Wilson resident and former Nash-Rocky Mount Board of Education member Richard Horner announced his intent to file in the 2016 Republican primary as a candidate for the North Carolina Senate District 11. The seat, representing Johnston, Nash and Wilson counties, is currently held by Republican Buck Newton. Senator Newton has announced his bid to become North Carolina’s Attorney General.
In Nash County, Mr. Horner served fourteen years on the Nash Rocky Mount Board of Education – four years as Chairman. A strong proponent of our public schools, Richard was extremely focused on finance and school construction and was a leader in the system’s $140 million building program. Since moving to Wilson from his hometown of Bailey in 2009, Mr. Horner has maintained his commitment to community service. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees of Wilson Community College and has been an active member of the Wilson Elks Lodge.
Mr. Horner has spent his professional career in the financial services industry. As a former investment broker he worked with both BB&T’s Scott & Stringfellow and First Citizen’s IronStone Securities serving Southern Bank. For the past nine years Richard has been a commercial insurance agent. He currently places business with a local Wilson agency and is active in private real estate investment. Mr. Horner has a degree in Business Administration from East Carolina University and is a graduate of Southern Nash High School. He is married to Patricia Harbaugh Horner, a second grade teacher at Wells Elementary and an East Carolina graduate. They have four children: Paul, Kate, Will and Abby.
In announcing his candidacy, Mr. Horner said, “I’ll make the same promise to the people in Senate District 11 as I make every time I run for public office…to work as hard as I possibly can to protect their investment in our government. I’m a common sense conservative that believes deeply in fairness to all, but that government can always work smarter with our tax dollars. The people of Nash County always knew they could count on me to stand up for them and I feel confident I’ve demonstrated that focus to many of the folks in Wilson that work so hard to make this a wonderful place to live. My job over the coming months is to get immersed in the issues of Johnston County as quickly as I can to give them that confidence as well. I’m looking forward to it.”
