Rutherford County Voter Guide

Rutherford County Candidates Largely Back Right to Record; Mixed Answers on Lincoln Question

WCAB News survey shows broad agreement on state recording law, varied responses to local historical claim

As part of its March 3 primary coverage, WCAB News asked Rutherford County candidates multiple questions, including two notable ones: whether they support the public’s right to record under North Carolina law, and whether they believe Abraham Lincoln was born in Bostic.

Twenty-five candidates across federal, state and local races submitted responses to the questionnaire. Many others appearing on the Democratic and Republican ballots did not respond.

According to the North Carolina law, NC is a one-party consent state. That means a person who is part of a conversation may legally record it without informing the other party, with some exceptions under state and federal law.

Broad Support for Recording Rights

Among those who responded, support for the legal right to record was widespread.

Several candidates for federal and legislative offices said the law is clear and should be followed as written. Some described recording as an important transparency tool, particularly when citizens interact with public officials.

Candidates seeking judicial office generally took a more restrained approach, emphasizing that recording disputes must be evaluated under the U.S. Constitution, the North Carolina Constitution, and applicable statutes. One judicial candidate declined to offer a broad opinion, stating such matters could come before the court.

Two candidates for sheriff who responded said they support citizens recording law enforcement in public spaces, so long as it does not interfere with duties or violate the law. Aaron Ellenburg and Jamie Dunn responded to the survey; Jason Wease did not.

Robert Martelle, the incumbent district court judge, did not respond to the survey. His challenger, Andrew LaBreche, did. Martelle has been in office since 2013.

Both primary candidates for State House, Jake Johnson and Mike Hager, responded. Both district attorney candidates, Ted Bell and David Norris, responded.

Multiple county commissioner candidates did not respond, as did many school board candidates. In two districts, only one candidate each responded: Scott Haynes and Adam Yelton, Jason Toney, Yelton's sole challenger, did not.

Several school board candidates responded, but many did not.

WCAB News emailed the survey to all candidates on Feb. 20 and gave them until Feb. 25 to respond.

Was Abraham Lincoln born in Bostic? A Split Response

The final question asked whether candidates believe Abraham Lincoln was born in Bostic — a claim rooted in local lore but not supported by mainstream historical records, which identify Kentucky as Lincoln’s birthplace.

Most respondents answered “no.” At least one candidate answered “yes.” Several selected “maybe.” One said they could not say with certainty.

The question was included to gauge how candidates approach widely accepted historical facts versus local lore. Congressman Tim Moore said last year he supported possible DNA testing to determine if it's true. He said he would "add it to the list" of things the Trump administration would look into.

What It Means for Voters

While participation varied by race, the responses show broad agreement on existing state law governing recordings, with nuance depending on the office sought.

Voters can confirm registration status, polling location and review their sample ballot using the voter search tool provided by the North Carolina State Board of Elections on their website. The primary election is March 3.

Click here to read the Voter Guide / Candidate Responses.