CLEVELAND – In 2020, Denton Lee, a lifelong member of the Cleveland community, was the only unaffiliated candidate in the state of North Carolina to run for the North Carolina General Assembly. Lee said he knew all along that it was a losing proposition, but he didn’t do it to win. He did it to tell anyone listening that the political middle had been forgotten. And what exactly is the political middle?
“I look at it in terms of percentages,” Lee said. “I believe 20-25 percent of the population on both the right and left are what you would consider immovably loyal to their party. They will not vote for any candidate outside their party, even if they know they are voting for a terrible candidate. But I truly believe that the middle half of the population – even if some are mostly loyal to one party – understands that we are a country full of vastly different beliefs, and peace depends on us respecting that fact. Peace depends on us putting forth real effort at finding common ground.”
Lee views the country the exact same now that he has announced a run for the US House of Representatives as a Democrat in District 7 (as with all NC districts, the boundaries of District 7 could change in the coming months as our state undergoes redistricting.)
He understands how challenging his party choice will be in a Republican-leaning district, but he said he really had no other choice if he wanted to be the candidate he thought our state and country needed.
“Richard Burr was condemned and censured for making ONE unpopular decision he felt was right,” Lee said. “I struggled with which party to choose, but if I should win, it would be my job to make decisions based on the voices of 100% of my constituents. If and when those decisions differed from my party, I would be censured weekly on the Republican side. At a time when 100% party loyalty is required, I simply thought I’d be allowed to be myself on the Democratic side.”
Lee believes that while finding common ground is essential to a functioning government, we need an overall culture change in politics in this country. In addition to term limits which he says would change the culture in Washington almost overnight, he believes the culture simply needs leaders who refuse toxic partisanship and 100% party allegiance.
“If we sat down to have actual dialogue about an issue, how many representatives in Washington would discuss the pros and cons of all sides of that issue? They won’t. They’ll only sell their side and it will likely be full of propaganda and spin. I refuse to do that. I would not be representing the entirety of my district if I only represented the ones with the same letter beside their names. And 100% of them deserve honesty and transparency.”
In his race for NC House in 2020, Lee didn’t once resort to attack ads or negative campaigning, and he says he’ll do the same thing this year no matter who he faces in either the primary or the general election should he get past the primary.
“What does it prove if I attack my opponents? That I can find flaws in another human who has the guts to run for office? Heck, I probably have more flaws than them. Besides, there is no way I can prove myself to be a fair and competent representative by attacking the perceived weaknesses of my opponents. So I’ll stick to trying to sell myself.”
Lee knows there will be very few candidates in the country this year who refuse to attack their opponents and even fewer who would go to Washington and challenge their own party, but he also knows that he has never talked to a single person in his entire life who believes Washington is anything other than a corrupt, unethical cesspool of parties and politicians out for power and personal gain.
“I don’t believe in unbending party loyalty. I believe in honesty, facts, math, majorities, science, transparency, education, decency, and truth, but mostly I believe in rational common ground, because that’s what we’re supposed to do in this country. And even though I disagree with ideas on both sides of the aisle, I do not believe in burning bridges to the people championing those ideas. If I burned those bridges, a lot of my friends, family, and neighbors would be on the other side. I’m just not okay with that.”
Denton Lee received his undergraduate degree in Business Management from the University of Mount Olive, and a Master of Arts in Teaching degree from East Carolina University. He is a special education math teacher at Smithfield-Selma High School. He and his wife, Megan, have three children, ages 2, 5, and 16.
The Seventh District US House seat is current held by Representative David Rouzer (R-NC) who first won election to the seat in 2015 and most recently won reelection on November 3, 2020.
He will fall right inline and vote the party line and should he not he will be removed from the Democratic Party by the first primary. Don’t be fooled by these Trojans Horses and wish what he said is truthful.
