and the health department.
He believes this will not only make health care more accessible to people in more rural areas of Alamance county, but could also possibly lower the cost of health care.
“We can explore incentives perhaps that can lower the cost of health care for Alamance County residents. But that would be a conversation that would involve all of them,” Pierce said.
County commissioners cannot regulate state or federal laws for certain health policies, but they can express their opinions on them if they are causing a political or moral issue. Regarding the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade rights, Pierce said he is supportive of abortion rights. In North Carolina, it is legal to get an abortion until 20 weeks of pregnancy.
“We should never, ever, hinder such a major decision about health care,” Pierce said. “That should always be the decision of a woman, her doctor and whoever her spiritual guidance should be, and government should never have a place in it."
Pierce believes Alamance County’s best days are ahead of it and said he is running because he cares about the people living there.
“Alamance for all, Commissioner for all,” Pierce said.