Murphy, Smith echo party lines: Candidates differ on healthcare, war, Trump actions
The candidates for North Carolina’s 3rd Congressional District, Republican Greg Murphy and Democrat Raymond Smith Jr., presented differing views on healthcare, energy, foreign policy and President Trump’s actions. On data centers, Smith called for a halt to new facilities until health, environmental and utility impacts are studied, while Murphy supported continued construction with safeguards for water, energy costs and noise.
Republican incumbent Greg Murphy and Democratic challenger Raymond Smith Jr. are competing in North Carolina’s 3rd Congressional District, which includes nine eastern North Carolina counties. The candidates differ on healthcare affordability, energy policy, the war in Iran and President Donald Trump’s proposed Washington projects, with political analysts continuing to rate the district as strongly Republican.
The candidates also offered contrasting positions on data center growth. Smith said he is vehemently opposed to additional construction until potential health, environmental and utility impacts are evaluated and communities receive clear information. Murphy argued that data centers are necessary for the United States to remain competitive with China in artificial intelligence, while agreeing that facilities should not contaminate water supplies, increase energy costs or create unacceptable noise. The article notes that counties and municipalities in North Carolina are adopting temporary moratoriums while developing rules for data center siting and operations.