Steve Girard

[{"question": "Ballotpedia survey responses", "answer_html": "<p>See also: <a href=\"/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\">Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection</a></p>\n<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-xs-10 col-md-6 col-xs-offset-1 col-md-offset-3\"><p><a href=\"https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\"><img align=\"middle\" alt=\"Candidate Connection\" src=\"https://cdn.ballotpedia.org/images/8/88/Candidate_Connection_Logo.png\" width=\"90%\"/></a></p></div></div>\n<p>Steve Girard completed <a href=\"/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\">Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection</a> survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Girard's responses.</p>\n<p><span class=\"expand-all\">Expand all</span> | <span class=\"collapse-all\">Collapse all</span></p>\n<div aria-multiselectable=\"true\" class=\"panel-group\" id=\"accordion\" role=\"tablist\"><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-bio-390851-2025-12-19\" id=\"heading-bio-390851-2025-12-19\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse-bio-390851-2025-12-19\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-bio-390851-2025-12-19\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWho are you? Tell us about yourself.\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading-bio-390851-2025-12-19\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse-bio-390851-2025-12-19\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tI’m Steve Girard, a North Carolinian from Clemmons, shaped by small-town values of hard work, integrity, and community. I attended West Forsyth High School, NC State, and the University of Georgia, graduating in 1985. My career in insurance took me across the country — Dallas, Richmond, Chicago, Atlanta — where I spent 40 years building a career on risk management, responsibility, and relationships. Those lessons guide my approach to public service: leadership is about serving people, not advancing oneself.\r\n<p>I’m running for Congress because our system is broken. Career politicians and big money dominate, leaving families, seniors, veterans, and small business owners behind. Public service was never meant to be a career; it’s a duty answered with integrity. That’s why I support term limits and refuse all donations — I will owe nothing to lobbyists or special interests, only to the people of NC-5.\r\nI bring practical solutions: expanding telehealth and preserving COVID-era capabilities, protecting Social Security and Medicare, capping insulin and essential generics, empowering parents with education choices, and helping small businesses thrive.\r\n</p>\nI’m committed to accountable, principled leadership. Every vote I cast will ask: Does this help the people of the 5th District? I’m Steve Girard, a husband, professional, and problem solver — running to bring a new voice, new ideas, and real accountability to Washington.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-key-message-390851-2025-12-19\" id=\"heading-key-message-390851-2025-12-19\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse-key-message-390851-2025-12-19\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-key-message-390851-2025-12-19\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tPlease list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading-key-message-390851-2025-12-19\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse-key-message-390851-2025-12-19\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\"><ul><li>A New Voice for NC-5\r\nI’m running to bring a new voice and new perspective to Congress. Career politicians and big money dominate Washington, leaving our district behind. I will listen, show up, and serve only the people, not lobbyists or special interests. Every vote will ask: Does this help the 5th District?</li><li>Term Limits and Accountability\r\nPublic service was never meant to be a career. I support term limits to stop career politicians from holding our communities hostage and ensure fresh ideas and leadership. I refuse donations and PAC money, so I answer only to the people of NC-5.</li><li>Practical Solutions for Families\r\nI focus on results: creating jobs and expanding affordable housing, expanding telehealth and COVID-era capabilities, protecting Social Security and Medicare, capping insulin and essential generics, supporting small businesses, and giving parents control over education. Real solutions, not political games.</li></ul></span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse1-390851-2025-12-19\" id=\"heading1-390851-2025-12-19\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse1-390851-2025-12-19\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse1-390851-2025-12-19\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading1-390851-2025-12-19\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse1-390851-2025-12-19\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tThe area of public policy I’m most passionate about is government accountability and political reform. I support term limits, reducing the influence of money in politics, and returning power to citizens instead of career politicians and Washington insiders. This focus guides everything I do, from proposing practical solutions for families to fighting for a government that truly serves the people of NC-5.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div></div>\n<div class=\"small\" data-nosnippet=\"\"><p><i><b>Note:</b> Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.