A Chance Encounter on the Campaign Trail

Statement

As frustrating and disheartening as politics can be, there are moments throughout this campaign that remind me why I'm running for Congress. Sometimes those moments come during a casual conversation over hushpuppies and sweet tea.

I was recently traveling the district when my staffer suggested we go back to one of our favorite spots -- Brownie Lu Restaurant in Siler City. It was about 20 miles from where we were, but we decided their delicious broasted chicken was worth the drive and a little extra wait.

There were no open tables when we arrived, so we grabbed a couple of seats at the counter. A minute later, a man sat down next to us. He was an older man, probably in his mid 80s. The waiter behind the counter nodded to the man and told us Jack was a regular customer and dined there every day, sometimes twice a day.

Jack and I struck up a conversation. We got to talking about the restaurant and the 50 years he's been a loyal customer. And then he changed the subject and asked me why I decided to run for Congress.

I told him about my frustration with representatives in Washington not working together to get things done. He agreed things have gotten bad in DC. He told me he's followed politics all of his life and even spent a few years in the North Carolina General Assembly back when Terry Sanford was governor in the 1960s.

My ears perked up when he said Terry Sanford's name. I told Jack that Sanford is one of my biggest role models. I recounted the story I tell so often on the campaign trail.

Back when I was in middle school, I received an assignment to interview a role model. Many students interviewed a scout leader, one of their parents -- I called Terry Sanford's U.S. Senate office and asked if I could talk to the senator. One of my fondest memories is the day I got to sit down with him for that assignment.

I asked Jack if he had any Sanford stories or got to know him well while he was in the legislature. He told me he was very fond of Terry and got to know him best when he ran Sanford's campaign for governor back in 1960.

Well, I guess that's a little cooler than my middle school paper.

You could call it coincidence, fate, providence. All I know is that there was a reason I ended up at that restaurant that night. The tables were full, only a few seats at the counter. It caused me to strike up conversation with a perfect stranger. But our hopes for the future of this country couldn't be more intertwined.

Washington today is nothing like it was back when Jack was working in politics. Will we ever get Washington to return to days of civility when compromise is no longer a dirty word? I don't know. And it certainly won't be easy. But I'm not going to sit on the sidelines any longer while our members of Congress make excuses, call each other names, and point fingers.

Jack said he's retired from politics. It's our turn to carry on the fight. Thank you for standing with me.

Yours,

Clay

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