You are exactly right, if he thinks a Republican is beholden to party above all else he needs to research the dem party and how they NEVER have anyone stray from Nancy’s plantation. Regardless, I am sure he is doing what they all do and say they won’t get in line before elected then just fall in line as usual.
Mr. Lee what is your position on the Nov 2020 election? Are you all for a full forensic audit to prove or disprove if there was fraud?
That’s a big NO from me. I’m so over Democrats in disguise.
This man’s position is exactly what this whole country needs.
All of you seem to live in FEAR!
Of what, I can’t figure out.
Of yourselves?
Hang in there Denton! We need a moderate candidate to best represent JoCo!
He won’t stand a chance against David Rouzer anyway.
Hold up I know this Man and his family. Sometimes you have to push for what you believe in. If Denton believes he can make a change for NC. Then bring it on he states he will hear both sides and then modrate what is right. He here for his fellow teachers also cause they are in a bad way in NC. There voices are not heard with Denton he will listen to their needs. So there is always going to be pro’s and con’s to everything that is proposed but Denton will hopefully be voted in to make the right decision for all his supports.
Kimberly T
I can’t wait to vote for him! This county is growing and changing for the better. Time to get rid of the good old boys and bring about some real positive changes around here!
So is Mr. Denton for critical thinking being taught in our schools or is he against it? Is Mr. Denton for Black Lives Matter to be active in our schools or is he against it? Does Mr. Denton have a history of being against Defund The Police or has he just been quite on this matter? Johnston County Voters wants to know where he stands on these issues and maybe some of you that have so glowingly support him and know him can give us some insight on these issues sense Mr. Denton failed to enlighten us voters as to where he stands. Oh, and does Mr. Denton approve of trans gender boys using the girls bathroom and playing girls sports? This stuff isn’t hard to figure out so if Mr. Denton want tell us maybe you that have supported him in these comments and claim to know him can help in getting our votes for him. Seriously, convince us middle of the road or independent voters why we should vote for him? I have in the past voted for a few Democrats, but not any that supports these common ground ideology.
Your fear of these “issues” is because you have let the far right convince you that they are a problem. How many transgender folks do you know? What has anyone from BLM member ever done to you or our county? Obviously, you do not understand “Defund the Police”, only what Fox or Newsmaxx has taught you. And when it comes to critical thinking, quite a few of us need lessons in it because we truly cannot think critically. When you learn a little more about what you are referencing, instead of repeating talking points, we can revisit these topics the way adults do. Denton Lee III is a fine man with wonderful morals and values and if you really want to know his stance, instead of parroting “opinion” hosts on tv, there is plenty of information on the web for you to read.
I would certainly hope, and know, that Mr. Lee is for critical thinking being taught in school! We need people that can look at multiple sources of information, reason through these sources and the information presented, and formulate and express a well educated and informed thought. I think we should all be for critical thinking in schools and I for one think Mr. Lee has some great critical thinking skills!
Thank you Denise and we all appreciate your honestly to what is going on in this segment of time in which we live in. I had hoped in drawing out the true essence of a biological human that has no appreciation for any life other than can be created in a form of education. Meaning the forms of how many genders that can be defined in literature but not in a human body. Please calm your feeling of life ending anger to me, as I was born to combat you.
I am not angry with you at all. I just believe that you are terribly misinformed. Your personal attack on me is further proof that you lack the knowledge to debate and have never really looked outside of your personal situation. You have a lot of company. I wish you the best and stand by every single word I wrote above. Your opinion of me is irrelevant to everyone except you. As far as the apple and the tree are concerned…Mr Lee and I are not related and that analogy does not apply.
Oh, Terry was highly accurate and far more informed that you are or ever will be, Denise.
Also, the only irrelevant thing here today was your absurd line of questioning. 🤭
Folks did you happen to notice how Denise praised Denton Lee the third!!! The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree does it?
Denton’s views are so, so close to my own. If you spend a few minutes reading his blog that he has had for several years now, you will learn that he is NOT a yes-man, thank God!!