</i></p></div>\n<div><div style=\"margin-bottom:1.5rem\"><h4>Campaign website</h4><p>Girard's campaign website stated the following:</p><div style=\"max-height:400px;overflow-y:auto;border:1px solid #ccc;padding:10px;margin:20px\"><blockquote style=\"margin:0px\"><h3><strong>Jobs, Small Business, and Rural Growth</strong></h3><p>We cannot wait for Raleigh or local governments to fix our economy. Here is what I will push immediately:</p><ul><li><strong>Boost rural manufacturing by shifting reshoring incentives away from only large cities</strong></li><li><strong>Cut small business regulation. Simplify compliance so businesses do not need lawyers and accountants to start or grow</strong></li><li><strong>Rural Reinvestment Tax Credit</strong></li><li><strong>A dollar-for-dollar federal tax credit for businesses that will:</strong></li><li class=\"ql-indent-1\"><strong>Create jobs in rural counties</strong></li><li class=\"ql-indent-1\"><strong>Open storefronts in hollowed-out downtowns</strong></li><li class=\"ql-indent-1\"><strong>Renovate empty commercial buildings</strong></li><li><strong>Federal incentives, including:</strong></li><li class=\"ql-indent-1\"><strong>Cash grants and guaranteed low-interest loans for builders</strong></li><li class=\"ql-indent-1\"><strong>Five-year federal property tax offsets for first-time homebuyers in rural counties</strong></li><li class=\"ql-indent-1\"><strong>Incentives apply only to full-time residents and primary homes</strong></li><li class=\"ql-indent-1\"><strong>Reduce red tape at all levels of government that suppresses the building of starter homes and the licensing of tradesmen</strong></li><li><strong>Rural Infrastructure Acceleration Fund</strong></li><li><strong>Direct project funding—no studies, no delays—to expand broadband, fix dangerous roads, and modernize water projects and bridges. For example, a county with unsafe bridges, limited broadband, or outdated water systems could apply once, and funding would flow within 60 days. Projects are chosen based on immediate need, not state averages.</strong></li></ul><h3><strong>Cutting Waste, Big Bills, and Bureaucracy</strong></h3><ul><li><strong>Single Subject Legislation — one issue per bill</strong></li><li><strong>200-Page Cap on Regular Legislation — over 200 pages must be split into separate bills</strong></li><li><strong>Return to a True Federal Budget Process — Congress must pass twelve separate appropriations bills on time</strong></li><li><strong>Eliminate Outdated Regulations Annually — every agency must remove outdated or duplicative rules and report publicly</strong></li></ul><h3><strong>Health Care That Works in Rural America</strong></h3><ul><li><strong>Allow families to buy insurance across state lines and create federal tax credits to make coverage affordable</strong></li><li><strong>Make pandemic-era telehealth rules permanent, including Medicare telehealth from home, phone-only visits, and cross-state care</strong></li><li><strong>Fully reimburse rural clinics and expand mobile health services, including mental health and addiction care</strong></li><li><strong>Eliminate hospital transfer barriers so rural ERs can quickly transfer patients</strong></li><li><strong>Tie federal health funding directly to county-level need, not state averages</strong></li><li><strong>Cap insulin and essential generic drug prices where competition has collapsed</strong></li><li><strong>Provide incentives, including student loan forgiveness, to attract doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals to rural areas</strong></li><li><strong>Increase authority for physician assistants and nurses to expand access</strong></li></ul><h3><strong>Social Security and Medicare</strong></h3><ul><li><strong>Protect Social Security and Medicare — no cuts</strong></li><li><strong>No raising the retirement age. We keep our promises</strong></li></ul><h3><strong>Looking Out for Seniors and the Elderly</strong></h3><ul><li><strong>Their income and expenses need to be more predictable</strong></li><li><strong>Costs should be capped where able</strong></li><li><strong>No more cuts to Medicaid and Medicare</strong></li><li><strong>Permanent tax relief on Social Security benefits</strong></li><li><strong>Push for real property tax relief for senior residents on their primary home</strong></li></ul><h3><strong>Education That Works for Families</strong></h3><ul><li><strong>Cut federal mandates by 50 percent to reduce paperwork and empower local school boards</strong></li><li><strong>Return the savings back to the local school districts</strong></li><li><strong>Expand school choice—public, private, charter, magnet, online, or homeschool</strong></li><li><strong>Sunset all federal education programs every ten years, so Congress must re-justify their existence</strong></li><li><strong>Mandatory School Transparency and Parents' Federal Education Bill of Rights — all curriculum, reading lists, spending, and results must be online; parents are guaranteed access to lesson plans, materials, teacher communications, and opt-out choices</strong></li><li><strong>Universal Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) — federal dollars follow the student for public, private, charter, homeschool, tutoring, and vocational training</strong></li><li><strong>Vocational and Skilled Trades Expansion Act — massive federal investment in trades, plus employer partnerships and wage subsidies</strong></li><li><strong>Teacher Pension and Retirement Protection — federal oversight standards ensure states cannot raid pension systems</strong></li></ul><h3><strong>Safe, Orderly, Common-Sense Border Policy</strong></h3><ul><li><strong>Mandatory E-Verify for All Employers — penalties for companies, not workers</strong></li><li><strong>Finish Physical Barriers Where Border Patrol Requests Them — modern fencing, surveillance, and