OPEN LETTER
Dear fellow residents of House District 48,
I am excited to wish you a very happy New Year!
I am sure you share in my relief that a long and challenging campaign season has come to an end, and a new chapter has begun.
I would like to thank you deeply for entrusting me with another term as your State Representative for Scotland and Hoke counties. It is an honor and a privilege to continue representing our home.
We have a real opportunity in 2025 to continue building on two decades of work together. Despite our many challenges, I am so encouraged by the growth we have seen over the last two years, from new small businesses to funding for schools and infrastructure. I pledge to continue fighting for our shared priorities.
During my time serving you, I have found that residents often are not aware of exactly what a representative does. I would like to spread that knowledge during this term, and I’d like to share a little of my schedule with you right here and now.
Each day of the week, and on most Saturdays, I am in constant communication with leaders and ordinary people across Scotland and Hoke counties to find out what needs to be improved in our area, and how we can improve it. These conversations take place across a huge array of local agencies, school systems, businesses, and individual residents like you who contact me with issues. I meet with teachers, principals, parents, students, pastors, business owners, waiters and waitresses, nursing home residents, mayors, law enforcement officers, and just about anyone else you can imagine. And if someone comes to me with a problem, including yourself, you can rest assured that as soon as I am aware of it, some kind of action will be taken.
Over the last year alone, my relationships with local leaders have helped secure millions of state dollars for funding new school facilities, new emergency response equipment, new hospital equipment, new businesses, new jobs, and much more. Besides funding, I remain available to hear concerns from individual residents like you, with individual issues. If you have an unemployment application that is taking a long time to process, I am here to look into that for you; if you have a Social Security check that is taking a long time to arrive, I am here to contact our Federal colleagues on your behalf; if you are trying to get into college, and you have worked hard, and would like a recommendation letter, you can feel free to reach out to me; if there are potholes in your road, or if there is a blind curve where traffic is dangerous, I am here to contact DOT on your behalf. This is only a small portion of the work I do every day, every week; and even if I can’t solve your particular problem, I am confident that I can put you in touch with the right people.
My pledge, no matter what, is that I am available to hear your concerns, and though I can’t always fix everything, you have my word that I will try my best. To me, “representative” is not just a title. It is a call to action. I have done my best to heed that call for 20 years, and I don’t intend to stop.
I hope one thing is clear: my work is a two-way street – it is a collaboration between the officeholder and the people. I am always seeking to learn more and more about what you want from your state government. Please consider this letter an invitation to contact me with your own suggestions, requests, or to learn more about the office. If there is particular legislation that you think is needed for our district, I am here to listen. You can contact my office by calling 919-733-5803, or by emailing garland.pierce@ncleg.gov.
I am proud to be a resident of District 48, and serving you is an honor for which I am profoundly grateful. Thank you for your trust, and together, let’s make 2025 count.