A state legislator who was previously a Democrat has become unaffiliated because he feels he can get more done that way for his district. Representative Paul Tine of the Outer Banks says he wanted to stay within the moderate Democratic fold, but he felt the party was veering too far to the left for him. Tine also feels that as an unaffiliated legislator, he can work with the Republican majority to benefit his district. He says the Outer Banks benefited from strong legislators, including former Democratic Senator Marc Basnight:
"But even with all the great work that they were able to do in the past, we still have two of the poorest counties in the state. We still have a lot of struggling folks out here. Our median income is lower than the average of the state."
Tine says Dare County has all sorts of transportation challenges that need to be addressed- from the Bonner Bridge to ferry closures caused by a lack of money for dredging.