access roads</strong></li><li><strong>Immediate Deportation of Fentanyl Traffickers — zero tolerance</strong></li></ul><h3><strong>Second Amendment and Gun Rights</strong></h3><ul><li><strong>National Concealed Carry Reciprocity — a North Carolina permit should be valid nationwide</strong></li><li><strong>End Back-Door Gun Registries — ban federal agencies from collecting or storing firearm ownership data</strong></li><li><strong>Oppose federal red-flag laws that bypass due process</strong></li><li><strong>Protect semiautomatic firearms from federal bans</strong></li><li><strong>Restore Due Process Standards for ATF Rulemaking — Congress must approve major regulatory changes</strong></li><li><strong>Strengthen penalties for gun crimes. Target criminals who use guns illegally—not hunters, collectors, or citizens protecting their families</strong></li></ul><h3><strong>Voter ID and Election Integrity</strong></h3><ul><li><strong>Require voter ID for all federal elections</strong></li><li><strong>In-person voting</strong></li><li><strong>Mandate same-day results reporting for federal races</strong></li><li><strong>Audit federal elections every cycle</strong></li></ul><h3><strong>Life and Abortion Policy</strong></h3><ul><li><strong>Support limits on late-term abortion with clear exceptions. These decisions should be made at the state level</strong></li><li><strong>Oppose federal limits on abortion</strong></li><li><strong>Fund access to contraception</strong></li><li><strong>Support adoption and maternal care — increase support for maternal health in rural areas, prenatal care, adoption tax credits</strong></li><li><strong>Oppose any federal funds to be used for performing abortions</strong></li></ul><h3><strong>Political Reform and Ending Corruption</strong></h3><ul><li><strong>Ban members of Congress from trading individual stocks</strong></li><li><strong>Ban members from working for lobbyists after serving</strong></li><li><strong>Favor term limits — three terms for House and one term for Senate</strong></li></ul><p><br/></p></blockquote><div style=\"text-align: right; font-size: 0.9em; color: #555; margin-top: 0.5em;\"><p style=\"font-size:0.9em;color:#555\">— Steve Girard's <a href=\"https://stevegirardforcongress.com/platform.html\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">campaign website</a> (February 9, 2026)</p></div></div></div><div style=\"text-align: center; font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0.5em;\"><i>Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.</i></div></div>", "answer_text": "See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection\n\nSteve Girard completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Girard's responses.\nExpand all | Collapse all\nWho are you? Tell us about yourself. I’m Steve Girard, a North Carolinian from Clemmons, shaped by small-town values of hard work, integrity, and community. I attended West Forsyth High School, NC State, and the University of Georgia, graduating in 1985. My career in insurance took me across the country — Dallas, Richmond, Chicago, Atlanta — where I spent 40 years building a career on risk management, responsibility, and relationships. Those lessons guide my approach to public service: leadership is about serving people, not advancing oneself. I’m running for Congress because our system is broken. Career politicians and big money dominate, leaving families, seniors, veterans, and small business owners behind. Public service was never meant to be a career; it’s a duty answered with integrity. That’s why I support term limits and refuse all donations — I will owe nothing to lobbyists or special interests, only to the people of NC-5.\r\nI bring practical solutions: expanding telehealth and preserving COVID-era capabilities, protecting Social Security and Medicare, capping insulin and essential generics, empowering parents with education choices, and helping small businesses thrive. I’m committed to accountable, principled leadership. Every vote I cast will ask: Does this help the people of the 5th District? I’m Steve Girard, a husband, professional, and problem solver — running to bring a new voice, new ideas, and real accountability to Washington. Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office? A New Voice for NC-5\r\nI’m running to bring a new voice and new perspective to Congress. Career politicians and big money dominate Washington, leaving our district behind. I will listen, show up, and serve only the people, not lobbyists or special interests. Every vote will ask: Does this help the 5th District? Term Limits and Accountability\r\nPublic service was never meant to be a career. I support term limits to stop career politicians from holding our communities hostage and ensure fresh ideas and leadership. I refuse donations and PAC money, so I answer only to the people of NC-5. Practical Solutions for Families\r\nI focus on results: creating jobs and expanding affordable housing, expanding telehealth and COVID-era capabilities, protecting Social Security and Medicare, capping insulin and essential generics, supporting small businesses, and giving parents control over education. Real solutions, not political games. What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? The area of public policy I’m most passionate about is government accountability and political reform. I support term limits, reducing the influence of money in politics, and returning power to citizens instead of career politicians and Washington insiders. This focus guides everything I do, from proposing practical solutions for families to fighting for a government that truly serves the people of NC-5.\nNote: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.