Friends and supporters gathered together on Friday, February 19th to kick off the Ashe County leg of the campaign trail for State Representative Cullie Tarleton as he makes a run for another term in the North Carolina House.

"It is very gratifying to have people who will come out and write a check to support our candidacy because, unfortunately, it takes money to run a campaign and you have to spend a certain amount of time raising it," Tarleton said.

"You know, I spend a lot of time here in Ashe County and try to make myself very accessible. The people here tonight, though, are my hard-core supporters. These are the people that I can absolutely count on to be there for me, to bounce ideas off of and I hear from them as well."

Tarleton said that he often receives suggestions on various issues from these supporters.

Tarleton said he was making another run for the seat he has held since 2006 because there was much more he could still do for the people of the 93rd District.

"As I often say, and I'm not trying to sound noble or anything, I genuinely enjoy finding opportunities to help people. You really find that you can make a difference if you can help people cut through the bureaucracy and red tape and reach a satisfactory solution to their problems. When that happens it is truly gratifying to be able to do it."

Tarleton said he expects to run a vigorous campaign against Jonathan Jordan of Jefferson but "fully expect[s] to win" again and return to Raleigh for another term.

Also at the gathering, lending support to Tarleton and taking the opportunity to get to know Ashe Democrats better, was 5th Congressional District Candidate Billy Kennedy, who was quick to lay out the reasons why he had chosen to take on Congresswoman Virginia Foxx.

"I come from a long line of preachers and teachers and I believe that people should help each other. I am doing this to help others; it sure isn't making my life any easier but I know this is an opportunity for me to bring working-folks' values to Washington [D.C.] because they have lost track of what average people are going through."

Of his opponent, Kennedy said, "I think Virginia Foxx has lost touch with the people that elected her and so I am willing to do this, to put myself and my family out there, to try and straighten things out in Washington."

Kennedy said he thinks his background as a builder and a farmer in the High Country for more than 30 years makes him uniquely qualified to identify with the needs of the people of the 5th District.

Kennedy was the host of WATA-AM's call-in show, Watauga Talks. He became increasingly involved in his community since he began co-hosting the show.

For the last three years, the show has featured guests from community groups as well as visits from elected officials and candidates for office. Kennedy feels that experience allows him to know the issues important to working people and says he is ready to tackle the country's greatest problems.

Following college in Tennessee, in 1980 Kennedy moved to western Watauga County where he became skilled at carpentry; worked as a maintenance man and furniture-maker; owned his own home remodeling business. He began raising livestock in 2000.

Kennedy is married to Rebecca ("Becka") Saunders. They have three children: Amber Grace; Jessica; and "Willis."