Thread by @JeffJacksonNC

Busy day in Union County yesterday.

Our first town hall was in-person at a local park.

Folks gave their thoughts about disability awareness, veteran’s health care, and gerrymandering.

Then I drove over to Main Street in Monroe, parked outside the courthouse, put my laptop on my trunk, and did a virtual town hall with another 50 people.

One of the conversations was about housing, and how this is an issue that cuts across the rural/urban divide - which spoke to a larger issue about Union County itself.

You can’t call Union a rural county. Its proximity to Charlotte has led to rapid growth and diversification away from its historic focus on agriculture.

That said, almost half the county is still farmland and agriculture companies rank among its biggest employers.

That’s the beauty of taking a 100 county approach to campaigning: You don’t have to paint with a broad brush. You can get a sense of how certain counties have complex economies and cultures.

Speaking of culture, we went to East Frank Superette and Kitchen for lunch. If you’re in the neighborhood, check it out. Got a panini and mac & cheese. Was outstanding.

Then we stopped by a manufacturer that makes high-end steel trailers used for hauling and heavy construction work.

If you look at the photos I know it looks like the stereotypical ad of a politician touring a factory setting - and we laughed about that - but the best way to learn about the pressures on modern manufacturers is to talk shop with those folks.

Debra and Mick own the place and while they showed me their different kinds of trailers they also talked about how harmful steel tariffs have been and how expensive health care is for their employees, all of whom they pay at least $15 an hour.

(We also met their Chief Morale Officer, a bulldog named Bentley.)

It’s a small business that - like many - has been through a lot over the last year. But they’re back to making plans for expansion and are expecting much better things out of 2021.

Aren’t we all.

Best,
Jeff