\nCampaign website Girard's campaign website stated the following: Jobs, Small Business, and Rural Growth We cannot wait for Raleigh or local governments to fix our economy. Here is what I will push immediately: Boost rural manufacturing by shifting reshoring incentives away from only large cities Cut small business regulation. Simplify compliance so businesses do not need lawyers and accountants to start or grow Rural Reinvestment Tax Credit A dollar-for-dollar federal tax credit for businesses that will: Create jobs in rural counties Open storefronts in hollowed-out downtowns Renovate empty commercial buildings Federal incentives, including: Cash grants and guaranteed low-interest loans for builders Five-year federal property tax offsets for first-time homebuyers in rural counties Incentives apply only to full-time residents and primary homes Reduce red tape at all levels of government that suppresses the building of starter homes and the licensing of tradesmen Rural Infrastructure Acceleration Fund Direct project funding—no studies, no delays—to expand broadband, fix dangerous roads, and modernize water projects and bridges. For example, a county with unsafe bridges, limited broadband, or outdated water systems could apply once, and funding would flow within 60 days. Projects are chosen based on immediate need, not state averages. Cutting Waste, Big Bills, and Bureaucracy Single Subject Legislation — one issue per bill 200-Page Cap on Regular Legislation — over 200 pages must be split into separate bills Return to a True Federal Budget Process — Congress must pass twelve separate appropriations bills on time Eliminate Outdated Regulations Annually — every agency must remove outdated or duplicative rules and report publicly Health Care That Works in Rural America Allow families to buy insurance across state lines and create federal tax credits to make coverage affordable Make pandemic-era telehealth rules permanent, including Medicare telehealth from home, phone-only visits, and cross-state care Fully reimburse rural clinics and expand mobile health services, including mental health and addiction care Eliminate hospital transfer barriers so rural ERs can quickly transfer patients Tie federal health funding directly to county-level need, not state averages Cap insulin and essential generic drug prices where competition has collapsed Provide incentives, including student loan forgiveness, to attract doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals to rural areas Increase authority for physician assistants and nurses to expand access Social Security and Medicare Protect Social Security and Medicare — no cuts No raising the retirement age. We keep our promises Looking Out for Seniors and the Elderly Their income and expenses need to be more predictable Costs should be capped where able No more cuts to Medicaid and Medicare Permanent tax relief on Social Security benefits Push for real property tax relief for senior residents on their primary home Education That Works for Families Cut federal mandates by 50 percent to reduce paperwork and empower local school boards Return the savings back to the local school districts Expand school choice—public, private, charter, magnet, online, or homeschool Sunset all federal education programs every ten years, so Congress must re-justify their existence Mandatory School Transparency and Parents' Federal Education Bill of Rights — all curriculum, reading lists, spending, and results must be online; parents are guaranteed access to lesson plans, materials, teacher communications, and opt-out choices Universal Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) — federal dollars follow the student for public, private, charter, homeschool, tutoring, and vocational training Vocational and Skilled Trades Expansion Act — massive federal investment in trades, plus employer partnerships and wage subsidies Teacher Pension and Retirement Protection — federal oversight standards ensure states cannot raid pension systems Safe, Orderly, Common-Sense Border Policy Mandatory E-Verify for All Employers — penalties for companies, not workers Finish Physical Barriers Where Border Patrol Requests Them — modern fencing, surveillance, and access roads Immediate Deportation of Fentanyl Traffickers — zero tolerance Second Amendment and Gun Rights National Concealed Carry Reciprocity — a North Carolina permit should be valid nationwide End Back-Door Gun Registries — ban federal agencies from collecting or storing firearm ownership data Oppose federal red-flag laws that bypass due process Protect semiautomatic firearms from federal bans Restore Due Process Standards for ATF Rulemaking — Congress must approve major regulatory changes Strengthen penalties for gun crimes. Target criminals who use guns illegally—not hunters, collectors, or citizens protecting their families Voter ID and Election Integrity Require voter ID for all federal elections In-person voting Mandate same-day results reporting for federal races Audit federal elections every cycle Life and Abortion Policy Support limits on late-term abortion with clear exceptions. These decisions should be made at the state level Oppose federal limits on abortion Fund access to contraception Support adoption and maternal care — increase support for maternal health in rural areas, prenatal care, adoption tax credits Oppose any federal funds to be used for performing abortions Political Reform and Ending Corruption Ban members of Congress from trading individual stocks Ban members from working for lobbyists after serving Favor term limits — three terms for House and one term for Senate — Steve Girard's campaign website (February 9, 2026) Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source."}]