SUNDAY, MARCH 1, 2026
1B
THE COASTLAND TIMES
Laurie Buckhout
Asa Buck
Candidate for U.S. House of Representatives, District 1
Candidate for U.S. House of Representatives, District 1
Ashley-Nicole Russell
Bobby Hanig Candidate for U.S. House of Representatives, District 1
Candidate for U.S. House of Representatives, District 1
2026 Primary election day is March 3. We encourage all who have not yet voted through early voting to make it to the polls and let their voices be heard. The following are polling places in Dare County for election day voting: PRECINCT
POLLING PLACE
Avon
Avon Fire Station, 40159 Harbor Road, Avon
Buxton
Fessenden Center Annex, 47013 Buxton Back Road, Buxton
Chicamacomico
(Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo), Community Building-Rodanthe, 23646 NC Hwy 12
Colington
Liberty Christian Fellowship, 244 Williams Drive, Kill Devil Hills
Duck
Duck Town Hall, 1200 Duck Road, Duck
East Lake
East Lake Community Building, 16674 US Hwy 64, East Lake
Frisco
Frisco Fire Station, 52470 NC Hwy 12, Frisco
Hatteras
Hatteras Civic Center, 56658 NC Hwy 12, Hatteras
Kill Devil Hills
Kill Devil Hills Town Hall, 102 Town Hall Drive, Kill Devil Hills
Kitty Hawk
Kitty Hawk Town Hall, 101 Veterans Memorial Drive, Kitty Hawk
Manteo
Dare County Admin. Building, 954 Marshall C. Collins Dr., Manteo
Manns Harbor
Manns Harbor Community Building, 6657 US Hwy 64/264, Manns Harbor
Nags Head
Nags Head Town Hall Meeting Building, 5401 S Croatan Hwy, Nags Head
Southern Shores
Kern C. Pitts Center, 5377 N Virginia Dare Trail, Southern Shores
Stumpy Point
Stumpy Point Community Building, 251 Bayview Drive, Stumpy Point
Wanchese
Wanchese Community Building, 295 Old Schoolhouse Road, Wanchese
To help better inform our readers, we distributed the following questions to candidates for the offices of U.S. House of Representatives, District 1; N.C. State Senate, District 1; N.C. House of Representatives, District 1; N.C. House of Representatives, District 79; Dare County Board of Commissioners, District 1; Dare County Board of Commissioners, District 2; Dare County Board of Education, District 1; and Dare County Sheriff. Responses from those who responded appear unedited from what was submitted.
BRIEF CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE Background: Community/civic participation, family life (if you’d like), employment history (please include business or municipality/agency name and years employed; if self-employed, provide nature of business). What made you decide to run for this office? What would be your top priorities for the office should you be elected? Regarding current operations, what do you think is working? What do you think needs some work? Anything else you’d like people to know about you and/or your campaign?
WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO RUN FOR THIS OFFICE? We are at a turning point in our country; we can either throw in the towel and hand our country back to the radical democrats, or we can fight for the America First agenda. I choose to fight. President Trump needs backup, and I feel that I am most qualified to head to Washington to represent our eastern North Carolina values and fight alongside President Trump for the policies that are turning this country around. I am a retired Colonel, and I have led our troops in combat. I then went and started a successful business right here in eastern North Carolina. I know what it will take to get this country back on track. We don’t need another squishy career politician who you never know where they stand. We need warriors, and I plan to be that warrior.
WHAT WOULD BE YOUR TOP PRIORITIES FOR THE OFFICE SHOULD YOU BE ELECTED? We have to fully implement President Trump’s agenda to lower costs for working families. They’re struggling right now, whether it be at the grocery store or at the gas pumps; Americans are getting sque ez e d. P re sident Trump has taken drastic steps to lower these costs, and it's working, but we have a lot of work left to do to undo the damage Joe Biden did to our country.
REGARDING CURRENT OPERATIONS, WHAT DO YOU THINK IS WORKING? WHAT DO YOU THINK NEEDS SOME WORK? I will tell you what isn’t working, or who, for that matter, which is Don Davis. He would rather side with the radical left time and time again to score cheap political points instead of moving our country forward and making sure our workers get paid, and our border stays secure. What is working are President Trump’s policies, implementing this agenda is the pinnacle of turning our countr y around from the four failed years of Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and Don Davis. We have to make sure we cut taxes, reduce the cost of living for working families, and deport dangerous criminals who they let into our country.
ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT YOU AND/OR YOUR CAMPAIGN? Well, first off, I am a mother and a wife. My husband, Paul, and I have been married for 30 years and raised two wonderful children together. I served in Iraq as a Colonel in the Army, having the honor of getting to lead some of America’s greatest soldiers in combat. When I came home, I started a successful business, learning firsthand how our government does everything possible
BACKGROUND I am a Beaufort native and ECU graduate with a degree in Criminal Justice, entering my 20th year of service as Carteret County’s Sheriff.
WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO RUN FOR THIS OFFICE? When the new Congressional lines were drawn, I wanted to make sure we had a representative for Eastern North Carolina, not Washington special interests.
WHAT WOULD BE YOUR TOP PRIORITIES FOR THE OFFICE SHOULD YOU BE ELECTED? From day 1 constituent services would be my #1 priority. First ye a r C ong r e s sm a n yield little power except in support of important legislation. But you have the same amount of power as everyone else in providing a staff committed to constituent services.
REGARDING CURRENT OPERATIONS, WHAT DO YOU THINK IS WORKING? WHAT DO YOU THINK NEEDS SOME WORK? I will use the citizen first, common sense approach I have implemented in my time as Sheriff to my service in Congress. This will include what I consider to be the litmus test of Conservatism in any legislative issue I encounter. Lower taxes, Less Government and More Individual Freedom. By sticking to these priorities, I will not only serve my constituents but also empower them. This is important because I believe that the answers to the vast majority of problems facing our area do not lie with more inter vention by the Federal Government, but instead by empowering the people by unburdening them from the overreach of Washington D.C.
ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT YOU AND/OR YOUR CAMPAIGN? It’s important to have a Congressman who is not beholding to outside money. My priority is and always will be Eastern North Carolina.
BACKGROUND BACKGROUND Community/civic participation, family life (if you’d like), employment history (please include business or municipality/ agency name and years employed; if self-employed, provide nature of business). I am a wife, mother, attorney, and small business owner proudly rooted in Eastern North Carolina. My commitment to service is grounded first in my faith and my family, and in the belief that strong communities are built on the values of faith, family, and freedom. Professionally, I am the Founder and Managing Attorney of AN|R Law, where for more than a decade I have stood beside families navigating some of the most difficult moments of their lives. My work in family law has allowed me to advocate for children, protect parents’ rights, and help families find healthy paths forward. I also have another law firm called Michael and Russell, PLLC, and a legal marketing company named AN|R Co. Beyond my legal practice, I have been deeply involved in community outreach, civic engagement, and educational initiatives throughout our district partnering with local organizations, faith leaders, and small businesses to strengthen the fabric of Eastern North Carolina. As a business owner and job creator, I understand firsthand the challenges facing working families, entrepreneurs, and professionals across our region.
WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO RUN FOR THIS OFFICE? I decided to run because I believe the people of Eastern North Carolina deserve a strong, present, and unwavering voice in Washington. For too long, our district has been overlooked economically, educationally, and infrastructurally. I have seen families struggle with rising costs, farmers burdened by federal overreach, veterans fighting for benefits, and parents forced to send their children outside the district for opportunity. I am not a career politician I am a political outsider who has built a career fighting for families. I am running to take that same advocacy to Congress and to stand alongside leaders who are committed to putting America and Eastern North Carolina first.
Community/Civic Participation, Family Life, Employment History I have spent over thirty years in Northeastern North Carolina building a family, growing my business and now serving the public. As veteran of the U.S. Army, I carry the values of discipline, accountability, and service into my civilian life. After leaving the Army I moved to Currituck County and worked in construction and development. This gave me the confidence and experience to start my own business where I experienced the issues of regulatory burdens, workforce challenges, and the importance of fiscal responsibility. My public service began locally. I served on the Currituck County Board of Commissioners as Chairman, where I focused on balanced budgets, infrastructure investment, and protecting taxpayers. I was elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives in 2018 and now serve in the North Carolina Senate. In Raleigh, I have worked on issues including tax relief, public safety, regulatory reform, disaster recovery, and support for agriculture and commercial fishing. My wife Dana and I live in Currituck County and my daughter and her husband do as well. Northeastern North Carolina is home for me. Faith, family, and community are central to me and guide my approach to leadership.
WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO RUN FOR THIS OFFICE? I decided to run because I believe Northeastern North Carolina deserves a strong, conservative consistent voice who understands our region and will fight for it every day. Too often, decisions made in Raleigh or Washington are shaped by people who don’t fully understand the unique needs of rural and coastal communities. I’ve lived those challenges — whether it’s hurricane recovery, protecting our fishing industry, improving roads and bridges, or defending Second Amendment rights. Public service is not about titles — it’s about results. I’ve stepped forward at every level because I believe leadership means showing up, standing firm on principle, and delivering for the people you represent. That’s what I’ve done, and that’s why I’m running.
WHAT WOULD BE YOUR TOP PRIORITIES FOR THE OFFICE SHOULD YOU BE ELECTED? My top priorities are straightforward: 1. Economic Growth a nd Ta x R el ie f Continue lowering the tax burden on working families and small businesses while creating an environment where entrepreneurs can thrive. 2. Public Safe ty and Rule of Law Support law enforcement, strengthen penalties for violent offenders, and ensure our communities remain safe places See HANIG, 4B