Name: Robert Nickell

Party: Democratic

Age: 48

Address: 1085 Nickell Farm Road, Westfield, N.C., 27053

Family: Wife, Joanna, and three children enrolled in public schools in Stokes County.

Education: Graduated from Parkland High School in Winston-Salem; two years of community college at Forsyth Technical Community College including such fields as carpentry and electricity.

Professional Experience: Worked in the historical-renovation field for 24 years. In 2007, opened Carolina Ziplines, a business in Stokes County that allows participants to traverse a forest by means of a steel cable 50 feet above the ground which is connected to various platforms.

Previous Political Experience: Has run for multiple offices, but not been elected.

Community, Religious, Other Affiliations: Has served on the board of Horne Creek Living Historical Farm for about 10 years and was a Spanish interpreter at the courthouse in Danbury for 10 years. Has coached gymnastics and Little League soccer and is a member of Quaker Gap Baptist Church. Has been involved in community-outreach efforts, including helping to deliver numerous supplies to victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Question: Why are you running for the Senate seat?

Answer: I’m concerned with the fact we’ve lost so many jobs — that’s my main priority, trying to get some jobs back in Stokes, Surry, Alleghany and Yadkin counties. I do realize that a comment I made earlier about trying to undo NAFTA involves a decision on the federal level. But if I can’t change NAFTA directly, I can indirectly by bringing attention to the situation and pushing our congressional representatives to do the right thing. The jobs need is a big reason I’m running and so are the schools. The schools are all taking hits right now and facing a loss of funding through budget cuts planned by Gov. Bev Perdue. You’ve got to have good schools if you’re going to get new people to come to the area.

Question: What do you think makes you qualified for this office?

Answer: I’ve ran five businesses in my adult life, all successfully, and I am very committed, goal-oriented, very task-focused and good at multi-tasking.

Question: Everyone knows jobs are the key issue in this district, but what can you do specifically to meet this need?

Answer: By offering small businesses in the counties tax money instead of throwing it out to huge corporations that come in and end up leaving. They take billions of dollars in tax money and stay for a while, then pull out — leaving behind empty buildings and people without jobs. I definitely believe in state and county incentives for small businesses. If you’re working now, you’re working for a small business. There are no more large business owners. Small businesses are doing a good job hiring people all over the state and we need to start rewarding the people who are already contributing. I believe more money can be made available for such purposes by charging a residential tax rather than property taxes, which would address those who rent and others, and probably generate more revenue.

Spending more on small businesses, and not so much on huge corporations that just leave us high and dry, would allow us to create jobs from within.

Question: Other than jobs and economic development, what are the first changes you would try to bring about in state government?

Answer: I’m also concerned about the state employees health-care plan. It is supposed to be a non-profit organization, but is sitting on a surplus and raising premiums to make more money. They’re making more off the people. That’s robbery. I would try to do something about that situation. I would eliminate the raising of premiums, which are requiring those on the plan to pay 30 percent more, I think. I also support higher supplemental pay for teachers in order to improve education.

Question: Given problems such as the tendency of state government to raise taxes on citizens rather than cut the bureaucracy, how can public confidence in Raleigh be restored?

Answer: The first way would be to show citizens that they actually are getting things for the tax money they pay.