Senator Chuck Edwards touted voting as the single-most important civic duty that a person has in Friday's talk to AP U.S. Government and Politics students at Christ School.
Amid an election season, it might be a message that every side can agree on.
Edwards has served in the North Carolina Senate from the 48th district since 2016, but his sights are set on Congress this fall. He defeated Republican incumbent Madison Cawthorn in one of the nation’s most-watched primaries.
Senator Edwards was invited to campus by Christ School History instructor Mark Crawford, who also reached out to Democratic nominee Jasmine Beach-Ferrera ahead of the Nov. 8 general election.
“It is our responsibility to participate in our government to whatever level you are comfortable with or aspire to be. Voting is the most important responsibility that a citizen has,” Edwards said Friday.
“I knew nothing about running for public office when I started. For years, I told friends that I was a businessman and not a politician. I’ve been blessed to be able to apply my work ethic in the North Carolina Senate that I learned as a youngster.”
Senator Edwards is a western North Carolina native who once aspired to be a forest ranger. But through trial and error, he found he had a knack for business. He joined the McDonald's Corporation in 1989 and still maintains a fondness for the Golden Arches to this day.
Senator Edwards told the boys that he and his wife own a half-dozen McDonald’s franchises, including the restaurant in Henderson County that gave him a job at age 16.
“One of my favorite things to do is to be able to get out and meet real people,” Senator Edwards said.
“Coming to classes such as this at various schools gives me the chance to talk about what I’ve learned in government. We learn a lot about the way government works in school, but every single day for me is still a learning experience.”