Hendersonville – Tim Moffitt is eager to return to Raleigh as a state representative to resume the fight for lower state taxes, spending and regulations — this time to represent his birth home District 117.
The district is for the entire northern portion of Henderson County. It includes Hendersonville, Fletcher, Mills River, and Laurel Park.
Timothy Douglas Moffitt is a 1982 West Henderson alumnus. Since 1990 he has operated Moffitt International, an executive search and management consulting firm. He matches people with jobs and now looks to do so with himself as a state rep again.
He has assembled executive management teams, and overseen a variety of “high-profile projects for governments, Fortune 500 companies, and charitable organizations all over the world.” He also runs a boutique real estate firm, Moffitt Properties.
Moffitt, youthful-looking at age 56, had his birthday on Friday, Sept. 25. He is a lifelong local resident. His family for nearly 200 years carved a “long legacy of service and hard work.” He and his family live in Bearwallow.
His opponent is Democrat Josh Remillard. The 117th seat opened up once moderate Republican Chuck McGrady retired, after ten years representing the district since first elected in 2010.
Republicans have a 65-55 edge in the State House.
Rated ‘Most Effective’
“We face an economic crisis, and a global pandemic,” Moffitt said. “I’m running to find solutions. Because no matter the size of the storm, our deep-rooted community will persevere.”
Moffitt served as a state rep in 2011-15 in the nearby 116th District, for southern and western Buncombe County. Those prior four years count toward his seniority, should he again become a state representative. He said he would likely “have a seat at the table when it comes to the big decisions,” that his “experience with the machinery of government and the players” enables him to “hit the ground running” if back in Raleigh.
Moffitt rated as the Most Effective Legislator in 2013-14, as computed by the Raleigh News & Observer, he noted. Forty-five of the 188 bills he was the primary sponsor of made it into law.
He noted he was a “chief architect of North Carolina’s Tax Reform efforts” to make the system fairer and more “modernized.” He said tax reform has “spurred the state’s economy, and produced record budget surpluses.”
He successfully fought to repeal the estate/“death” tax. That has saved many local long-held family farms, which otherwise might have to be sold to pay taxes on them as their value rose over decades. Other GOP changes during his tenure included ending forced annexation.
As chairman of the House Regulatory Reform Committee, Moffitt said he “worked helped to remove thousands of burdensome business regulations” and Moffitt said his “legacy of reform still echoes today.” He said he can relate to small business owners, by being one himself.
He said he also was a legislative leader on ongoing priority issues of state spending, government oversight, and private property rights. He is an avid outdoorsman and said he values the natural environment.
Moffitt said as a state rep he was able to forge bipartisan support for his bills. The low-voiced, outspoken conservative was vice-chair of the House Commerce and Job Development and also State Personnel committees. He was also on committees for Finance, Rules, Government, and Transportation.
Democrat Brian Turner, the current rep, unseated Moffitt by 52-48 percent in the 2014 election.
Moffitt defeated Democrat Jane Whilden in 2010 to avenge defeat to her in 2008. He also beat her in ‘12, again garnering 56 percent of the district’s vote. This year in the GOP primary, he got nearly 80 percent of the vote to dispose of Dennis Justice of Fletcher.
Moffitt served as a Buncombe commissioner, filling a vacancy after Miranda DeBruhl stepped down in 2016. He has since moved from South Asheville back to his native Henderson County.
As for McGrady, who has had t he 117th seat for a decade, Moffitt commended his “friendship, leadership, and counsel. I’ve admired how Chuck has worked across the aisle to forge relationships, which have benefited not only the people of Henderson County but also the entire state. Chuck is a model public servant — I’ll do my best to honor that legacy.”